Macro photography 101

[socal420girl]

I am dumbstruck - in total awe!! All of your photos are spectacular!!

I got my first "real" camera just a few years ago ("real" by my standards) - the Canon PowerShot SD550 7.1 mega pixel and have really enjoyed taking pictures with it and have really been happy with the results - especially since I know nothing about photography. I've been telling my husband for the last year that I want to take a photography class or get a book on digital photography so that I can understand the whole process - with the hopes of getting a better camera, especially one that I can do macro shots with.

So, I've read this whole thread and I'm still not sure what avenue I should take first... Should I take a class? Get a book? Invest in a 2nd hand Canon or Nikon and the macro lenses and flash? Fine tune my skill with the camera I have now before doing anything else? Any suggestions would truly be helpful!!

Monkey... you are a photog God!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise!!

 

[M0nkey]

so if i had an EOS 20D from canon whats the best macro lens I can pick up?

DEPENDS HOW CLOSE U WANT TO GO
100MM CANON MACRO LENS WIL GET U PLANT SHOTS AND 1:1 TRICOMES SHOTS. dam caps..

if u want to go super closer your want the mpe-65 but its 1000$ and wont give u bud shots just tricomes..maybe the 100mm will be more your thing..i think its around 700$

 

[M0nkey]

So, I've read this whole thread and I'm still not sure what avenue I should take first... Should I take a class? Get a book? Invest in a 2nd hand Canon or Nikon and the macro lenses and flash? Fine tune my skill with the camera I have now before doing anything else? Any suggestions would truly be helpful!!

Monkey... Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise!!

your want 100mm macro lens and a ring flash i think its called mt-14ex..you dont need classes,,do u work?if u dont likie me and have lots of spare time join the canon forum..this is where i learnt 80% of my knowledge..vist macro forum thread on there site..read lots..ask Q if u get stuck..if you shoot every day like i do and spend most of your time on canon forum your soon know every thing there is to know about macro..

 

[pico]

You can pick up the 100mm macro for around $450. http://www.hotbuyselectronics.com/canon_ef_100mm_f28_usm_macro_lens.htm

Or they also make a digital macro lense for $360 http://www.hotbuyselectronics.com/canon_efs_60mm_f28_usm.htm

both will do lifesize 1:1 magnification, but I think the 100mm will actually do 1.6:1 if used on a digital with 1.6 crop factor that would be needed for the EF-S lense so the 100mm would have more magnification.

macro flashes are also expensive $430 and $615 for canon models.
http://www.hotbuyselectronics.com/canon_macro_twin_lite_mt_24ex.htm
http://www.hotbuyselectronics.com/canon_macro_ring_lite_mr_14ex.htm

you can also get extension tubes that will allow your current lense to focus closer thereby giving you higher magnification. These can be had for around $100. More on extension tubes here http://www.shutterfreaks.com/Tips/ExtensionTube.htm If you use the extension tubes on the macro lense you can get higher magnification as well.

 

[M0nkey]

if u want the best pics your need the best gear and canon is the best..make sure u get canon flash and canon lens..if u aint got enough money then save for it..i haven't seen any pics with other set ups to make me think there any better than canon.stick with nikon and canon and your be fine..

 

[socal420girl]

Thanks MOnkey... A new Canon with macro lens and flash are now officially on my Christmas list! Again, great pics!

 

[Dusty Bowls]

So if I wanted really nice budshots and really nice trich shots i should get the 100mm lens? doesitmatter if itsadigtal cameralens or not?i have a20D SLR...

 

[M0nkey]

So if I wanted really nice budshots and really nice trich shots i should get the 100mm lens? doesitmatter if itsadigtal cameralens or not?i have a20D SLR...

not sure what u mean?but this is what u need.

EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM


This is a Lens EF 100 1:2.8 USM Macro


Features

Diagonal Angle of View: 24°
Lens Construction (elements/groups): 10/9
No. of Diaphragm blades: 8
Minimum Aperture: 32
Closest Focusing Distance (m): 0.31
Maximum Magnification (x): 1
AF Actuator: USM
Filter Diameter (mm): 58


Autofocus lens for macro photography up to life-size 1:1

Medium telephoto lens with a macro feature for 1x magnification. Fluctuations in spherical aberrations caused by focusing are suppressed, and high-quality images are obtained at all focusing distances. With eight aperture blades, good background blur is obtained even when the aperture is decreased by one or two stops. A focusing limiter which limits the magnification to 0.25x is built-in.

 

[BUDDY BOY]

Great thread Monkey, and graet pics to all in this thread. Awesome!!!

I just want to switch gears a bit. I want me a nice camera that I can take some snaps of my garden that will give me some nice shots. I dont really want to invest a lot of money into a camera right now. I want something that i can get for hopefully less than 200 bux, but that is still a good camera. Bestbuy has so many that I cant even pic one so help me out..... I have lots to show that I know will be appreciated.
THANKS!!!

Oh did I mention great thread MONKEY and others.

 

[M0nkey]

Great thread Monkey, and graet pics to all in this thread. Awesome!!!

I just want to switch gears a bit. I want me a nice camera that I can take some snaps of my garden that will give me some nice shots. I dont really want to invest a lot of money into a camera right now. I want something that i can get for hopefully less than 200 bux, but that is still a good camera. Bestbuy has so many that I cant even pic one so help me out..... I have lots to show that I know will be appreciated.
THANKS!!!

Oh did I mention great thread MONKEY and others.

buy a slr..! 2nd hand
canon 300d
nikon d50
im sure u can pick them up for about 350$ mayby..have look...im no help on hand held digital camaras..im sure u save up few more weeks u can get slr..

 

[GMT]

Buddyboy, if you can save up and justify spending a little more, then take Monkey's advice. Personally I couldn't afford to splash out much on a cam either, just wanted something that would let me share my garden on here without being embarrassed by the quality of the pics. I went for the olympus sp310, a great buy, and dont regret it at all. Now the 350 which is a better cam costs about the same money, so do an ebay search, if you live in the usa, then olympus even have a shop on ebay that sells refurbished cams for less, straight from themselves, but only ship to usa. Anyway, you should get the cam and 1gb card for the money you want to spend with the option of adding extra lenses at a later date if ya want to.

 

[Worm Eat Worm]

man that's some cool shit

 

[M0nkey]

pic of the day..


canon 400d
canon mpe-65
canon mt-24ex
hand held
sharpend in cs 2 unsharp mask at 100-1-1
croped slightly and touched up a few dust spots

these shots where took in my garden and in my bedroom..the mantis is a pet..giant asian prey mantis..the biggest of all prey mantis..its only baby at mo..they grow for 1 year and live for 2..they get there wings after there last shread which is when there about 1 year old.

 

[Guest]

when i was 16 .......we had a <always> a few plants out back .....and one had a baby pray mantice that keep the same plant protected all season.....

always wanted to add one to my grows, but figured im kinda lucky and dont have enough bugs kreepin in my closet grow to keep um healthy LOL

kool shoots though

 

[M0nkey]

 

[socal420girl]

OMG!! This just keeps getting better! Thanks again MOnkey for posting this thread - and more importantly - for sharing your pictures with us. Until you see the results of what a camera can do, it's difficult to get a grasp on "macro" really is... I know that the camera doesn't do it by itself - it takes a knowledgeable person with an eye for photography - which you've obviously got!!

I'm still trippin out at the mantis and the way he's holding the spider on his back, with his top two legs being held by the mantis'... amazing!

 

[M0nkey]

OMG!! This just keeps getting better! Thanks again MOnkey for posting this thread - and more importantly - for sharing your pictures with us. Until you see the results of what a camera can do, it's difficult to get a grasp on "macro" really is... I know that the camera doesn't do it by itself - it takes a knowledgeable person with an eye for photography - which you've obviously got!!

I'm still trippin out at the mantis and the way he's holding the spider on his back, with his top two legs being held by the mantis'... amazing!

thanks...yer hes cool dude...and that shot i was very lucky to get..it wasn't until i uploaded it on my pc that i saw the spiders eyes..

 

[-BG-]

Simply stunning M0nkey...! I really don't know want to say....!


-BG-

 

[Guest]

note to self: don't look in this thread again, otherwise you'll be broke before end of the year

Again great shots monkey, you're really showin what is possible with the MPE lens :smile:

greetz

 

[M0nkey]

note to self: don't look in this thread again, otherwise you'll be broke before end of the year

Again great shots monkey, you're really showin what is possible with the MPE lens :smile:

greetz

hahahahahaha - its not a cheape hobbie but worth every penny.