MACRO SHOOTING - Tips & Tutorials

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  • PappyRootPappyRoot Registered Users Posts: 174 Major grins
    edited February 21, 2012
    Phil,

    I have a Sony a200. I am on a limited budget so I can not go get a nice cannon. When it comes to macro should I give up and walk away or will my Sony be OK? My wife wants to get me a tripod and macro lens for my 50th birthday. But if we would be wasting our $ I would rather get something else.

    Please do not get me wrong I LOVE my Sony but I keep seeing how everyone is saying that the Cannon is better.

    Thanks ahead of time for your honest advise.

    Love & Prayers
    Darryl
    Sometimes, it is better to be kind than to be right. We do not need an intelligent mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens. Unknown
    *************
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  • Lord VetinariLord Vetinari Registered Users Posts: 15,901 Major grins
    edited February 21, 2012
    PappyRoot wrote: »
    Phil,

    I have a Sony a200. I am on a limited budget so I can not go get a nice cannon. When it comes to macro should I give up and walk away or will my Sony be OK? My wife wants to get me a tripod and macro lens for my 50th birthday. But if we would be wasting our $ I would rather get something else.

    Please do not get me wrong I LOVE my Sony but I keep seeing how everyone is saying that the Cannon is better.

    Thanks ahead of time for your honest advise.

    Love & Prayers
    Darryl

    Can't really see why your Sony should not be absolutely fine for macro as long as you can get a reasonable macro lens for it.

    Brian v.
  • PappyRootPappyRoot Registered Users Posts: 174 Major grins
    edited February 21, 2012
    Can't really see why your Sony should not be absolutely fine for macro as long as you can get a reasonable macro lens for it.

    Brian v.

    Thank you so much Brian. I did not think it would matter.

    Love & Prayers
    Darryl
    Sometimes, it is better to be kind than to be right. We do not need an intelligent mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens. Unknown
    *************
    irpappyroot2.photoshop.com
    My flickr Account
  • EpicurosEpicuros Registered Users Posts: 7 Big grins
    edited June 17, 2012
    I am also using Canon camera (EOS 5d MKII) and a range of Canon lenses. In the photo of your equipment I see that you are using the three Kenko extension rings together with 100mm Macro. I used to do exactly the same, until I discovered that the 50mm lens with the Kenco rings allows much closer focusing! I don't know why but it happens!
  • SnowgirlSnowgirl Registered Users Posts: 2,155 Major grins
    edited August 25, 2012
    I notice that most of you don't recommend the ring flash with the 65mm MP-E. Might I ask why? I was fortunate to be given both as Christmas gifts last year and I'm just wondering if I should use that ring flash or my regular 580EXII? Of course, FIRST I have to learn to focus and adjust for my deteriorating vision as noted in another thread :)
    Creating visual and verbal images that resonate with you.
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  • basfltbasflt Registered Users Posts: 1,882 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2012
    Snowgirl wrote: »
    I notice that most of you don't recommend the ring flash with the 65mm MP-E. Might I ask why? I was fortunate to be given both as Christmas gifts last year and I'm just wondering if I should use that ring flash or my regular 580EXII? Of course, FIRST I have to learn to focus and adjust for my deteriorating vision as noted in another thread :)
    shadow give depth to the image
    the light from ring comes from all directions , thus eliminates shadow

    what i would try ;
    -remove from the lens and mount it on the tripod-mount of the lens
    -try to make a diffuser on it
    -if you 'd use the 580EX , you would have to do that also
  • SnowgirlSnowgirl Registered Users Posts: 2,155 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2012
    basflt wrote: »
    shadow give depth to the image
    the light from ring comes from all directions , thus eliminates shadow

    what i would try ;
    -remove from the lens and mount it on the tripod-mount of the lens
    -try to make a diffuser on it
    -if you 'd use the 580EX , you would have to do that also

    Ah - so the ring flash would create a flatter light / flatter image without depth. Thank you. That makes sense.
    Creating visual and verbal images that resonate with you.
    http://www.imagesbyceci.com
    http://www.facebook.com/ImagesByCeci
    Picadilly, NB, Canada
  • GrayPlayerGrayPlayer Registered Users Posts: 26 Big grins
    edited March 9, 2013
    Can someone explain image sizing when using an O)lympus 620 and a 105 MM macro lens.
    Cannot get my brain to cooperate.
    Hope I have worded the question correctly.
  • DeVermDeVerm Registered Users Posts: 405 Major grins
    edited March 9, 2013
    Snowgirl wrote: »
    Ah - so the ring flash would create a flatter light / flatter image without depth. Thank you. That makes sense.

    The Canon ring flash has two flash tubes which are rigged as groups A and B. You can control flash output of each. which moves flash source at an angle to the subject introducing shadow. I have both the ring flash and the one with two heads that everybody uses, but sometimes like the ring flash for it's compactness. Use the A:B flash settings and you will come closer to the other flash results than most believe. thumb.gif
    ciao!
    Nick.

    my equipment: Canon 5D2, 7D, full list here
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  • basfltbasflt Registered Users Posts: 1,882 Major grins
    edited March 10, 2013
    GrayPlayer wrote: »
    Can someone explain image sizing when using an O)lympus 620 and a 105 MM macro lens.
    Cannot get my brain to cooperate.
    Hope I have worded the question correctly.
    it is called Breathing
    the rear element moves during focusing , this causing a slight zoom effect
  • Patrick D. HarringtonPatrick D. Harrington Registered Users Posts: 9 Beginner grinner
    edited July 2, 2013
    Lots of great stuff here, I have a set of Kenco tubes and have used them stacked 36mm+20mm+12mm behind a 24-70mm f2.8 @ 70mm @ 2.8 and love the magnification but the DOF is Razor thin I have seen some work using the Raynox DCR 250, I am curious if anyone here knows what would produce better sharper images the Kenco stack and my 24-70 stopped down with a flash set up or this Raynox DCR 250 and say Canons 100mm f2 or f2.8 with this Raynox or Kenco setup? I could make some educated guesses as to expected performance from any of these combinations but I really like to here from people about what they have tried and what they like.
  • Lord VetinariLord Vetinari Registered Users Posts: 15,901 Major grins
    edited July 2, 2013
    The DOF in macro shooting is only dependant on the aperture and the magnification not the method of producing the magnification so that does not change. Add-ons such as ext tubes or a dioptre will always work best with a prime lens and a macro lens such as the 100mm 2.8L will also give a flatter focus field. Using that as the base lens then ext tubes should give better image quality than the Raynox but both would give very good results.
    Brian V.
  • Patrick D. HarringtonPatrick D. Harrington Registered Users Posts: 9 Beginner grinner
    edited July 2, 2013
    The DOF in macro shooting is only dependant on the aperture and the magnification not the method of producing the magnification so that does not change. Add-ons such as ext tubes or a dioptre will always work best with a prime lens and a macro lens such as the 100mm 2.8L will also give a flatter focus field. Using that as the base lens then ext tubes should give better image quality than the Raynox but both would give very good results.
    Brian V.


    Nice work! Have you ever tried 24-70 f2.8 as a base lens, it is fairly sharp not sure if it is as sharp as the 100 f2.8. I hear you with the "prime objective" the big thing for me was that the Raynox option is not possible with the 24-70 f2.8 given the filter thread size. So 100mm would be the base for a Raynox set up. I have seen some very sharp stuff from people using Raynox set ups, but who knows what there workflow is. I could DOF bracket 60 shots with no flash at 70mm with 68mm extension @ F2.8 in daylight to prove it is possible and the image might look alright in the end but that is a lot of work to get around the obvious need for more light and the broader DOF of a smaller aperture. I am curious what works best for single exposures to get good magnification and deep enough focus to get say a large ant (5mm) "all in"! right now I seem to be working with a DOF @2.8 of about .001 cm.
  • Lord VetinariLord Vetinari Registered Users Posts: 15,901 Major grins
    edited July 2, 2013
    Nice work! Have you ever tried 24-70 f2.8 as a base lens, it is fairly sharp not sure if it is as sharp as the 100 f2.8. I hear you with the "prime objective" the big thing for me was that the Raynox option is not possible with the 24-70 f2.8 given the filter thread size. So 100mm would be the base for a Raynox set up. I have seen some very sharp stuff from people using Raynox set ups, but who knows what there workflow is. I could DOF bracket 60 shots with no flash at 70mm with 68mm extension @ F2.8 in daylight to prove it is possible and the image might look alright in the end but that is a lot of work to get around the obvious need for more light and the broader DOF of a smaller aperture. I am curious what works best for single exposures to get good magnification and deep enough focus to get say a large ant (5mm) "all in"! right now I seem to be working with a DOF @2.8 of about .001 cm.

    To get good detail at mags from 1:1 and higher you really need to be using flash - this obviously allows the use of fairly small apertures but also runs slap bang into diffraction softening . You then need to balance out the DOF vs the absolute sharpness via the aperture. eg a standard aperture to set at 1:1 is around F11 but this is already a slight compromise between DOF and diffraction softening. It really gets down to your own requirements in the shot.

    Brian v.
  • clickingsince99clickingsince99 Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
    edited July 18, 2013
    Which Lens?
  • e6filmusere6filmuser Registered Users Posts: 3,379 Major grins
    edited December 29, 2014
    GrayPlayer wrote: »
    Can someone explain image sizing when using an O)lympus 620 and a 105 MM macro lens.
    Cannot get my brain to cooperate.
    Hope I have worded the question correctly.

    I use various lenses, often on (various) extensions or with supplementary lenses or teleconverters. If it is not my regular setup I just view a ruler (white with black markings, using full aperture for this purpose only) and see how wide the field of view is. (On my m4/3 1:1 at the sensor is 17.5mm wide). I don't aim for a particular magnification but, rather, to get my subject to fill an appropriate portion of the frame. I may also check working distance.

    Harold
  • e6filmusere6filmuser Registered Users Posts: 3,379 Major grins

    A early comment says you can't do much about sunlight. When I was mostly photographing flowers I found a translucent diffuser, placed between the sun and the subject did the trick.

    https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/reflectors__diffusers/lastolite_lr2007_translucent_diffuser_50cm_20/11255_p.html

    You have alter the WB .

    Harold

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