what can i do about these weird reflections on the hairs ,
other then editing ?
QUOTE]
Not sure of the shooting condition but they are specular reflections either from bright sunlight or your flash. You can often get these even when shooting flash with bright sun. For natural light shots I try to either shoot under slight cloud which avoids these or try to shade the bug slightly (at the risk of spooking it). If you are shooting full flash it might indicate more diffusion is needed.
Brian v.
i agree with Brian, there is very little you can do if it is really sunny:D
afterall if you were shooting a landscape bright sunlight is the last thing you want in a landcsape, it is too harsh.
better off looking in shaded areas or try blocking the sun with your body
thanks Phil
actually i knew i should avoid strong sunlight
i just did not realize it was the cause of these reflections
hopefully my external flash will be delivered soon ,
so i can shoot with overcast sky ( nearly impossible now)
stacking in photoshop & zerene
Now that I am practicing stacking in photoshop, I am curious about the advantages of Zerene over photoshop. With CS5m it is nearly as automatic as Zerene--just one step to align, and another to stack. I have thought of only a few advantages of Zerene over Photoshop--the choice of two stacking methods, the ability to change the parameters for one of them, the retouching tool, and I think faster speed (although I have not done exactly the same stacks in both). Are there others?
i have not got the stacking feature in my version of ps, but people that have tried it say its not as good at stacking as zerene, a stand alone program is always going to be better than one built in.
the clone touch up feature in zerene is the best part of it, so usefull for touching up edges and larger areas that havnt aligned correctly.
probably depends on how good the individual frames have been shot/aligned.
Thanks. If I can find time, I want to test two things. First, how well the two handle poorly aligned shots. The second is that Zerene sometimes generates false specular highlights on flower shots (although DMap with an increased radius seems to do it less). You can see a mild version left of center in the larger, left-hand flower in the image below, which I posted recently. I did this with PMax to preserve detail. I originally thought this stemmed from sharpening before stacking, but that is not the case. This image had no processing other than WB before exporting and stacking. I have not tried in PS any of the images that had this problem in Zerene. If I can find time, I am going to generate a set of TIFs, stack them all three ways.
Lens question
I have been reading Canon lens reviews looking for a 'normal' prime (prolly 50-ish mm) and in reading some of the reviews of macro lenses, it's noted they have 'less DOF'.
Does this mean, for example, the 50mm macro would have less DOF than the 50 f/1.4 when shot using the same settings/focus distance?
Does the DOF even out when you add extension tubes to the non-macro lens? So if you have a 50 macro or a 50 f/1.4 w/ tubes to give it 1:1 mag., would the DOF be about the same at macro working distances or how does it balance out??
I have been reading Canon lens reviews looking for a 'normal' prime (prolly 50-ish mm) and in reading some of the reviews of macro lenses, it's noted they have 'less DOF'.
Does this mean, for example, the 50mm macro would have less DOF than the 50 f/1.4 when shot using the same settings/focus distance?
Does the DOF even out when you add extension tubes to the non-macro lens? So if you have a 50 macro or a 50 f/1.4 w/ tubes to give it 1:1 mag., would the DOF be about the same at macro working distances or how does it balance out??
Thanks ,
Michelle
I don't think a 50 with tubes is still 50
The DOF diminishes because the actual distance from the lens to the subject is much closer with a macro lens. This is the main reason for shallow DOF. F number is the obvious second. I'd personally never shoot a macro at F1.4 unless I was desperate since you would barely get any detail out of it. Also the longer the tubes the more light you'd be losing making a longer exposure.
The DOF diminishes the most with distance and second with the F rating. I'd personally never shoot a macro at F1.4 unless I was desperate since you would barely get any detail out of it.
Oooh, I'm saying 50 f/1.4 just to designate that as a specific non-macro lens for the example. Not to use the lens at f/1.4. Sorry to be confusing on that!
What is a 50 w/ tubes then? I'm digging around on the web for how to calculate the adjusted FL, but am not finding the answer.
ETA: actually I'm reading that additional tubes don't change the FL of the lens?
Oooh, I'm saying 50 f/1.4 just to designate that as a specific non-macro lens for the example. Not to use the lens at f/1.4. Sorry to be confusing on that!
What is a 50 w/ tubes then? I'm digging around on the web for how to calculate the adjusted FL, but am not finding the answer.
ETA: actually I'm reading that additional tubes don't change the FL of the lens?
It shifts the minimum capable focus distance of the lens. So lets say you add a 20mm tube, I believe it'd be the effect of having a 70mm with focusing at whatever distance range it changes to
It shifts the minimum capable focus distance of the lens. So lets say you add a 20mm tube, I believe it'd be the effect of having a 70mm with focusing at whatever distance range it changes to
Cool, that's an easy one to try then. I'll set my zoom lens to 80mm and add a 20mm tube, and it should be the same angle of view as the 100 macro w/ no tubes, right?
Cool, that's an easy one to try then. I'll set my zoom lens to 80mm and add a 20mm tube, and it should be the same angle of view as the 100 macro w/ no tubes, right?
It should be. I know the focal length will = 100mm but I have no idea what the magnification factor will actually be. Plus, you can't focus to infinite.
Hello! I have a few more questions about extension tubes. I have a Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro and I too find that I still want much closer. I read the info above but am still somewhat confused about some things. Can you use extension tubes on macro lenses or are they made for other lenses to make them more like a macro? Why is there such a difference in price if they are just tubes that go between the body and lens? I looked at Kenkos which were close to $200 dollars but also saw a same set by a different company for $60. Sorry if these are dumb questions, but I am really just not clear on this and I don't want to shell out money for something I can't use!
Hello! I have a few more questions about extension tubes. I have a Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro and I too find that I still want much closer. I read the info above but am still somewhat confused about some things. Can you use extension tubes on macro lenses or are they made for other lenses to make them more like a macro? Why is there such a difference in price if they are just tubes that go between the body and lens? I looked at Kenkos which were close to $200 dollars but also saw a same set by a different company for $60. Sorry if these are dumb questions, but I am really just not clear on this and I don't want to shell out money for something I can't use!
You can use extension tubes to get closer with just about any lens including a macro lens. With your 100mm macro lens you will be able to get to 2:1 magnification with a set of ext tubes (68mm).
The cheapest extension tubes do not have any electrical contacts so you lose control of the lens aperture which makes it fairly hard to use them. There is still a bit of a price range between the ones that have electrical contacts, Kenko is just a readily available good quality brand, but you can find other brands which vary in their quality. I actually use some other brand ext tubes and have had no problems with them.
Hey you guys im new here and new at macro
resently i got from a friend 100mm macro len without IS (the old model)
and i had fun using but felt i wanted to get more closer so i got those cheap ext tubes on ebay (without electrical contacts) i read here a few guides that is very helpful! so thank you all
but i still have some questions and in need for tips and feedback
1. Is photostacking work only if u shot from the same place? same dof? (with tripod too?)
2. I been thinking to get a external flash for my 550d, which one should i get? just not too high price
3. I love to shoot bug and less flowers and all but for some reason alot tell me to shoot flowers first but i found taking shoot of a flower is just boring, is it absolute necessary for macro beginners ?
4. Is there a way to change aperture with the extension tubes? cause i find it very hard to get focus with low aperture at all frame
5. I been think to get tripod with focusing rail , is it useful to shoot moving objects ? or just flowers? if so which should i get?
6. I will be very grateful if anyway of u would give me more tips and feedback on my gallery
I have read everything on that guides and tutorials
and i have more questions haha but for the time being i will be very glad if someone could answer me the ones on my last post
and thanks basflit!
Hey you guys im new here and new at macro
resently i got from a friend 100mm macro len without IS (the old model)
and i had fun using but felt i wanted to get more closer so i got those cheap ext tubes on ebay (without electrical contacts) i read here a few guides that is very helpful! so thank you all
but i still have some questions and in need for tips and feedback
1. Is photostacking work only if u shot from the same place? same dof? (with tripod too?)
2. I been thinking to get a external flash for my 550d, which one should i get? just not too high price
3. I love to shoot bug and less flowers and all but for some reason alot tell me to shoot flowers first but i found taking shoot of a flower is just boring, is it absolute necessary for macro beginners ?
4. Is there a way to change aperture with the extension tubes? cause i find it very hard to get focus with low aperture at all frame
5. I been think to get tripod with focusing rail , is it useful to shoot moving objects ? or just flowers? if so which should i get?
6. I will be very grateful if anyway of u would give me more tips and feedback on my gallery
you should concentrate on single shot images before thinking about focus stacking, practise focusing on the eyes , moving camera back/forward. it takes a lot of practise .
as for flash, I use a canon 430 ex with off camera cord, you will have to make a diffuser to soften the light at such close proximity to the subject.
shoot hand held with say f8 - f14 , photograph anything you like , just enjoy it. flowers are very difficult, and yes a bit dull!!!
post loads pics so we can help you more.
it does not matter
these things are empty ; no glass in side
take the cheapest you can find , provided the have contacts and are made for your brand camera
Practice Shots and Subject Question
Following the advice I received in another thread, I put out a small amount of raw fish and strawberry fruit spread in hopes of attracting European paper wasps to photograph. Unfortunately, I got yellowjackets instead...the lone wasp that tried to visit was quickly chased away and hasn't returned.
Here's my questions: How aggressive ARE yellowjackets? Are they aggressive while around food? If they accidentally bump into you while flying away, will they sting?
I'm used to working with the paper wasps while they are resting on their nests and, as such, are very docile. Right now I'm using sub-optimal settings (mainly autofocus) while shooting yellowjackets because they're very active...which makes me nervous. It's hard to use manual focus when you're running away every five shots.
Practice Shots:
Side Note: The fish I put out yesterday is gone...at one one point I saw a yellowjacket carry away a lump the size of its head.
Comments
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
thanks for answer
i will keep it in mind
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ
afterall if you were shooting a landscape bright sunlight is the last thing you want in a landcsape, it is too harsh.
better off looking in shaded areas or try blocking the sun with your body
phil
moderator - Holy Macro
Goldenorfe’s Flickr Gallery
Goldenorfe photography on Smugmug
Phils Photographic Adventures Blog
actually i knew i should avoid strong sunlight
i just did not realize it was the cause of these reflections
hopefully my external flash will be delivered soon ,
so i can shoot with overcast sky ( nearly impossible now)
regards
Bas
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ
Now that I am practicing stacking in photoshop, I am curious about the advantages of Zerene over photoshop. With CS5m it is nearly as automatic as Zerene--just one step to align, and another to stack. I have thought of only a few advantages of Zerene over Photoshop--the choice of two stacking methods, the ability to change the parameters for one of them, the retouching tool, and I think faster speed (although I have not done exactly the same stacks in both). Are there others?
Thanks
the clone touch up feature in zerene is the best part of it, so usefull for touching up edges and larger areas that havnt aligned correctly.
probably depends on how good the individual frames have been shot/aligned.
moderator - Holy Macro
Goldenorfe’s Flickr Gallery
Goldenorfe photography on Smugmug
Phils Photographic Adventures Blog
Thanks. If I can find time, I want to test two things. First, how well the two handle poorly aligned shots. The second is that Zerene sometimes generates false specular highlights on flower shots (although DMap with an increased radius seems to do it less). You can see a mild version left of center in the larger, left-hand flower in the image below, which I posted recently. I did this with PMax to preserve detail. I originally thought this stemmed from sharpening before stacking, but that is not the case. This image had no processing other than WB before exporting and stacking. I have not tried in PS any of the images that had this problem in Zerene. If I can find time, I am going to generate a set of TIFs, stack them all three ways.
Dan
I have been reading Canon lens reviews looking for a 'normal' prime (prolly 50-ish mm) and in reading some of the reviews of macro lenses, it's noted they have 'less DOF'.
Does this mean, for example, the 50mm macro would have less DOF than the 50 f/1.4 when shot using the same settings/focus distance?
Does the DOF even out when you add extension tubes to the non-macro lens? So if you have a 50 macro or a 50 f/1.4 w/ tubes to give it 1:1 mag., would the DOF be about the same at macro working distances or how does it balance out??
Thanks
Michelle
I don't think a 50 with tubes is still 50
The DOF diminishes because the actual distance from the lens to the subject is much closer with a macro lens. This is the main reason for shallow DOF. F number is the obvious second. I'd personally never shoot a macro at F1.4 unless I was desperate since you would barely get any detail out of it. Also the longer the tubes the more light you'd be losing making a longer exposure.
Oooh, I'm saying 50 f/1.4 just to designate that as a specific non-macro lens for the example. Not to use the lens at f/1.4. Sorry to be confusing on that!
What is a 50 w/ tubes then? I'm digging around on the web for how to calculate the adjusted FL, but am not finding the answer.
ETA: actually I'm reading that additional tubes don't change the FL of the lens?
ofcourse FL is changed
by the length of the tube , ea , 50 + 12 = 62
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ
It shifts the minimum capable focus distance of the lens. So lets say you add a 20mm tube, I believe it'd be the effect of having a 70mm with focusing at whatever distance range it changes to
Cool, that's an easy one to try then. I'll set my zoom lens to 80mm and add a 20mm tube, and it should be the same angle of view as the 100 macro w/ no tubes, right?
It should be. I know the focal length will = 100mm but I have no idea what the magnification factor will actually be. Plus, you can't focus to infinite.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChasingSky
You can use extension tubes to get closer with just about any lens including a macro lens. With your 100mm macro lens you will be able to get to 2:1 magnification with a set of ext tubes (68mm).
The cheapest extension tubes do not have any electrical contacts so you lose control of the lens aperture which makes it fairly hard to use them. There is still a bit of a price range between the ones that have electrical contacts, Kenko is just a readily available good quality brand, but you can find other brands which vary in their quality. I actually use some other brand ext tubes and have had no problems with them.
Brian v.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChasingSky
resently i got from a friend 100mm macro len without IS (the old model)
and i had fun using but felt i wanted to get more closer so i got those cheap ext tubes on ebay (without electrical contacts) i read here a few guides that is very helpful! so thank you all
but i still have some questions and in need for tips and feedback
1. Is photostacking work only if u shot from the same place? same dof? (with tripod too?)
2. I been thinking to get a external flash for my 550d, which one should i get? just not too high price
3. I love to shoot bug and less flowers and all but for some reason alot tell me to shoot flowers first but i found taking shoot of a flower is just boring, is it absolute necessary for macro beginners ?
4. Is there a way to change aperture with the extension tubes? cause i find it very hard to get focus with low aperture at all frame
5. I been think to get tripod with focusing rail , is it useful to shoot moving objects ? or just flowers? if so which should i get?
6. I will be very grateful if anyway of u would give me more tips and feedback on my gallery
this is my gallery
http://500px.com/Daniel819
Thank you!
-you need tubes with contacts
-for bugs , the use of a tripod is not handy , try to practice handheld
read the tutorials first , then start asking
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=143373
me and a lot of others here are glad to help then
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ
and i have more questions haha but for the time being i will be very glad if someone could answer me the ones on my last post
and thanks basflit!
you should concentrate on single shot images before thinking about focus stacking, practise focusing on the eyes , moving camera back/forward. it takes a lot of practise .
as for flash, I use a canon 430 ex with off camera cord, you will have to make a diffuser to soften the light at such close proximity to the subject.
shoot hand held with say f8 - f14 , photograph anything you like , just enjoy it. flowers are very difficult, and yes a bit dull!!!
post loads pics so we can help you more.
phil
moderator - Holy Macro
Goldenorfe’s Flickr Gallery
Goldenorfe photography on Smugmug
Phils Photographic Adventures Blog
Which is better for macro work a Teleconverter or Extension Tubes?
Regards
Rannith
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ
Brilliant.
Thanks Bas.
Regards
Rannith.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
I found myself stuck between choosing Pro Optic Or Vello Brand
this is the pro optic tubes
http://www.adorama.com/MCAETEOS.html
and vello tubes
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/787223-REG/vello_ext_cd_auto_focus_ext_tube.html
as you see that about the same price and that is my budget for right now (so leave Kenko tubes)
hope you guys can help me choose the right one...
THANKS!
anyone?
these things are empty ; no glass in side
take the cheapest you can find , provided the have contacts and are made for your brand camera
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ
Following the advice I received in another thread, I put out a small amount of raw fish and strawberry fruit spread in hopes of attracting European paper wasps to photograph. Unfortunately, I got yellowjackets instead...the lone wasp that tried to visit was quickly chased away and hasn't returned.
Here's my questions: How aggressive ARE yellowjackets? Are they aggressive while around food? If they accidentally bump into you while flying away, will they sting?
I'm used to working with the paper wasps while they are resting on their nests and, as such, are very docile. Right now I'm using sub-optimal settings (mainly autofocus) while shooting yellowjackets because they're very active...which makes me nervous. It's hard to use manual focus when you're running away every five shots.
Practice Shots:
Side Note: The fish I put out yesterday is gone...at one one point I saw a yellowjacket carry away a lump the size of its head.
anything can be amazing
Brian v.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
there are critters that do attack just like that , but not wasps or bees :nono
/ɯoɔ˙ƃnɯƃnɯs˙ʇlɟsɐq//:dʇʇɥ