# POST YOUR MACRO RIG. If you have one that is. This may be a good beginners tutorial



## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

Lets see em.
A few beginners have been asking about macro.
I thought this thread might give a good idea of how far you can push the limits of macro.
As well as aid those looking for equipment advice.

Wouldn't mind seeing a few reverse ring setups to help with this.
Below is the Pentax K5 wearing a 100mm WR macro on top of a 25mm extension tube and topped off with a Raynox 250
and the Pentax AF160 ring flash.


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## RebeccaAPhotography (Jan 20, 2012)

Pentax scmentax lol jk!


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

lol
I'm rather partial to Pentax.


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## MissCream (Jan 20, 2012)

As am I.


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## ph0enix (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


> lol
> I'm rather partial to Pentax.



Really?!!  I never noticed.


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

ph0enix said:


> LightSpeed said:
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Are you and gsGary related? lol


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## ph0enix (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


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Third cousins, twice removed on my cat's side.


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## Ron Evers (Jan 20, 2012)

Industar-50 (50/3.5) on tubes on a G1







The shot








Industar-50 (50/3.5) on tubes on a GF1







The shot @ the end of the pencil
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






I use tubes with several prime lenses to shoot macro.  I have tubes for M39, M42, PK, Canon FL/FD & Minolta mounts.


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

ph0enix said:


> Third cousins, twice removed on my cat's side.



I figured.
He's quite the character. Gipsons leading by a nose though. lol


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## 480sparky (Jan 20, 2012)

Usually shoot with the D7000, but on occasion I will use the D60.

18-105 normally extended out to 105.  

12, 20 & 36mm auto extension tubes.

Nikon MC-DC1 wired remote.

Yongnuo RF-600TX transmitter with four RF-602RX receivers.... typically triggering a pair of 400ws monolights (my choice of bare flash, beauty rings and/or white umbrellas).  [Photo above was taken using my D60 with manual flash @ 1/32 to trigger the monolights w/umbrellas.  The monolights do have built-in slaves...... however, I much prefer to use the RF system to prevent the on-cam flash from affecting the lighting and/or exposure.]

All setting on a 4-way focus rail (there is a Manfrotto RC2 plate adapter in there as well), stacked on to a Manfrotto 804RC2 head, sitting atop an 055XB tripod.

Lighting is metered using a Gossen Starlite.

Also available : 24" and 48" 5-in-1 reflectors and a Pixel TW-282 RF remote.

A real macro lens and a nice ring light is on my long-term wish list. (Read: If I ever win the lottery!)


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Usually shoot with the D7000, but on occasion I will use the D60.
> 
> 18-105 normally extended out to 105.
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> ...



Damn! Holy Shyt


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

Ron Evers said:


> Industar-50 (50/3.5) on tubes on a G1
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Looks like I bit off more than I can chew. Damn again.


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## Ron Evers (Jan 20, 2012)

Minolta 50/3.5 1:2 macro on a tube.


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## ph0enix (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


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I lied.  I don't have a cat.


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## Ron Evers (Jan 20, 2012)

SMC Takumar 100/4, 1:2 macro


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## Nikon_Josh (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


> Looks like I bit off more than I can chew. Damn again.



I think your set up looks the most stylish though! So your set up wins in my books!  It has that 'Cool' factor to it. After all... the way a camera looks is all that matters in photography... haha


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## RebeccaAPhotography (Jan 20, 2012)

MissCream said:
			
		

> As am I.



After I wrote this I sat here thinking I wonder if miss cream will chime in soon! Lol


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## gsgary (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


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No he's not as good looking and debonair, I wonder if extension tubes would be any good on a 300F2.8L ?


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## gsgary (Jan 20, 2012)

RebeccaAPhotography said:


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And it gives us men chance to oggle at her avatar


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## sm4him (Jan 20, 2012)

Lightspeed, I have no idea if this will end up being a good beginner's tutorial on macro or not, but I can tell you what it IS doing:

It's making me really, really envious of all of you.


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## Nikon_Josh (Jan 20, 2012)

gsgary said:


> RebeccaAPhotography said:
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You don't get women like that 'Up North' do you Gary??


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## jedirunner (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


> Lets see em.
> A few beginners have been asking about macro.
> I thought this thread might give a good idea of how far you can push the limits of macro.
> As well as aid those looking for equipment advice.
> ...



Thanks for posting the list of the pieces of gear ... that helps.   I really want to try some macro photography at some point, and my next lens purchase (at some point in 2012) will be a macro lens, and some sort of lighting setup.  Still working on learning exposure properly, so that's a ways off.

But being the noob that I am here, what is the purpose of the extension tube?  What is the effect of adding it to the setup?

Thanks,

Kevin


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## RebeccaAPhotography (Jan 20, 2012)

gsgary said:
			
		

> And it gives us men chance to oggle at her avatar



I'm no man and not a lesbian but it gives us women a chance too! Bahahaha rofl!


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## jedirunner (Jan 20, 2012)

jedirunner said:


> LightSpeed said:
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> > Lets see em.
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Wikipedia to the rescue: Extension tube - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"An *extension tube* is an accessory for cameras with interchangeable lenses, used primarily for macro photography. The tube contains no optical elements; its sole purpose is to move the lens farther from the image plane. The farther away the lens is, the closer the focus, the greater the magnification, and also the greater the loss of light (requiring a longer exposure time). Lenses classically focus closer than infinity by moving all optical elements farther from the film or sensor; an extension tube simply imposes this movement.
Extension tubes without electrical contacts will not allow an electronic automatic camera to control the lens, thus disabling autofocus and in some cases forcing a user to shoot wide open unless the lens offers manual aperture control. More expensive extension tubes contain electrical contacts allowing the user to use autofocus and electronically control the aperture of the attached lens."

I suppose that all makes sense. 

Kevin


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## Ron Evers (Jan 20, 2012)

Canon FD 50/3.5, 1:2 macro on a 15mm tube.  








I do have a ring flash as well.


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## ph0enix (Jan 20, 2012)

gsgary said:


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But I'm smarter and funnier ...and I have a bigger lens.


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## gsgary (Jan 20, 2012)

Nikon_Josh said:


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Better than down South


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## Austin Greene (Jan 20, 2012)

Until I can afford an actual setup, this is my rig...


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## Patrice (Jan 20, 2012)

Nikon_Josh said:


> gsgary said:
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How wrong you are Kimosabe,

Look at her profile and you will notice that she is one of us 'Canuks'. Stunning ladies are everywhere up here. It's the clean air and maybe something in the water.


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## ph0enix (Jan 20, 2012)

Patrice said:


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It's the lack of culture - in the water, I mean


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## Patrice (Jan 20, 2012)

ph0enix said:


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I know you mean _culture_ as in what you might grow in a petrie dish or that you might find in the back of the fridge.


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## ph0enix (Jan 20, 2012)

Patrice said:


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Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious!


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## Overread (Jan 20, 2012)

Which particular setup 
Ya'll macro shooters need to come over to Canon - here is where the fun is at 






Canon MPE 65mm macro - Sigma 150mm macro - Sigma 70mm macro (oh and my Tokina 35mm which is tiny and missing from that shot)

And a typical setup for me:




Although working handheld rather than on tripod (didn't have anyone to hold it/camera to take the shot) 

And an example:






And then just for fun this is what:
MPE65mm macro lens at 5:1 + Canon 2*TC + 68mm of extension tubes + Sigma 2*TC gives you





Something crazy high in magnification, a very blurry shot, but that is in focus (its just extreme diffraction taking place). And as an idea that is the side of a 10p coin, the tiny cut edges that go around the rim.


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## mjhoward (Jan 20, 2012)

Overread said:


> Which particular setup
> Ya'll macro shooters need to come over to Canon - here is where the fun is at



The only fun Canon has over the others is that lil' guy on the left.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  That MPE 65mm is very unique and sweet.  Wish they had something like it for Nikon. One thing Canon does definitely have an advantage over the others is in the area of Telephoto's/Super Teles.  Nobody else has glass as long or as light as Canon when it comes to super telephotos.

 I'll post up my setup later, but it's mostly just the 100mm Macro, the D7K, Yongnuo triggers on an SB-28 with a DIY light modifier.  I've got a tripod I use for stationary subjects, but my main interest in getting small moving critters so I usually hand hold my rig.  I was trying to use a gooseneck screwed into the bottom of the camera to position the light, but the light is a bit heavy and the goosneck wants to sag so I've got to get something more rigid.

In the mean time, here's my light source with DIY modifier:


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## Overread (Jan 20, 2012)

mjhoward said:


> Overread said:
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Ahh but Nikon has their 200-400mm that I know people have changed brands to get a hold of - though canon has one in the pipeline somewhere along the way.
Plus if its any consolation one of the best macro shooters I know does not use Canon nor Nikon (nor pentax!) 
Gear - a set on Flickr
some very good discussions for anyone after a wider range of macro options - esp for higher magnification photography. 


Also you might want to consider a RAM-Mount setup instead of your gooseneck, its not too expensive and yet provides a rock solid support for a flash; even a heavier one such as my 580EX2 has no wobble nor problems. Their gear is aimed at cyclists and holding mobphones and GPS devices still whilst riding - so for a camera its ideal. 
My very flexible Macro flashbracket: Studio & Lighting Technique Forum: Digital Photography Review
that thread there gives details on the specific items and components, plus if you need a longer arm adding anther double joint and grip wouldn't be any problem at all.


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

Overread said:


> Which particular setup
> Ya'll macro shooters need to come over to Canon - here is where the fun is at
> 
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GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!!!!
Is that your setup???


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## 480sparky (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


> GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!!!!
> Is that your setup???



Welcome to the Big Dog's Porch.


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## Ron Evers (Jan 20, 2012)

Some of the gear posted here can be rather intimidating to a novice & that is why I showed a simple way of shooting macros using lenses the person likely already has with the aid of extension tubes.  

Here is another example, using a 50mm f2 lens on a 25mm tube shooting a rubber stamp.  








Here is the shot which is a 1:2 macro.








If one wanted a 1:1 macro you would need 50mm of extension tube.  I highly recommend a novice starting out in macro to go with extension tubes, before spending big bucks on a real macro lens.


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## Overread (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


> GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!!!!
> Is that your setup???



Yes - yes it is - and I hope one day I might have the skills to put it to proper use.


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## jedirunner (Jan 20, 2012)

Ron Evers said:


> Some of the gear posted here can be rather intimidating to a novice & that is why I showed a simple way of shooting macros using lenses the person likely already has with the aid of extension tubes.
> 
> If one wanted a 1:1 macro you would need 50mm of extension tube.  I highly recommend a novice starting out in macro to go with extension tubes, before spending big bucks on a real macro lens.



Hmm, that's a good idea, given that I won't be able to get permission (most likely) for a macro lens, or have the expertise to put it to good use for a while. So, given that my lenses are the basic 18-135 IS and 70-300 IS Canon lenses, which tubes would you recommend to start with?  Tubes seem to be fairly inexpensive, so I could pick some up and play around for a while just with those.

Thanks,

Kevin


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## Ron Evers (Jan 20, 2012)

jedirunner said:


> Ron Evers said:
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> > Some of the gear posted here can be rather intimidating to a novice & that is why I showed a simple way of shooting macros using lenses the person likely already has with the aid of extension tubes.
> ...



Check out this link:

kenko extension tubes for Canon | eBay


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

480sparky said:


> LightSpeed said:
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I have only just begun.


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## jedirunner (Jan 20, 2012)

Ron Evers said:


> jedirunner said:
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Thanks, I'll check it out.

Kevin


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## kundalini (Jan 20, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Welcome to the Big Dog's Porch.


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## kundalini (Jan 20, 2012)

I only have a measly Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 mounted on either a D300 or a D700.  I'll sometimes add a flash or four.


The Setup:







The Shot:


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

kundalini said:


> I only have a measly Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 mounted on either a D300 or a D700.  I'll sometimes add a flash or four.
> 
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> The Setup:
> ...



LORD HAVE MERCY!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is the most beautiful water drop I have ever seen, and I have seen MANY.
It's magnificent.


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## unpopular (Jan 20, 2012)

I'll be upgrading soon with an XYZ setup. But until then, here is my very basic setup. I like backlighting lately.


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## Nikon_Josh (Jan 20, 2012)

Patrice said:


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Haha, I think you misunderstood my little joke aimed at Gary. It was a little joke from englishman to englishman! Over here we have a bit of a rivalry between south and north.. similar to the US/Canada rivalry that sometimes comes up on these forums. 

Mentioning America and Canadian women though, I noticed when I spent time in Canada and America. There were ALOT of stunning women everywhere... one of the main educational observations I made when I visited your homelands and a good enough reason to visit again.


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## RebeccaAPhotography (Jan 20, 2012)

unpopular said:
			
		

> I'll be upgrading soon with an XYZ setup. But until then, here is my very basic setup. I like backlighting lately.



Dude yours looks like some science experiment lol!! I don't know what most of the stuff is roflmao! There ya go I showed my true old noobself lol!!!


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## unpopular (Jan 20, 2012)

The main difference between my setup and others is that my lenses are _in barrel. _That means that there is no way to focus the lens; because I use enlarging lenses. Enlarging lenses are designed for close focus because the film which they are focussing onto is relatively close to the rear element; mounting them in reverse is preferred, actually but the lens here has a dented filter thread ... anyway, I need some way to focus so I use bellows, like this one from wikipedia:





(Macrophotography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Bellows though are very useful in general macrophotography in place of extension rings, because the extension is variable. This means that you can adjust magnification. The disadvantage is that the lens and the camera are not generally linked together unless you spend a lot of money on bellows which are. This means that you must manually adjust the aperture and focus before making the exposure.

The image is of grains of course kosher salt, the kind you'd use on the rim of a margarita. It is uncropped, and I'd guess around 10:1 magnification.


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

Ron Evers said:


> Some of the gear posted here can be rather intimidating to a novice & that is why I showed a simple way of shooting macros using lenses the person likely already has with the aid of extension tubes.
> 
> Here is another example, using a 50mm f2 lens on a 25mm tube shooting a rubber stamp.
> 
> ...



You did very well Mr. Evers. That is one of the reasons I made this thread.
You're equipment, by the way , IS, Impressive.
But more than that, you're a master at this. I'm much honored that you show on my threads.
Means a lot to me. Thank you.


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## Patrice (Jan 20, 2012)

Nikon_Josh said:


> Mentioning America and Canadian women though, I noticed when I spent time in Canada and America. There were ALOT of stunning women everywhere... one of the main educational observations I made when I visited your homelands and a good enough reason to visit again.




True enough, but you fellows have a fair few bonnie lasses to be found as well. Over 2 decades back I was on a work assignment in England for a few months. I got to know a charming petite young northern girl from Lancashire, you could describe her looks as 'black irish' with pale green eyes, black silky hair, very fair complexion with a few freckles on the bridge of her nose, not to mention legs to dream about. 



We've been married for over 20 years now.

(Enough of this hijack, the thread is about macro set-ups.)


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## unpopular (Jan 20, 2012)

Ron Evers said:


> I highly recommend a novice starting out in macro to go with extension tubes, before spending big bucks on a real macro lens.



There really is a lot you can do with extension tubes. You're prob not going to get a fruitfly laying an egg or anything - but there is tons of stuff to explore nonetheless.

In fact, APO Rodagons are sold as high-end industrial/scientific macro lenses:

http://www.edmundoptics.com/products/displayproduct.cfm?productid=1416

The 50mm listed at EO is the exact same one as this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-RODENSTOCK-APO-RODAGON-N-50MM-F2-8-LENS-/370578494614?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item5648331496#ht_2250wt_1291

but placed in a helical


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

unpopular said:


> Ron Evers said:
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> > I highly recommend a novice starting out in macro to go with extension tubes, before spending big bucks on a real macro lens.
> ...



LMAO..................oh man.
Oh my God, that was ruthless.
That was a high compliment man.
HIGH 5.
I'm stoked!


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## unpopular (Jan 20, 2012)

LOL man. All I am saying is that you have a nice lens! 

Seriously though, by the time you provide enough extension with enough working distance to not spook the bug, the viewfinder will be so dim that MF becomes really hard - if not impossible (nevermind live view) and AF-assist is pretty much useless. That's one REALLY annoying thing about relying on extension is that pesky inverse square law. It's not that you can't get great results, especially with a lens designed for the task, it's that the exposure starts falling off very rapidly at about 10cm.

I bet though this would be a lesser issue with large format macro lenses.


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

unpopular said:


> LOL man. All I am saying is that you have a nice lens!
> 
> Seriously though, by the time you provide enough extension with enough working distance to not spook the bug, the viewfinder will be so dim that MF becomes really hard - if not impossible (nevermind live view) and AF-assist is pretty much useless. That's one REALLY annoying thing about relying on extension is that pesky inverse square law. It's not that you can't get great results, especially with a lens designed for the task, it's that the exposure starts falling off very rapidly at about 10cm.
> 
> I bet though this would be a lesser issue with large format macro lenses.


The egg shot, hand held.
I shyt you not.
I was right on top of the fruit fly. Aside from loss of light, diffraction becomes an unreasonable problem. Depth of field is slim and becomes a major problem when ur that close.

I got the egg man.................GIMME SOME LOVE!
YESS
lol
WHAT UP BOYY!
Hot damn, I can't believe I nailed that shot.
I am fking stoked dude.
I know I'm probably making more of it than need be and I'm sure there are better, but I'm happy and I feel lucky.
Dude I woke up this morning and I was breathing and then I got that shot.
Life. It's my gift.


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## unpopular (Jan 20, 2012)

That's amazing! Hand held? How was it focussed? Don't even tell me manual/no assist! There is NO WAY i could hold any rig that stable and maintain the non-existant DOF.

What kind of magnification do you think you got there?


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## cgipson1 (Jan 20, 2012)

LightSpeed said:


> unpopular said:
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> > LOL man. All I am saying is that you have a nice lens!
> ...



yea... it's great, isn't it?


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## cgipson1 (Jan 20, 2012)

unpopular said:


> That's amazing! Hand held? How was it focussed? Don't even tell me manual/no assist! There is NO WAY i could hold any rig that stable and maintain the non-existant DOF.
> 
> What kind of magnification do you think you got there?



Just takes practice!


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## unpopular (Jan 20, 2012)

^ i'm not up for the frustration in the meantime. Besides, I'm not into bugs anyway.


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## LightSpeed (Jan 20, 2012)

In addition, thank you all for showing up at this thread. You did a good deed gentlemen.
Not for me. But for all.

Your rigs are amazing. I have much to look forward to. Thanks to many of you here.
I enjoy the tutelage  from those like yourself, that means all of you. With many of you here, I don't feel like I'm in this by myself.
Yes I get destroyed with C&C from time to time, but really , it is a great benefit that gives one determination. (* pay attention beginners to that last sentence.*)
Yes I have been through it. Not a whole lot here but enough. lol. I got nailed on other forums wayyyy worse. It almost came down to me hunting someone down.
God, I'm glad I didn't do that. The guy was RIGHT. And he was terrible NASY about it..............worse by far than GSgARY AND GIPSON. 
You slop up here.........they tell you so, and boy look, these fkers don't hold back.
And then there's Ron Evers. Critiques subtly while giving hints. You know you got it going on when you can teach by giving hints.
Ron. 

Salute.
Fine job gentlemen.

Yep........I'm LightSpeed, alright.


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## unpopular (Jan 21, 2012)

I'll update in a couple weeks with my new rig.


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## LightSpeed (Jan 21, 2012)

833 HITS ON THIS THREAD BRO. In less than 14 hours.
Good info from all of you guys. We hit the search engines.

Good for you photo forum. And thank you for my stay and putting up with me.


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## Lowrider (Jan 21, 2012)

kundalini said:
			
		

> I only have a measly Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 mounted on either a D300 or a D700.  I'll sometimes add a flash or four.
> 
> The Setup:
> 
> The Shot:



The water drop is nice. Gotta ask tho, do you normally keep your toothbrush on the toilet?


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## kundalini (Jan 21, 2012)

Lowrider said:


> The water drop is nice. Gotta ask tho, do you normally keep your toothbrush on the toilet?


   Thanks for noticing.  It was due to be replaced, so I used it as a focusing point in the bowl of water.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 21, 2012)

a little late..  but here is the rig I use for most handheld macro shots..







D7000
Tokina 100mm Macro (with or without Raynox DCR-250 and / or Kenko Extension Tubes)
Kirk Macro Bracket
Nikon SB-900 flash 
Lastolite 9" softbox


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## unpopular (Jan 21, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> a little late..  but here is the rig I use for most handheld macro shots..



So do you handholders shoot manual focus, auto or focus assist? Not that it doesn't take a steady hand to capture a fruitfly taking a dump regardless, but if you guys have to manually focus - especially with gipsons "... or are you happy to see me" rig - that'd just be incredible.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 21, 2012)

unpopular said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > a little late..  but here is the rig I use for most handheld macro shots..
> ...



I evaluate the subject.. and how much magnification I want for it.. and try to preset the focus / mag. I then move the camera back and forth to get the focus I want. Since typically my lens is fully extended (1:1)...  even the setup is easy. Since I use flash in almost all of my macro shots.. I can vary my shutter speed to either kill / allow subject motion, or to allow / kill ambient light. Aperture is usually stopped down, depending on the subject / background relationship.

When I do find a focus change necessary, I cradle the lens / focus ring in my hand.. and use that as a secondary support anyway. I shoot strictly manual focus for macro.. AF is too flaky.
Does that help?


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## unpopular (Jan 21, 2012)

Yeah, it does. I suppose also you'd get more DOF with a dedicated macro lens, since you have greater working distance. For my primary macro lens, the 50mm Rodagon, I really don't have that much DOF at all, plus no auto diaphragm.

Not saying it doesn't take skill. Just from my perspective, having never owned a macro lens, it'd be nearly impossible.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 21, 2012)

unpopular said:


> Yeah, it does. I suppose also you'd get more DOF with a dedicated macro lens, since you have greater working distance. For my primary macro lens, the 50mm Rodagon, I really don't have that much DOF at all, plus no auto diaphragm.
> 
> Not saying it doesn't take skill. Just from my perspective, having never owned a macro lens, it'd be nearly impossible.



Depth of field is always an issue.... as you know, anytime you get close (macro close), the DOF is razor thin! When you add tubes or other magnification, it drops it even more. But that is part of the fun. 

I used to do a lot of rifle / handgun shooting... competition stuff. Studying how top shooters use their body mechanics to stabilize their weapon, is very applicable to photography also... especially in the handheld macro realm. You just have to be able to grasp the concepts.. and correlate those into the different grips and shapes our equipment has. A little practice goes a long way!


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## Overread (Jan 21, 2012)

kundalini said:


>



One day I'll have the space and money to have that many flashes and light stands! It's honestly something I miss right now, only the one  tripod so if the camera is on that the flash has to be in the hands (which is a nightmare for macro because all the distances are so small and light does this annoying exponential thing over distance so even small shifts in my holding throws out the exposure sometimes).


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## Buckster (Jan 21, 2012)

My field macro rig (bug hunting):






My typical studio macro rig (water drips and so on), except that now I have macro rails and a geared head for it:


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## unpopular (Jan 21, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> Depth of field is always an issue.... as you know, anytime you get close (macro close), the DOF is razor thin! When you add tubes or other magnification, it drops it even more. But that is part of the fun.



When I was younger I could shoot down to 1/8s, 50mm at about 2' and still get pretty sharp results. I feel like now my hands are a bit more shaky than they were when I was 18.

It's funny how you notice these things in a matter of only a few years. Five years ago I never thought about getting older, at least not physically. I'm sure though with practice I could improve again.


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## Overread (Jan 21, 2012)

I've heard that a glass of wine before you shoot can sometimes help steady your hands.


Of course if you end up drinking a few bottles it might have the opposite effect - though chances are you mind won't know the difference by then


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## unpopular (Jan 21, 2012)

I had a friend in college who spent eight hours and like 30 rolls of film taking blurry photos of trees while under the influence of magic mushrooms.

I guess something was lost in translation.


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## Netskimmer (Jan 21, 2012)

unpopular said:


> I had a friend in college who spent eight hours and like 30 rolls of film taking blurry photos of trees while under the influence of magic mushrooms.
> 
> I guess something was lost in translation.



It wasn't his fault the shots were blurry, the trees wouldn't sit still.


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## unpopular (Jan 21, 2012)

damn you psychogenic motion blur!


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## LightSpeed (Jan 21, 2012)

Overread said:


> *I've heard that a glass of wine before you shoot can sometimes help steady your hands.*
> 
> 
> Of course if you end up drinking a few bottles it might have the opposite effect - though chances are you mind won't know the difference by then



This is true.
I know because I shoot rimfire target with a Kimber .22 long rifle.
My best groups have come from the aid of a couple of shots of whiskey.


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## Compaq (Jan 21, 2012)

unpopular said:


>




Am I the only one who recognizes Hamsun in here? He may have been slightly nazi, but he could write.


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## xj0hnx (Jan 21, 2012)

Nothing special, just my camera (D5100) with extension tubes.




Macros02 by xj0hnx, on Flickr

The results ...




Macros03 by xj0hnx, on Flickr

I need to work on the lighting some more, it's hard getting light under that lens.


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## Netskimmer (Jan 21, 2012)

I haven't built a serious macro rig but it is on my list. Until then, this is what I am working with.

D7000, Nikkor 55-300mm, Kenko tubes, Vivitar 285HV, Opeteka soft box, Apurture timer/shutter cable.






Uncropped shot:





Cropped:


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