mp-e 65mm help?

dantambok

I just received my canon mp-e 65mm yesterday and I want to ask people here who have experience using it for some tips.
Tips like on how to use it since its one hell of a hard lens to use, lighting, subjects to practice on and etc...:scratch

Thank you in advance

ziggy53

I moved this to the Holy Macro forum since this lens is only really useful in a macro application.

Dantambok, what application are you hoping to use the lens for?

Specifically what subjects?

Like photo-microscopy, you will probably consider 2 different lighting scenarios:

Translucent/transmissive lighting

Reflective lighting

In the first scenario you are dealing with subjects which allow light to pass through the subject. Indeed it can also be light emitting subjects like a computer monitor, LED etc.. Monitors make pretty good targets on which to test the lens because they produce their own light and they are readily available to most enthusiasts. They allow you to concentrate your energy on the matters of method, magnification and exposure, the latter of which can be automated in most cameras if you wish.

In the latter scenario, reflected light subjects, you must provide appropriate lighting as well as the method, magnification and exposure components. For the best advice I refer you to the excellent tips provided in this forum by the forum moderator, "GOLDENORFE", and by the users not least of whom is "Lord Vetinari". Start with the useful tips in this thread:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=64695

Ultimately you'll want to review everything in these threads:

http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=143373
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=143237
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=61316
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177982

puzzledpaul

You might also find paying a visit here useful too - as it's a site that only deals with capturing images of small stuff

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/

pp

dantambok

ziggy53 wrote: »

I moved this to the Holy Macro forum since this lens is only really useful in a macro application.

Dantambok, what application are you hoping to use the lens for?

Specifically what subjects?

Like photo-microscopy, you will probably consider 2 different lighting scenarios:

Translucent/transmissive lighting

Reflective lighting

In the first scenario you are dealing with subjects which allow light to pass through the subject. Indeed it can also be light emitting subjects like a computer monitor, LED etc.. Monitors make pretty good targets on which to test the lens because they produce their own light and they are readily available to most enthusiasts. They allow you to concentrate your energy on the matters of method, magnification and exposure, the latter of which can be automated in most cameras if you wish.

In the latter scenario, reflected light subjects, you must provide appropriate lighting as well as the method, magnification and exposure components. For the best advice I refer you to the excellent tips provided in this forum by the forum moderator, "GOLDENORFE", and by the users not least of whom is "Lord Vetinari". Start with the useful tips in this thread:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=64695

Ultimately you'll want to review everything in these threads:

http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=143373
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=143237
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=61316
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=177982

Thanks for moving it ziggy, I was actually hesitating on where to put this thread
I have seen many shots from GOLDENORFE and LordVetinari. I would also want to shoot the same subjects as they do (insects, dews and etc.)

puzzledpaul wrote: »

You might also find paying a visit here useful too - as it's a site that only deals with capturing images of small stuff

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/

pp

thanks for the replies... I guess I have a lot of reading to do.

GOLDENORFE

congrats on new lens, some people do say its difficult to use depends how much lower mag macro you have shot.
lighting is the most important, your 580ex should be good, take a look at the set up pics of brians and my rigs in the threads at top of page. diffusion is actually easier with the shorter focus distance compared to using 100mm.
start shooting at 1 - 3x mag first , f8 - f11 best in this magnification range
shoot anything that does not move first . dead insects, flower stamens placed on kitchen table [ sliding lens across table to focus ]

learn to rest lens barrel on left hand/ thumb bracing the camera steady.& practise loads!

dantambok

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

congrats on new lens, some people do say its difficult to use depends how much lower mag macro you have shot.
lighting is the most important, your 580ex should be good, take a look at the set up pics of brians and my rigs in the threads at top of page. diffusion is actually easier with the shorter focus distance compared to using 100mm.
start shooting at 1 - 3x mag first , f8 - f11 best in this magnification range
shoot anything that does not move first . dead insects, flower stamens placed on kitchen table [ sliding lens across table to focus ]

learn to rest lens barrel on left hand/ thumb bracing the camera steady.& practise loads!

I`ve only been shooting 1:1 before and after trying the mp-e at high mags, it`s really killing me!
I`ll try my best to practice because I don`t have much time. And I`ll try to post some photos when I get at it..
Thank you