Macro photography 101
- Thread starter M0nkey
- Start date
Trich watcher
Member
Cool ice crystals. Just got my MP-E. Learning to use it -- need a lot of practice. Here are my first attempts: Sensi Star, infected with spider mites (note the webs between the trichomes.)
C
CTSV
Incredible shots Bubbleman an TW
I am using a Nikon Cool Pics L6. It's a couple years old, but really does a good job on Macros.
Casey Jones day 45
I am using a Nikon Cool Pics L6. It's a couple years old, but really does a good job on Macros.
Casey Jones day 45
Jimmy Rave
New member
BUMP for the amazing photography
I really hope you don't do another "Oceans" movie. You think 3 is enough buddy? I mean...Ocean's 14 or 15 would be kind of redundant.
ShortStackz
Member
Can someone help me out. I got a canon 40d with an ef 28-135mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS lens. I've been trying to get macro shots of the trichs but I can't seem to get good clear closeups. Is it not possible with this lens or do I need to change the settings somehow? Thanks
Hey shortstackz, you may want to get yourself an actual macro lens.
I know there are some ways of flipping lens, and using bellows and tubes etc, to get some great shots out of all sorts of differnt lens ( try googling about this)
But I have gone down the other road, which is to buy specialized macro gear.
I use a 65mm MPE macro lens by canon ( 5:1) as well as their 60mm ( 1:1), and gotta say the higher end lens you buy the more difference you will see.
My two cents.
i also have the 40D and the majority of my shots were taken with it> Although recently i picked up the 5D mark II
here are a few from it as of recently...
Bubble man
Peace
Bubble man
I know there are some ways of flipping lens, and using bellows and tubes etc, to get some great shots out of all sorts of differnt lens ( try googling about this)
But I have gone down the other road, which is to buy specialized macro gear.
I use a 65mm MPE macro lens by canon ( 5:1) as well as their 60mm ( 1:1), and gotta say the higher end lens you buy the more difference you will see.
My two cents.
i also have the 40D and the majority of my shots were taken with it> Although recently i picked up the 5D mark II
here are a few from it as of recently...
Bubble man
Peace
Bubble man
ShortStackz
Member
Bubbleman, thanks for the info. I guess I'll just have to try to find a good used lens. I just sold a 5d mark II recently for a friend. Great camera but too much camera for me.
P
psaicho
WD atf
I have a question. I have a Nikon D90 with a Nikon Micro-Nikkor Macro lens - 60 mm - F/2.8 lens. My flash is a Nikon SB-600. I would like to get shots like Bubbleman what do I need to get to get in that close. Is this what I need to get http://cgi.ebay.com/Macro-Extension...ItemQQimsxZ20090523?IMSfp=TL090523134006r6046
hi Bubbleman,
nice shot bro, how did you find the 5D compares with the 40D in terms of colors?
Hiya Hammerhead,
If you want to get shots similar in magnification as Bbmans' shots you might need to purchase a longer extension tube set than this one , or get two such sets.
With a 60mm lens you need 60mm of extension tubes to just double the magnification.The set in the ebay link are total 55 mm , so using those will almost double the magnification from your 60mm lens.
You could also try and use the lens inversed mounted on the ext tubes , that will give you a bit more/extra magnification. The results will vary depending on what lens you use and at what magnification.(You need a reverse ring to reverse a lens.)
Now a good quality '2x teleconverter' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleconverter) is a nice addition for high magnifications/it can double the magnification already achieved by the lens/lens+tubes.
Basically a teleconvertor enlarges the central part of an image obtained by the lens or lens+tubes placed right in front of the teleconvertor. For example a 2× teleconverter enlarges the central 12×18 mm part of an image to the size of 24×36 mm in the 35 mm sensor/film format.If you have a 50mm lens used with a 2x teleconverter you basically will get similar results to as if you had a 100mm lens alone mounted on the cam body. As you know a 100mm lens 'zooms in' x2 compared to a 50mm lens.It will also will allow for closer focusing.
There are 'multi-element' teleconverters (multiple glass elements inside) with good quality optics that will double the magnification as well without much compromise in quality. The teleconverters of course will result in quality/resolution/light loss (unlike the ext tubes) but its an easy way to increase magnification levels without using much extension. I like to use both ext tubes and tele's , when I don't use my bellows , I may use 65mm of ext tubes with my 50mm 1:1 macro lens and a 2x teleconverter together in this array: lens > ext tubes > teleconverter > cam body to get the highest levels of mag the equipment can give.
Btw it is important where you place the teleconverter when you use the tele+tubes.
Say you have a 50mm 1:1 lens , a set of total 100mm extension (tubes or bellows) and a 2x teleconverter..
-If you do the following: 50mm lens > 100mm ext tubes > teleconverter > cam body you get 4:1 total magnification. How to calculate this : 100mm/50mm= 2 , this means with the lens+tubes you double the mag , then the teleconverter doubles the result again , so you get x4 total magnification.
-Now note if you put the teleconverter before the lens and then you put the ext tubes behind the tele...you get a different result, just be aware of that. :
The tele behind the lens will double the focal distance of the lens so basically your lens becomes a 100mm lens (more like a mid-telephoto lens) and then the 50mm of ext tubes will only give you 50% more magnification , as 50mm/100mm= only 0.5 (50%)extra magnification. This setup will give you more 'working distance' with your subject though..but you won't get as much total magnification.
So use the first arrangement for max magnifications with your equipment if you get a teleconverter along with tubes/bellows.
If you don't care shooting with a tripod and don't need high magnification for field shots you can get a bellows instead of the ext tubes. They are practically both doing the exact same job but the bellows allow for more extension as they can usually go up to ~150-200mm (depending on model) plus you can control exactly how much ext you want to use with them. With a 50mm and 200mm bellows you get 200mm/50mm = 4 , this means with this setup you get 4x the magnification already provided by the lens alone without even using a teleconverter.
To sum up, I would advise to go with a bellows (the longest you can get , 200m if possible) and see the results. If you still want more magnification you can use even more extension or you can use a 2x teleconverter to double the mag of what you already get with the lens+tubes.
The tubes in the ebay link are ok but as I said way too short for reaching as high mags as bbman's. So go with a bellows that is 150-200mm instead or get many ext tubes so you get a total of ~200mm in order to get almost a total of x4 magnification.Adding an extra 2x teleconverter and you will have definitelly reached the magnification that BBman achieves with his 5:1 canon lens..
As for the picture quality , it wont be the same for many reasons..
One is that the more extension you use with a lens be it with the use of bellows or extension (hollow) tubes , you still loose some light , generally the farther away the lens is(the more extension), the closer the focus, the greater the magnification, and also the greater the loss of light (requiring a longer exposure time).So extension used will still have a negative impact on your shot on 'quality'.
Bbmans 5:1 lens is a specialized lens , designed to work with high magnification levels without the use of extra extension. Its down to optics/lens design and glass element arrangement.
Last but not least don't forget the more Mpx's your cam's sensor is , the better , as you can make a bigger print from the same shot than if you had a lower rez sensor. So basically a 12Mpx sensor will capture twice the information/detail as a 6Mpx one , both with the same lens/tubes/bellows set up.
l33t
nice shot bro, how did you find the 5D compares with the 40D in terms of colors?
Hiya Hammerhead,
If you want to get shots similar in magnification as Bbmans' shots you might need to purchase a longer extension tube set than this one , or get two such sets.
With a 60mm lens you need 60mm of extension tubes to just double the magnification.The set in the ebay link are total 55 mm , so using those will almost double the magnification from your 60mm lens.
You could also try and use the lens inversed mounted on the ext tubes , that will give you a bit more/extra magnification. The results will vary depending on what lens you use and at what magnification.(You need a reverse ring to reverse a lens.)
Now a good quality '2x teleconverter' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleconverter) is a nice addition for high magnifications/it can double the magnification already achieved by the lens/lens+tubes.
Basically a teleconvertor enlarges the central part of an image obtained by the lens or lens+tubes placed right in front of the teleconvertor. For example a 2× teleconverter enlarges the central 12×18 mm part of an image to the size of 24×36 mm in the 35 mm sensor/film format.If you have a 50mm lens used with a 2x teleconverter you basically will get similar results to as if you had a 100mm lens alone mounted on the cam body. As you know a 100mm lens 'zooms in' x2 compared to a 50mm lens.It will also will allow for closer focusing.
There are 'multi-element' teleconverters (multiple glass elements inside) with good quality optics that will double the magnification as well without much compromise in quality. The teleconverters of course will result in quality/resolution/light loss (unlike the ext tubes) but its an easy way to increase magnification levels without using much extension. I like to use both ext tubes and tele's , when I don't use my bellows , I may use 65mm of ext tubes with my 50mm 1:1 macro lens and a 2x teleconverter together in this array: lens > ext tubes > teleconverter > cam body to get the highest levels of mag the equipment can give.
Btw it is important where you place the teleconverter when you use the tele+tubes.
Say you have a 50mm 1:1 lens , a set of total 100mm extension (tubes or bellows) and a 2x teleconverter..
-If you do the following: 50mm lens > 100mm ext tubes > teleconverter > cam body you get 4:1 total magnification. How to calculate this : 100mm/50mm= 2 , this means with the lens+tubes you double the mag , then the teleconverter doubles the result again , so you get x4 total magnification.
-Now note if you put the teleconverter before the lens and then you put the ext tubes behind the tele...you get a different result, just be aware of that. :
The tele behind the lens will double the focal distance of the lens so basically your lens becomes a 100mm lens (more like a mid-telephoto lens) and then the 50mm of ext tubes will only give you 50% more magnification , as 50mm/100mm= only 0.5 (50%)extra magnification. This setup will give you more 'working distance' with your subject though..but you won't get as much total magnification.
So use the first arrangement for max magnifications with your equipment if you get a teleconverter along with tubes/bellows.
If you don't care shooting with a tripod and don't need high magnification for field shots you can get a bellows instead of the ext tubes. They are practically both doing the exact same job but the bellows allow for more extension as they can usually go up to ~150-200mm (depending on model) plus you can control exactly how much ext you want to use with them. With a 50mm and 200mm bellows you get 200mm/50mm = 4 , this means with this setup you get 4x the magnification already provided by the lens alone without even using a teleconverter.
To sum up, I would advise to go with a bellows (the longest you can get , 200m if possible) and see the results. If you still want more magnification you can use even more extension or you can use a 2x teleconverter to double the mag of what you already get with the lens+tubes.
The tubes in the ebay link are ok but as I said way too short for reaching as high mags as bbman's. So go with a bellows that is 150-200mm instead or get many ext tubes so you get a total of ~200mm in order to get almost a total of x4 magnification.Adding an extra 2x teleconverter and you will have definitelly reached the magnification that BBman achieves with his 5:1 canon lens..
As for the picture quality , it wont be the same for many reasons..
One is that the more extension you use with a lens be it with the use of bellows or extension (hollow) tubes , you still loose some light , generally the farther away the lens is(the more extension), the closer the focus, the greater the magnification, and also the greater the loss of light (requiring a longer exposure time).So extension used will still have a negative impact on your shot on 'quality'.
Bbmans 5:1 lens is a specialized lens , designed to work with high magnification levels without the use of extra extension. Its down to optics/lens design and glass element arrangement.
Last but not least don't forget the more Mpx's your cam's sensor is , the better , as you can make a bigger print from the same shot than if you had a lower rez sensor. So basically a 12Mpx sensor will capture twice the information/detail as a 6Mpx one , both with the same lens/tubes/bellows set up.
l33t
Thanks for the info but I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the different things a need? Could you do me a favor and give me a Idea of what I need to buy. I saw this http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-BR-5-62mm-Mount-Adapter/dp/B00009R8RV I would need to get al 3? and then attach the bellows/tube? Thanks for the help.
Lady J'adore
Member
Some extraordinary beautiful pictures in here. Thanks to all who contributed, this thread made my day 
- Lady J
- Lady J
hi Hammerhead
the PB-6 Bellows (208mm when fully extended) with the lens mounted in reverse position will definitely help reach the mag levels you want
here is some info you might find useful on using the PB-6 bellows with a D-SLR Cam.
http://support.nikontech.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/900
some more general info on macrophotography with nikon equipment
http://www.nikonlinks.com/unklbil/macro_adapter.htm
So to sum up , you will need to get the PB-6 bellows , the BR-5 plus the BR-2A.
The BR-3 allows you to use filters and hoods in front of the reversed lens so its optional.
I would recommend to see if you can buy the equipment from ebay in used condition , it would save ya some money and nothing to loose really as no optics involved so nothing to worry if you buy these second hand.
the PB-6 Bellows (208mm when fully extended) with the lens mounted in reverse position will definitely help reach the mag levels you want
here is some info you might find useful on using the PB-6 bellows with a D-SLR Cam.
http://support.nikontech.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/900
some more general info on macrophotography with nikon equipment
http://www.nikonlinks.com/unklbil/macro_adapter.htm
So to sum up , you will need to get the PB-6 bellows , the BR-5 plus the BR-2A.
The BR-3 allows you to use filters and hoods in front of the reversed lens so its optional.
I would recommend to see if you can buy the equipment from ebay in used condition , it would save ya some money and nothing to loose really as no optics involved so nothing to worry if you buy these second hand.
Thanks I appreciate the help. Why do I need the BR-2A? is the bellows 52mm? I have them ordered I guess I will figure it out lol
