# Super macro attempts



## thetrue (Nov 10, 2012)

Tell me what you think!
#1






#2





#3


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## 480sparky (Nov 10, 2012)

I have no idea what the first one even is.

Of the other two, it looks like you've got some serious CA going on.


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## thetrue (Nov 10, 2012)

The first is a piece of glitter with the light from a strange angle - it showed up blue. What is CA again? I can't think right now. #1 and #3 were with a 75-300 at 300mm f5.6 forward, 18-55 at roughly 50mm - I set aperture to 3.5 and removed with the body on so it should have stayed there. I have no idea how you get yours so clean, I just started playing with this last night and a little more today.

Any tips for me please?


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## 480sparky (Nov 10, 2012)

CA ; chromatic abberation.  It's the purple, blue and red at the edges of the bright areas.

f/3.5 is not the ideal aperture for macro.  The lens will typically be soft and the DOF as shallow as you can get.  f/8 is usually the 'sweet spot'.  Smaller apertures will get you more DOF, but diffraction may render the image useless.


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## thetrue (Nov 10, 2012)

Thank you muchly sir. I value your input, as you ARE the master of macro. I'm going to try again later. Would it be better to have the 18-55 on camera and the 75-300 reversed, or would it make no difference?


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## 480sparky (Nov 10, 2012)

I have no idea which combo would work better.  You should try taking some test shots of both and see which gives you the best results.  Vary the aperture of the primary lens to see which one works best.  My GUESS would be reverse the 18-55 and the 70-300 most likely will cause severe vignetting if it's the one reversed.

I've never known anyone to B2B two zooms.


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## thetrue (Nov 10, 2012)

Found the magic combo! 75-300 on camera, 18-55 reversed, BOTH at f8 and lots of playing with the focus on both. Got a couple disturbing close ups of a common kitchen item  That can be a mini whatsit when I post later.


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## thetrue (Nov 11, 2012)

Here we go:


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## 480sparky (Nov 11, 2012)

How do you get the reversed 18-55 to f/8?


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## thetrue (Nov 11, 2012)

I shoot canon, and I read something about with canon you can set the aperture on camera, leave camera on and remove lens from body. I'm going to assume that it worked because I didn't have any problems focusing or with CA after I went to f8


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## 480sparky (Nov 11, 2012)

Wow.  Never heard of that before.

 So focusing must be a real beeotch when the VF is so dark.


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## thetrue (Nov 11, 2012)

The only problem I really had was the way I set it up. On tripod pointing down, with the extra weight on the 75-300 it kept pulling the focus down


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## thetrue (Nov 11, 2012)

Here is where I saw that: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/macro-photography/281132-how-shoot-macro-photos-budget.html

Good ol' Overread with the secrets


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## 480sparky (Nov 11, 2012)

thetrue said:


> Here is where I saw that: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/macro-photography/281132-how-shoot-macro-photos-budget.html
> 
> Good ol' Overread with the secrets



Silly me. I shoot Nikon and use a BR-6 to control the aperture of the reversed lens.  Compose & focus when it's open, push a lever or use a cable release to close it and shoot.


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## thetrue (Nov 11, 2012)

I was wondering what that cable was on the end of your lens!


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