Hover fly?

Ambrola

Is this one speces of hover fly? Single shot with flash moved to the end of lens. I covered it with a small diffuser. These flys are in the garden, but one shot is all you get. Is the light better on this one? I think mabet stil a little harsh??

Lord Vetinari

Lovely capture- not a hover just a fly. Diffusion looks ok but suspect you need a larger diffuser size.
Brian v.

basflt

you use the same lens as i do ,
why dont you use TTL function ?

Ambrola

basflt wrote: »

you use the same lens as i do ,
why dont you use TTL function ?

I thought I was??

basflt

i read your EXIF

with TTL your shutter-speed is limited to 1/200
yours was 1/250

i think your flash-unit is not compatible
you can test by removing it and use camera's built-in flash
if you use no lens-hood , it will just reach over the edge of the lens

just try it ;
-shutterspeed will be limited to 1/200 in manual mode and 1/60 in aperture mode
-forget about the light-meter
-take some close-up shots at for examle , F15 , F20 , and F30 [manual mode]
i bet you see a different

Ambrola

basflt wrote: »

i read your EXIF

with TTL your shutter-speed is limited to 1/200
yours was 1/250

i think your flash-unit is not compatible
you can test by removing it and use camera's built-in flash
if you use no lens-hood , it will just reach over the edge of the lens

just try it ;
-shutterspeed will be limited to 1/200 in manual mode and 1/60 in aperture mode
-forget about the light-meter
-take some close-up shots at for examle , F15 , F20 , and F30 [manual mode]
i bet you see a different

I looked at me settings and they were on Commander mode. I set it to TTL. It was set in Commander mode to TTL also? I am using a Nikon SB-600. I will try the settings you gave me and thanks a ton.

basflt

sure
no need to upload any photo
just try it
photo yer keyboard , a flower , doesnt matter , anything

try with both sb-600 , and with default flash

[ i have reason for saying this ]

Ambrola

basflt wrote: »

sure
no need to upload any photo
just try it
photo yer keyboard , a flower , doesnt matter , anything

try with both sb-600 , and with default flash

[ i have reason for saying this ]

When you say default, you mean TTL or camera flash?

basflt

i meant the camera's own flash
the one that sits allready in the camera
that will surely supports TTL
if that works , and the SB-600 not you know the reason
thats why ; try them both

aim at any key of your keyboard
set 1/200 and try different F value's , as i said above
repeat with SB-600 and without , using camera's built-in flash

when TTL is active you should be able to shoot at lets say F20 to F30 , or so ,

Ambrola

basflt wrote: »

i meant the camera's own flash
the one that sits allready in the camera
that will surely supports TTL
if that works , and the SB-600 not you know the reason
thats why ; try them both

aim at any key of your keyboard
set 1/200 and try different F value's , as i said above
repeat with SB-600 and without , using camera's built-in flash

when TTL is active you should be able to shoot at lets say F20 to F30 , or so ,

I have done as you said. The pics are much better at apeture 22, and a shutter speed of 200. I need to put the SB-600 on and give that a try. The DOF looks much better. I can take very good pics inside, Its when I'm outside in the sun I have problems. I just came in from the garden, and took some pics, they are better, but still not crystal clear even on auto focus?

basflt

thats exactly what i was aiming at
with the pic above , the DOF is too narrow
the only way to solve that is to use narrower aperture [ higher F-value ]

i never use auto-focus , it wont work in macro
also ; switch off VR , it helps

Ambrola

basflt wrote: »

thats exactly what i was aiming at
with the pic above , the DOF is too narrow
the only way to solve that is to use narrower aperture [ higher F-value ]

i never use auto-focus , it wont work in macro
also ; switch off VR , it helps

I just came in from the garden, and did turn off the auto focus. The pictures look much better. Thanks for your guidance. Thats what I have been needing, was some body to guide me. I think I can get it from here. Next is the editing.

basflt

nice to hear / read

see you later

allmost forgot ;
when using TTL , U must forget light-meter
you control brightness with EV-compensation ; the +/- icon
there is also flash-compensation ; the flash icon with +/-
this controls where the flash goes
+ value sends more flash to foreground [ subject ]
- sends more light to background

GOLDENORFE

very good shot, agree light a bit harsh. shooting in bright sun is always a problem

you say pics at f22 better, do they look sharper or is it just the greater dof that makes them look better?
i never go beyond f14 , usually f8 for most shots.

phil

Ambrola

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

very good shot, agree light a bit harsh. shooting in bright sun is always a problem

you say pics at f22 better, do they look sharper or is it just the greater dof that makes them look better?
i never go beyond f14 , usually f8 for most shots.

phil

I think its the DOF that makes them look better for me. I have been fighting focus and DOF problems all week. Had a house spider that I caught, and photographed it 30 frames and no good ones. I could get the eyes and head in focus, but the legs , no way. I think if I would have uped the Apeture, I could have taken 3 or 4 shots and stacked them? I am fighting the sun also, it is very bright out. I have to shade them with my body, and one shot is all you get.

GOLDENORFE

bright sun can be a big problem, unless you can shade the bug with your body and it stays put
have you noticed any difference in light /highlights at different magnifications?

Lord Vetinari

Just one word of warning interpreting aperture values from the Nikon - they set and report effective apertures which means at 1:1 a nikon set up will report double the aperture value than a canon system will (ie F22 on nikon= F11 on canon at 1:1).
Brian v.

GOLDENORFE

why do nikon make it so difficult for macro shooters

basflt

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

very good shot, agree light a bit harsh. shooting in bright sun is always a problem

you say pics at f22 better, do they look sharper or is it just the greater dof that makes them look better?
i never go beyond f14 , usually f8 for most shots.

phil

in my country they say ;
you cannot compare apples with pears

a canon is not a nikon

if i attempt F14 , i get same narrow DOF as above in post #1

basflt

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

why do nikon make it so difficult for macro shooters

not difficult

Nikon is quality
it is not for nothing they are twice as expensive

basflt

Ambrola wrote: »

I think its the DOF that makes them look better for me. I have been fighting focus and DOF problems all week. Had a house spider that I caught, and photographed it 30 frames and no good ones. I could get the eyes and head in focus, but the legs , no way. I think if I would have uped the Apeture, I could have taken 3 or 4 shots and stacked them? I am fighting the sun also, it is very bright out. I have to shade them with my body, and one shot is all you get.

you are right , and its normal
the only way to get more DOF is to add more light ,
or more ISO , but who wants that

Ambrola

And I have been shooting at F8 or F11. I didn't know all this. Live and learn??

Ambrola

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

bright sun can be a big problem, unless you can shade the bug with your body and it stays put
have you noticed any difference in light /highlights at different magnifications?

Yes I have Phil. I started shooting at less magnification because of it. I think the Apeture problem has been my pain in the kkk all along. If you look at the pic I posted, bright on the face and darkens as you go down the body? Looks like the red reflects off the flowers onto the flys face??

basflt

Ambrola wrote: »

And I have been shooting at F8 or F11. I didn't know all this. Live and learn??

thats right
higher F-number = wider DOF

thus ;
either more light [flash] or ISO [noise]

or both

Ambrola

basflt wrote: »

thats right
higher F-number = wider DOF

thus ;
either more light [flash] or ISO [noise]

or both

I don't like a high ISO unless its the last straw, and even then thay usualy arent any good. Noisey!

basflt

Ambrola wrote: »

I don't like a high ISO unless its the last straw, and even then thay usualy arent any good. Noisey!

thats why flash is importend / useful to us

Ambrola

basflt wrote: »

thats why flash is importend / useful to us

Thanks Basflt,
You helped me more in the last hour than I have been helped in 3 months. I didn't know about Nikons Apeture being so different. I shoot with a D-80 that was given to me, so I can't complain.