Any SLR Macro camera experts?

[opt1c]

i just found a lensmate raynox msn-202 macro/close-up lens that i think i'm going to get to see what it does... the sample pics shown look pretty crazy and it's the has the crazy price tag of $89.95... guess it just takes the inherent g11 lens and gives it a lil boost.... no crazy good lens for the g series though; that's dslr territory exclusively... i'm interested to see what this lil thing will do for my very limited macro shooting needs; living and dried flowers

 

[Marlo]

The Canon mpe-65 was on my wishlist for a long time, until I got a chance to use one and saw how difficult it was to use. Don't even think about using one of those handheld. Definitely not for amateur use...maybe in a cpl years.
I ended up going with the canon 100mm 2.8L IS macro. Works great, does 1:1 magnification which is pretty close, but nowhere near as close as the 5:1 you can get with the mpe-65.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

im impressed with the quality of those non slr shots...interesting point marlo im sure one of those DSLRs are going to be tough to figure out, but 5:1 mag is pretty damn awesome....says it can fill the shot with a grain of rice that would be perfect for getting up close into trichome land which is what i really want to do..

that canon g11 is pretty tempting too at only 400 bucks....its also smaller and portable. the lens alone on the mpe65 is bigger than the g11 itself lol..

 

[Hammerhead]

The lens is where the magic happens. Get a older body with a new lens much cheaper. The MPE-65 is no toy and takes allot of practise/patients to use properly.. When your taking pics at such high magnifications the environment will have an effect on the photo just from air vibrations will cause movement in the camera.

 

[supermanlives]

i still suck and i spent a few gs. got a d70s. one of these day i will master it

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

Take a close look at these photographs and notice which are the most crisp. Notice the specific areas of the photo which are sharply in focus. For a macro shot it will probably not be much. I do not see a crisp image from any of the point and shoot examples. If you look at the trichomes in the first photo by Mr. X, you can see the ring flash reflected.

 

[opt1c]

yup this thread is great for showing the difference between what $500 gets you and what $1500-$2500 gets you... i just feel like such an indulgent stoner to have a $2500 setup for taking trichome shots and nothing else but i see one in my future

 

[Hazyfontazy]

yup this thread is great for showing the difference between what $500 gets you and what $1500-$2500 gets you... i just feel like such an indulgent stoner to have a $2500 setup for taking trichome shots and nothing else but i see one in my future

you know your a real grower when........
you pay out so much money on a camera just to show pics to your grower mates online

fwiw ,,i got the eos

 

[foomar]

The camera body changes but the lenses go on forever , especially if you went with Canon from the start , vast choice of glass , often the older are better in build and optical quality than presently available mid range.

Easy to use Nikon , Hass , Pentax and Zeiss lenses on a canon 350D and up with adapter , no autofocus but useless for macro anyway.

An old 35mm bellows set costs a tenth of an MPe but does vastly more , can go above 15x with normal lenses.

Whichever way you go , spend money on a good solid tripod , the bellows weghs five pounds and the macro rail twenty , cheap ones will fail and can cause expensive damage , you really dont want to mark the front of an mpe lens , hard enougth getting resin off .

 

[brotherindica]

The Canon mpe-65 was on my wishlist for a long time, until I got a chance to use one and saw how difficult it was to use. Don't even think about using one of those handheld. Definitely not for amateur use...maybe in a cpl years.
I ended up going with the canon 100mm 2.8L IS macro. Works great, does 1:1 magnification which is pretty close, but nowhere near as close as the 5:1 you can get with the mpe-65.

Nice pick on that lens! I have the older 100mm Macro, non-IS. One of my favorites for macro/portrait.

im impressed with the quality of those non slr shots...interesting point marlo im sure one of those DSLRs are going to be tough to figure out, but 5:1 mag is pretty damn awesome....says it can fill the shot with a grain of rice that would be perfect for getting up close into trichome land which is what i really want to do..

that canon g11 is pretty tempting too at only 400 bucks....its also smaller and portable. the lens alone on the mpe65 is bigger than the g11 itself lol..

Marlo makes a great point, Y4P.



Jumping from point & shoot to D-SLR......and the MPE-65 is a huge switch. I'm sure you'd get the hang of it, but I'd highly recommend taking a photography class. I'd also consider how much you'll actually use a macro ring flash/MPE-65 on the D-SLR. It's an EASY $1400 for a new flash/lens combo.......plus the SLR body.......another $1000. Just saying that because I've known several people who've purchased expensive glass, to use it once or twice a year. Top notch quality, just a waste IMHO to spend such $$$$ and hardly ever use it.



I'd look for local classes or maybe a community college. Knowing how & why your camera works gives you ultimate control of your photographs. Most classes aren't too expensive and will give you a HUGE advantage over 90% of "average" consumers. F-stops, exposure, ISO, white balance, etc. Essentially being able to use manual settings & focus well, where most use auto.



It's well worth the time & money IMHO, if you'll be using your camera more than a couple times a year. Plus you'll skill set will advance at a much faster rate.




Maybe go for a D-SLR body and get a macro lens to start? You could get a Canon's "entry" D-SLR body with a 60mm macro or 100mm macro for $1400-1600. That could give you some very nice photos without breaking the bank and giving you a headache starting out.




Just my random thoughts, take 'em for what they're worth. Enjoy the wonderful world of photography!

 

[Hammerhead]

Also you can rent Lenses. If you want to use a lens like the MPE-65 just rent it for the day.. I would get a zoom lens with some extension tubes. The zoom lens can be used everyday taking great pics on just about anything. Now if you want to take some macros put the Extension tubes on you will get some outstanding Macro pics..


Macro Lenses are good for only one thing Macros. I would not want that to be my first lens..

 

[foomar]

Tried to hire one for a week and they wanted over 100 pounds and a five hundred deposit.

Plan B was to get one of ebay and resell after a good trial if not going to get much use , they hold their value very well , made a profit after three months play with a good advert.

This market may be mostly driven by people photograthing trichomes .

Great lense but very specialised , better out in the field but no real advantage indoors.

Has to be mounted via ring clamp to the tripod , way too heavy to hang unsupported off the camera mount.

The higher you go with any system the more important the amount and quality of light becomes , inexpensive LED ringlights are suprisingly good and much cheaper than dedicated ringflash units.

Very difficult to get true colour representation and a crisp image with any appreciable depth of field , use of stacking software and extensive manipulation is not always stated.

 

[opt1c]

so the g11 is a decent camera but i've been wanting better macro shots for a minute now... this thread really helped push me in the right direction... i've never had any formal photography courses but i really enjoy the photography aspect of growing but i'm pretty sure i can get the hang of it... with that in mind i've ordered a new rig that is on the way

canon eos 60d and efs 18-135 lens combo kit
mp-e 65 macro lens
mt-24ex twin light
mp-e 65 lens hood for mt-24ex
kiwi fc-1 macro focusing rail
manfrotto 294 combo tripod kit

i can't wait

and no you really don't want to know how much it ran me

 

[walt cunningham]

so the g11 is a decent camera but i've been wanting better macro shots for a minute now... this thread really helped push me in the right direction... i've never had any formal photography courses but i really enjoy the photography aspect of growing but i'm pretty sure i can get the hang of it... with that in mind i've ordered a new rig that is on the way

canon eos 60d and efs 18-135 lens combo kit
mp-e 65 macro lens
mt-24ex twin light
mp-e 65 lens hood for mt-24ex
kiwi fc-1 macro focusing rail
manfrotto 294 combo tripod kit

i can't wait

and no you really don't want to know how much it ran me

and thats only the start!