# Macro photography accessory advice wanted.



## antcatcher (Dec 27, 2010)

Hi guys, I am new here and am a hobbyist that loves macro photography, mostly of Hymenoptera. Right now I am considering getting some accessories to make macro photographs easier or better. I want to but these four items and want to know your opinion of some of the photographers on this board. My budget is about 150, but I can go a little over or under and not including shipping costs. My camera body is a canon rebel xsi. 

Amazon.com: Macro Ring Flash LED Light! Works with Canon/Sony/Nikon/Sigma lenses!: Camera & Photo
Its the only flash I can find that I can afford, and I was hoping it would help in situations like this. The ant should have been red and the IOS is already set at max and shudder speed of 200.






Amazon.com: Fotodiox 7 Metal Step Up Ring Set, Anodized Black Metal 49-52mm, 52-55mm, 55-58mm, 58-62mm, 62-67mm, 67-72mm, 72-77mm: Camera & Photo
I want these to attach my 70-300mm to my 28-50mm or vice-versa, but I am not sure if I would get the magnification either way or if the set is worth it with only owning 2 lenses. 

Amazon.com: Fotodiox 58mm Filter Thread Lens, Macro Reverse Ring Camera Mount Adapter for Canon EOS 1d,1ds,Mark II, III, IV, 5D, Mark II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Digital Rebel xt, xti, xs, xsi, t1i, t2i, 300D, 350D, 400D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 
This I want to reverse only my 28-50mm lens (filter size is a 58) and I want to make sure its a good buy. 

Amazon.com: Opteka Auto Focus DG Macro Extension Tube Set for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras: 47th Street Photo Finally I want to get these extension tubes for both my lenses to give some more options. 

Also I would be interested to find out about some other good low cost lenses I might want to get later. Thanks for any help!


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## Overread (Dec 27, 2010)

I have never used any of the macro LED flash setups nor do I recall reading of any real reviews of them either. They appear to be a bit of an enigma in the market at present.

Also note that the stepping rings you link to arn't for linking lenses together but for allowing larger/smaller filters to be fitted to different filter thread sized lenses. I assume then that you'll be using them with the reversing ring to connect the two lenses together.
When doing this I'd mount the heavier lens to the camear and have the lighter lens held out front - this should give you a fairly impressive magnification range with the lenses you have listed - certainly enough for ant work - it will be tricky, but it should be masterable once you get used to it.
However the ringflash won't be able to fit to the end of the lens once its reversed, also even if you could mount it the nature of the ringflash and the small working distance you'll have means that it might not be able to light the subject and might also suffer from not having enough power.

As a first step you might try to build a snoot for your popup flash - channeling the light forward the popup will have enough power for 1:1 type macro work.

The extension tubes are another good option - they'll work best (give the most magnification) on your shorter focal length lens. Furthermore they will not give as much magnification as the lens reversing method, though image quality might be a little better. 

As for other options you could also consider the Raynox series of close up lenses/diopters. These will work better on your longer focal length lenses and would be a good alternative to consider. The reversing setup is still going to give you the most magnification, but the tubes and close up lens attachments might give better image quality at lower magnifications.


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## antcatcher (Dec 27, 2010)

Thanks for the help, I would have messed up the reverse lens thing with out your help. I wanted both extension tubes and the reversing option to get different amounts of magnification so I will still get both. I will get the flash because it seems useful and I will post a review about how well it works.


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## NateS (Dec 27, 2010)

antcatcher said:


> Thanks for the help, I would have messed up the reverse lens thing with out your help. I wanted both extension tubes and the reversing option to get different amounts of magnification so I will still get both. I will get the flash because it seems useful and I will post a review about how well it works.



Be careful about that flash.  I've seen a review thread on DPreview awhile back with all the negatives....one being the color temp is very odd on most of the cheap ones making the wb hard to set.  Also, a lot of people said that when taking pictures of things with reflective surfaces (ALOT of bugs) that you can see the individual LED's in the reflection which would be pretty ugly and pretty obvious compared to the reflection of a softbox that usually isn't even noticed.


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## Bynx (Dec 27, 2010)

If you are going to spend money on Macro then you might want to look at focus stacking software. Then the macros you get will be incredible.


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## Overread (Dec 27, 2010)

Focus stacking is a great thing, but there is no point investing in the software until you've the ideal gear to capture the shots to start with. Furthermore you can start with CombineZP which is a totally free software option for focus stacking.


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## antcatcher (Dec 27, 2010)

So I would need to experiment with a custom wb to use it? Also would a cheap homemade diffuser solve the individual LED problem or would it likely reduce the flashes strength to much for it to be worth buying? 

Is focus stacking something that can be done with the latest version of Photoshop or is it something separate entirely? The focus stacking post with the candy was pretty cool.


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## Overread (Dec 27, 2010)

I think Photoshop CS5 has a stacking code in it though I think it lives under a different name - otherwise there is the good CombineZP that I mention above that you can use. 

As for the LED you can use a diffuser to break the light up, but you are right the more you diffuse the light the more you'll reduce its intensity.


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## RyanLilly (Dec 27, 2010)

Reverse rings, and extension tubes are both very good "bang for your buck" choices. You could also look into used M42 (pentax screwmount) macro lenses and a m42 to canon eos adapter on eBay. 

I have a $5, m42 adapter, an extension bellows-$30, and several screw mount lenses, I think I paid $35 for a 28mm 50mm and a 135mm all f/2.8. None are macro lenses, but It's a pretty sweet setup for the price.  Compared to a real, newer macro lens, it's slow and tedious to work with, especially with live subjects, but everythings a compromise on a budget.


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## antcatcher (Dec 27, 2010)

What is a M42 lens? I am assuming its an old canon lens for a film camera.


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## RyanLilly (Dec 27, 2010)

M42 is a mount, most common on Pentax cameras. They are completely manual lenses. M42 is a screw mount, and the lenses can be adapted to just about any modern camera( you loose infinity focus on a nikon, however).

Pentax and others made some very good lenses, even by today's standards. For situation where you don't care about auto focus and automated metering modes, these lenses can be an exceptional value. Take a look at "Pentax screwmount" at KEH.com


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## scott60d (Dec 29, 2010)

Avoid the ring and go with a dual flash version if you have the money.
You can make a simple rig yourself.  Get a small simple flash w/o bells and whistles. It'll be fine for macro.  Simply take some show curtain material or similar and tape it bulging outward so it softens the light.  You can get a narrow plate or piece of wood and install a t-screw 1/4 thread for the camera.  For the flash use a flash mount on the board or buy a 1 foot microphone flex mount.

Extensions tubes are good. Reversing lenses have issues with auto-control and also danger to back end of lens so be careful.
Screw on diopters are reasonable for close up types of shots.

Get the Macro book by Shaw.  Dealt with film but wealth of info.


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## KVRNut (Dec 30, 2010)

With your budget antcatcher, I'd go with a lens reverser and extension tube set. That would get you the most bang for the buck for now.

I use extension tubes, lens reversers, and/or macro extension bellows. All do a good job for the types of subjects I photograph. A macro extension bellows with a lens reverser is a potent preferred combination. Love the infinite adjustment that's a lot quicker to use than changing tubes. Have found that a 28-70mm "macro" lens with the reverser attached is all I need. That way the lens orientation can be switched rapidly. 
For those times when I don't want to bug the insects, I'll use a 70-300mm "macro" lens and a 2x teleconverter. That way the subjects don't have a big black mouth hovering over them and are more relaxed. 

Personally, I'd shy away from stacking lenses. That can be a lot of weight hanging off the front of your camera and a pain in the butt to focus if you have to work fast.

Screw on diopters can really cut an already limited DOF when shooting macro.  Have found that they can really soften a shot if you're not careful.  I'll only use them on a lens that isn't in a macro setting or mode.

Speaking of focus, seriously consider a macro focusing rail. It only takes a mm or two to change a shot entirely. I have a Velbon with both lateral and fore/aft adjustment. It's been a super piece of equipment for fine tuning the shot and beats the heck out of resetting a tri-pod all the time. I consider it a vital piece of equipment for macro work. A sturdy tri-pod that can allow you to place your camera any where from just above ground level to eye level is also very handy.

Have noticed some concern about using reversed lenses and the exposure of the rear lens to the elements. Here's a simple tip. Go and buy a rear lens cap and cut out the flat center of the cap. When you put it on the lens, you protect the lens and have an inexpensive rear lens hood too.

I've found that for close in macro work, a ring flash was a disappointment to use. I prefer to use either ambient light or a steady source of even light(s). That allows more time to compose the shot and allows me to experiment with different types of light(s). Consider using a light disc or reflector for additional light.

Hope this helps you out.


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