Best Settings for Macro Photos - Canon DR XT

NickshuNickshu Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
edited March 14, 2005 in Cameras
Hello. I'm new to this forum, and I appreciate any help you all can give me.


I just got a Digital Rebel XT. I'm running a Sigma 105mm macro lens and Sigma E-TTL Ringlight. I'm using the camera for taking intraoral (dental) photographs.

What would the best settings be for this type of Macro photography? Using the auto-macro mode I'm getting photos that are a little washed out (too much white).
I have not played with the white balance yet...it's still on AutoWhiteBalance. I need to also play more with the exposure control settings.

Any recommendations for macro settings in Manual, Tv, or Av modes would be great.

Thanks!
Nick

Comments

  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited March 12, 2005
    Nickshu wrote:
    Hello. I'm new to this forum, and I appreciate any help you all can give me.


    I just got a Digital Rebel XT. I'm running a Sigma 105mm macro lens and Sigma E-TTL Ringlight. I'm using the camera for taking intraoral (dental) photographs.

    What would the best settings be for this type of Macro photography? Using the auto-macro mode I'm getting photos that are a little washed out (too much white).
    I have not played with the white balance yet...it's still on AutoWhiteBalance. I need to also play more with the exposure control settings.

    Any recommendations for macro settings in Manual, Tv, or Av modes would be great.

    Thanks!
    Nick

    I shoot most of my macros in Av mode and watch that the shutter speed does not drop too low. You may want to dial in some exposure compensation if the shots are overexposed.
    AWB should give reasonable results, but you can set your camera's white balance to Electronic flash as an alternative and that may help. Or you could shoot a white page and use that to set a custom white balance. Since you are almost always shooting the same subjects and the same distances, just a little experimentation should resolve these issues for you.

    The digital Rebel XT has a Macro setting that will probably do most of these things for you automatically, since for your documentation needs, jpgs will probably be adequate. I cannot imagine processing RAW files for clinical photographs.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • NickshuNickshu Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited March 12, 2005
    Thanks. I'll try that.

    Do you ever use any manual flash settings? Or am I ok relying on the E-TTL for the Ringlight's performance?
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited March 12, 2005
    Nickshu wrote:
    Thanks. I'll try that.

    Do you ever use any manual flash settings? Or am I ok relying on the E-TTL for the Ringlight's performance?


    ETTL should work just fine. Since most of your shots will be the same working distance, you might try some manual mode shots also. Probably take a few shots to get the exposure dialed in in manual mode, but then you should be good to go. I would think. Nice thing about digital is you can do the trial shots and get feed back immediately and there is no processing costs to deal with.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited March 12, 2005
    Nick, I'm not familiar with the shooting you're doing. But it would seem to me that mouths don't vary very much. ne_nau.gif Is it possible that there's a perfect setting for you, and that once you find it you won't have to change it for each patient?

    If so, I'd mess around with Manual settings. It might take a few attempts to find the perfect setting, but after you nail it, you've got it for good, right? ne_nau.gif
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • NickshuNickshu Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited March 13, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    Nick, I'm not familiar with the shooting you're doing. But it would seem to me that mouths don't vary very much. ne_nau.gif Is it possible that there's a perfect setting for you, and that once you find it you won't have to change it for each patient?

    If so, I'd mess around with Manual settings. It might take a few attempts to find the perfect setting, but after you nail it, you've got it for good, right? ne_nau.gif
    You are right. All I really need is to find an ideal setting for intraoral closeup shots. I can take full face shots and smile shots in Auto mode.

    Thanks!
  • NickshuNickshu Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited March 14, 2005
    Nickshu wrote:
    You are right. All I really need is to find an ideal setting for intraoral closeup shots. I can take full face shots and smile shots in Auto mode.

    Thanks!
    I took some photos today. I found that the following works well:

    Manual Mode
    Shutter Speed: 200
    F-stop: 22 or 25 or 29
    Auto White Balance vs. Flash White Balance doesn't seem to make a difference.
    Flash Exposure Compensation at +2
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