I need Help Please!!!

Ambrola

I took these about an hour ago. Not satisfied at all. I am using a Nikon D80 with a Nikon 105 Macro lens. Suggestions please. I almost bought the Cannon MP-3 today, but a grand??? I am not sure that just the Kenkos are gonna satisfy me either.

http://<a href="http://s458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/?action=view&current=bee1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/bee1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Ambrola

Another one
http://<a href="http://s458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/?action=view&current=bugg3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/bugg3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Ambrola

1 more
They are not focused, and the dop is horrible.

http://<a href="http://s458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/?action=view&current=butt2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/butt2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

GOLDENORFE

hi there, welcome to the forum
good compositions on all 3 frames.


you have back focused on the body , not the head. especially on the hummingbird moth where the back wing is in focus. you did well getting it in the frame in flight.
are you using auto or manual focus? and are the shots cropped? if they are you are losing too many pixels and therefor detail.
the lighting is the main problem, it is way too bright and has blown out all the fine detail. are you using natural light in these shots?
with higher magnification shooting with extension tubes you will probably need flash to prevent motion blur/ subject movement.

phil

paddler4

I like #3 best.

Don't get discouraged! This is HARD. Focusing is hard, DOF is shallow, lighting is problematic, etc. I've done a moderate amount of photography over a period of decades, and nothing else I have tried has been this difficult. It takes a lot of practice and a willingness to throw out a lot of images. One nice thing about digital is that you can go out and try dozens of shots without cost. I've been at it for a few years now, and while most of my captures are still garbage, some are OK, a few are good, and I am having a good time.

You might find it easier to stick with 1:1 until you get the hang of macro. I did not use any tubes for more than a year, and I am glad I didn't. If you buy kenko tubes, you can start with the shortest and work up, because the longer the tube, the harder it gets.

I would not worry about the equipment. if you look at old postings, you will see that a lot of really spectacular shots were taken with fairly basic equipment. What sets the best people apart is technique.

Ambrola

I am shooting in Manual mode. It is very sunny outside also. I am also manualy focusing, if I don't, I can't get close enough to suit me. I went back outside and tried on Auto, but the ISO jumped up on me and made the pics fuzzy. I am still learning the Camera also, which makes this double hard. I will not give up, I will get it in time with you guys help. Heres the last couple I took just a few minutes ago???
http://<a href="http://s458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/?action=view&current=bee1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/bee1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Ambrola

One More Pic
Last one???

http://<a href="http://s458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/?action=view&current=bee14.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/ambrola/bee14.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

paddler4

The last one looks much better. The front eye looks about in focus.

I'm an amateur compared to several others here, but here are a few suggestions:

--don't set the camera to auto ISO. You should control this yourself. Keep it as low as you can. With flash, I keep it at 100 or 200. For available light, I try to keep it <=400. Occasionally I have had no choice but to go to 800, but on my camera, that means noise reduction in postprocessing that costs detail.

--In bright light, you can sometimes use AF. On my camera, it works best with center point only and AI servo mode. The drawback is that things that most matter (e.g. the eyes) end up in the center, which is usually not where you want them, so you have to crop the image.

--very bright sun is not wonderful in terms of colors, but it is IMHO not a bad way to practice. The camera is a lot easier to manage without a flash rig. Besides, sometimes you are just out in the sun and can't shade the subject. However, in the end, you will probably gravitate to flash because it gives better control over light and stops motion.

--Spend some time doing non-macro work. The reason is that you will have an easier time learning to control the camera, decide on settings, etc., if you practice on something technically easier.

--But most of all, don't get discouraged. It's a lot like playing a musical instrument. It takes a lot of practice (at least for me).

Ambrola

I think the last one is the best I have taken. I need to learn the camera better. I am not a photographer, just started last week. But the bad thing is I am the kind of person who will spend a ton of money when I don't need to. I know from you guys that this lens is only good for a 1-1 ratio. Add tubes will get me to 2-1, I think this is right?? This is a hard hobby, but if it wern't, anybody could do it, right?? These are the settings that were on the camera when I took the last shot. What could have made it better other than ISO??
Image Size,639x428
Shutter Speed,1/160
F-Stop,11.0
ISO Speed,1600
Flash,No
Exposure Program,Manual
Exposure Bias,0.0
Resolution (DPI),300
Exposure Metering,Pattern
White Balance,Manual White Balance
Contrast,High
Saturation,High
Sharpness,Hard
Lens Focal Length,105.0
Lens Focal Length in 35mm,157
Digital Zoom Ratio,1/1

paddler4

Like the old joke: a guy gets into a cab at Grand Central and asks the cabbie, "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" The cabbie replies, "practice, practice, practice."


A lot of the best macro shots here were taken with consumer-level DSLRs and second-brand lenses. Go look at some of Lord V's older postings, when he was shooting with an older-generation Rebel and, I think, a Sigma lens. Then take a look at my recent ones, most of which were shot with a 50D and the new Canon 100mm L macro, which is unquestionably one of the best macro lenses ever produced. Guess whose are better, by a very large amount? Not mine....


When my kids were playing music, it was common for the well-off kids to play professional-grade instruments that cost their parents a bloody fortune. They still sounded like kids.

Ambrola

I was just looking at your photos and they are wonderful. I can't help but smile when I look at these pictures. I will keep on trying.

paddler4

Thanks. That's very kind. I am starting my third summer of macro.

GOLDENORFE

agree ,last shot better.

your settings from camera - picture size very small!

set picture quality to the largest jpg size.
for natural light use apperture priority, set iso to either 200 or 400 and apperture f6 - f8 best. try these settings see how they come out.

Ambrola

I went out today and done as you said. The pics are getting better. I just need to keep on and wait on the tubes. I think my biggest problem is I am not getting the magnification I want. Without the magnification, I can't get the close ups of the face? I did figure out that I need to leave the pics large and crop today. Makes a big diff??

Lord Vetinari

Not bad at all but think you need to gey used to shooting at 1:1 before going to higher magnifications and perhaps think about using flash which makes things a whole lot easier.
The DOF in macro at 1:1 is very thin making getting the right focus point very hard and it gets thinner as the magnification goes up. As already commented use aperture or shutter priority for natural light shooting and use ISO to control the other parameter. If handheld try to keep the shutter around 1/320th or higher and the aperture around F8 or smaller. Shooting with flash with the camera in manual allows you to use smaller apertures thus getting more DOF and the flash duration becomes the shutter speed so giving high shutter speeds.
Just get lots of practice !
Brian V.

Ambrola

Thanks LordV,
The last pic of the grasshopper (my latest shot) was shot using apeture 11 and Shutter Speed 1/200. ISO was 200. I tried using the flash but just wiped out the image? I set the flash output to 1/3rd and stil didn't help. I know I need a speedlight, but what setting should work on a sunny day using the cameras flash?

paddler4

Need a lot of diffusion with the flash, so the on-camera flash won't work well.

As a relative amateur, I'll second Lord V's advice: stick with 1:1 until you have control over the camera, know how to use settings, etc. In fact, I would go farther, and say that you should mix macro shooting at no more than 1:1 with a lot of less frustrating non-macro shooting. Even though I had done photography off and on for decades, I found macro really tough and worked at it for a year at 1:1 before I started using tubes.

Art Scott

Ambrola wrote: »

I am shooting in Manual mode. It is very sunny outside also. I am also manualy focusing, if I don't, I can't get close enough to suit me. I went back outside and tried on Auto, but the ISO jumped up on me and made the pics fuzzy. I am still learning the Camera also, which makes this double hard. I will not give up, I will get it in time with you guys help. Heres the last couple I took just a few minutes ago???

It may be that you are closer than the lenses can actually focus......if you are closer than it can focus in AF...then you are too close for it to manually focus.........I have tried that many times even with film cameras...tried to trick the camera into focusing closer than the lens is made to by manually focusing....just doesn't work..........

Ambrola

I think, or I know you guys are right. I will practice with the 1:1. I know I can get some pretty good shots this way. Its just that you don't get the details of the face and so on. I am impateint, and thats not a good thing here, and I got the tubes today. I will not use them yet!!! I think Art hit it on the head. I am to close to the subject, because the focus point is so short.
I do shoot other things, wildlife, landscapes. I don't have much problems there. Its just the settings on the camera, which I am getting much better at. Did you guys look at the grasshopper? I think it is the best one Iv'e took yet. At least you can see the eyes??
Thanks guys for putting up with my stupid questions.
Ronnie

basflt

you could try Aperture-priority Mode
its mutch easier than Manual Mode
choose smallest aperture [ higher value ] while keep your eye on shutter-speed
lets say 1/160 for handheld ,
in bright daylight , ISO 200 or 400 should be sufficient