Six for C&C

Snowgirl

Ah the joys of never hitting that crisp focus point :cry

So today was an experiment. Since many of you hand-hold, especially outside for garden / bug / wee critter shots, I wanted to see if that was an option for me. As you'll see below, the short answer is "no". Although my vision was surgically corrected more than 10 years ago, obviously it has deteriorated sufficiently that I need to use my glasses when trying to manually focus - which I have to do when using the MPE65 1-5X. All shots taken with a 1DMKIV, the MPE65, a ring flash

The first two images are of now-38-year-old baby teeth (my son's):
1. taken without my glasses ISO 200 f/11 1/125 Set up in a light box on a mirror.


2. same settings but with my glasses on - a slight improvement, I think


3. same settings, taken with my glasses on. Interesting to see how badly scratched the gold band is - had no idea. The diamond was the focus point (in my mind).


4. same settings, this time without my glasses. This time I don't see a LOT of difference???


5. By this time I was getting quite tired and the hand holding wasn't working well for me so I increased the shutter speed to 1/500 to compensate a bit for my unsteadiness. The two rings are part of a vignette created inside a goose egg by a friend of mine who did quilling creations. The egg and it's contents were the centrepiece on my wedding cake (THAT wasn't yesterday):


6. Last one, I promise. The 'daisies' and yellow roses are my favourite flowers and were created by my friend's quilling. I was focusing (I thought) on the centre of the daisy, but when I blow it up to 100% it is definitely not crisp.


So, soul laid bare - any suggestions? I realize I will have to use a tripod as I'm not steady enough to manage the weight of the camera, lens etc. and that will give me the option of using a trigger cord as well. We're having a snow storms / blizzard today and tonight so I have lots of time to work on this.:clap (and I'll need to I realize).

Lord Vetinari

I actually don't see much difference in the focus with and without glasses apart from the focus point being slightly different in the first 2 shots. One thing to keep in mind when using flash as the major light source (camera in manual) is that the shutter speed becomes slightly irrelevent as the flash duration becomes the shutter speed and this is normally around 1/1000th sec or faster. If I'm taking essentially still life pictures like this, although I don't use a tripod, I do normally arrange it so I'm resting the lens on something- eg a pile of books or just resting my elbows on the table etc. ie I find some way of hellping to stabilise the camera.

Brian v.

Snowgirl

Lord Vetinari wrote: »

I actually don't see much difference in the focus with and without glasses apart from the focus point being slightly different in the first 2 shots. One thing to keep in mind when using flash as the major light source (camera in manual) is that the shutter speed becomes slightly irrelevent as the flash duration becomes the shutter speed and this is normally around 1/1000th sec or faster. If I'm taking essentially still life pictures like this, although I don't use a tripod, I do normally arrange it so I'm resting the lens on something- eg a pile of books or just resting my elbows on the table etc. ie I find some way of hellping to stabilise the camera.

Brian v.

Thank you. If the flash speed becomes the shutter speed, is that what will show up in the EXIF data? The reason I ask is that, although I set it at 1/500 in the exif data it is showing up as 1/300?

Lord Vetinari

Snowgirl wrote: »

Thank you. If the flash speed becomes the shutter speed, is that what will show up in the EXIF data? The reason I ask is that, although I set it at 1/500 in the exif data it is showing up as 1/300?

No the EXIF data will show the actual shutter speed. Not sure what the x-sync speed of your camera is but unless you set high speed sync the shutter speed will default to the x-sync speed of the camera.

Brian v.

Snowgirl

Lord Vetinari wrote: »

No the EXIF data will show the actual shutter speed. Not sure what the x-sync speed of your camera is but unless you set high speed sync the shutter speed will default to the x-sync speed of the camera.

Brian v.

I swear when I started down the road into Macro everything I knew and applied elsewhere flew out of my brain. You are correct. My max sync speed without adjustment is 1/300. Thanks for your patience.

LindaB

Well I think you are doing really well with the MPE - its not easy to use.

Linda

Snowgirl

LindaB wrote: »

Well I think you are doing really well with the MPE - its not easy to use.

Linda

Thanks Linda. Will continue plugging along

paddler4

For bugs for for static items? for static items, I virtually always use a tripod and remote release (a cheap cord release). It is just vastly easier, particularly if you want to stack. It also allows you to use long shutter speeds and therefore available light. For bugs, I usually use flash and a monopod, or brace on something handy, using the focus-the-lens-and-then move the camera approach.

Snowgirl

paddler4 wrote: »

For bugs for for static items? for static items, I virtually always use a tripod and remote release (a cheap cord release). It is just vastly easier, particularly if you want to stack. It also allows you to use long shutter speeds and therefore available light. For bugs, I usually use flash and a monopod, or brace on something handy, using the focus-the-lens-and-then move the camera approach.

Thank you. I totally agree about the tripod. If it hadn't ben so bloody cold the day I tried to shoot the snowflake, I probably would have. At -30C I ran out the door, shot the images, and ran back in

We're supposed to get more snow over the next couple of days so perhaps I'll have a chance to try again.

GOLDENORFE

There is not too much difference on focus point, the second diamond ring shot is better than the first, so don't think its a glasses problem, just the tiny fractions of a mm in focal point make all the difference

Snowgirl

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

There is not too much difference on focus point, the second diamond ring shot is better than the first, so don't think its a glasses problem, just the tiny fractions of a mm in focal point make all the difference

Thanks Phil. Working away at it!