# My first macro shots



## Robin Usagani (Aug 8, 2011)

mishele said:


> ^^^^^ Hot guys take pics of flowers!!!



OK, I love my Tamron 90mm but it is not enough!  What shall I get to magnify it even more?

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6


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

Holy ****.. there is no love on other section other than the beginner forum huh?  I wish they just delete that section.


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## Tomasko (Aug 9, 2011)

Maybe I little bit more patience? 

There are ways to get more magnification.. E.g.: extension tubes, close-up filters...


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

I was.. posted it last night LOL.  What extension tube will go well with my Tamron?


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## Trever1t (Aug 9, 2011)

#3 is beautiful!


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## johnh2005 (Aug 9, 2011)

Holy crapozoids batman!  You seriously have never taken a macro shot before?  Wow, you are in for a whole new world from a whole new perspective.  

Now, I am not sure what is compatible with your current lens, but, give it a little while.  I thinks you will be investing in some really nice Macro lenses soon =)


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

Hah.. thanks John.  Really my main reason to get a macro lens is for shooting details at weddings.  So this lens is plenty for me.  But I wouldnt mind picking up an extension if I can improve my shots so I can get closer view of insects.


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## bigtwinky (Aug 9, 2011)

1 and 3 are nice, but more typical shots, not really what I think of when I read Macro.  Love the colours in 3, don't like the dead flower thing lower left.
I really love #2, just wish it was sharper.  Very sci-fi ish, making me think of a black hole sucking in every bit of life around it... a pretty purple black hole.


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## Derrel (Aug 9, 2011)

MOre extension will just allow you/force you to be closer to the subjects...I think a better solution would be to buy a high-quality close-up lens to thread onto the front of the lens, like one of those made by Canon, or by Raynox.


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

Hmm, Im not sure what product you are talking about Derrel.  Maybe when i have a lot of $$ I buy the 5:1 lens from Canon.


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## Omofo (Aug 9, 2011)

Are any of those shots 1:1 magnification?


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

Yup.  I barely cropped it.


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## Overread (Aug 9, 2011)

Hey at 3am I'm in bed darn it (well at least I should be...) I can't patrol macro 24/7  

As for ideas here are a few:

1) Extension tubes (or bellows for adaptable length on the fly) - these give you more magnification at the cost of focusing distance and the loss of infinity focusing. Essentially on shorter focal length lenses it caps you to macro work only. On existing macro lenses it increases the magnification over 1:1 to the rough math of:
Length of extension tubes in mm - divided by - focal length of the lens = magnification:1 
Note for macro lenses the magnification is added to the 1:1 ratio the macro lens already achieves (if, of course, the lens is set to its closest focus - note also that as most modern macro lenses shorten their focal length as they get to 1:1 - the actual magnification gained can be a bit more than the rough maths suggests). 

2) Close up lens attachments/diopters/close up filters (name shifts and changes, the first is strictly speaking the correct name). These are examples like the Canon 500D or the Raynox DCR 250 and are attachments which fit to the end of the lens like a filter; they are then acting like extension tubes, reducing your min focusing distance and removing infinity focus. 
However, whilst extension tubes give more magnification on shorter focal length lenses, the close up attachments give more magnification on longer focal length lenses (I don't know the math however). 

Note: These often get a slating because they are "adding glass" to the setup and also because many people often get them in the cheap kits on offer - these are nearly always cheap single element setups which are poor quality; working but doing it poorly. The quality options noted above from Canon and Raynox are very high quality and easily able to stand up to extension tubes or even options like the Canon MPE 65mm macro. 

Note2: for a 90mm/100mm macro lens you are kind of half way between the close up lenses and extension tubes being the best option. Note you can get much more powerful close up lenses (diopter rating states its power, the larger the more magnification) and I personally prefer them for being faster to slip on and off a lens. 

3) Reverse mounting lenses - using a reversing ring on the front of your lens to allow you to put another infront of it to get magnification (again losing infinity focusing). The rough maths for this is:
Focal length of the lens mounted on the camera body - divided by - focal length of the lens being reversed on the front = magnification : 1

So clearly a short focal length like a 28mm or 35mm can give quite a bit of magnification (28mm would be around just over 3:1 on a 90mm).

4) Teleconverters - these work simply by magnifying the image by the same magnification factor as the teleconverter is - so 1.4:1 for a 1.4TC and 2:1 for a 2*TC. The big bonus for these is that they don't take away your infinity focus nor change your working distance, so you can retain all your normal operating practice, but with increased magnification (you can also use them with options like the close up lenses to get more magnification). Note that I, personally, find that working at 2:1 or greater its a lot easier to actually have less working distance sometimes (esp when working handheld) since it lets you rest the end of the lens on surfaces (ie your hand) on more stable surfaces closer to the subject, rather than trying to freehold when further away. 


Personally I'd go for the options like the Canon 500D or the Raynox DCR 250 as a starting point and then adding teleconverters in for a bit more magnification (or looking at one of the higher powered Raynox options like the MSN505) - getting yourself to work at around 3:1 before deciding to go for something exclusive like the MPE 65mm macro


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

so if I go with Raynox DCR 250, I can get even closer to the subject thats why I can magnify it more?  Canon 500D?  Isnt that the name of a Canon camera?


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## Overread (Aug 9, 2011)

Yep - the extension tubes or close up lenses do let you focus close and thus get more magnification - makes for more of a challenge, but then even the MPE has short working distances so its good practice (not just for focusing, but also lighting). And yes Canon do confuse things by having the 500D as the name for both their close up filter and the camera body .


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

Yikes..  LOL.  I took my camera to work today and snapped some dragonfly/damselfy.  I am not sure which.. we can determine it later on my next post when I get home LOL.  I had to take off my hood and got really really close already.   I think close up lens will be helpful for smaller insects but trying to get close to for example dragonfly eyes, I think that would be tough.  Anyway, I think I got some pretty darn good pics.  Ill post it tonight!


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## Compaq (Aug 9, 2011)

How abooouuuut, a microscope with a camera attached? Kill the dragonfly, put it in your 'scope and go crazy? I've heard of many fly fishers who combine their fishing passion with micro photography of fish food. They, I dunno, collect dead insect corpses and identify them down to family, maybe even farther.

Or maybe not


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## Overread (Aug 9, 2011)

Dragonflies and Damselflies are easy to tell apart as Dragons can't put their wings back along the length of their body as they land, whilst damseles can - from there its a question of species 

As for getting close to such large insects early mornings are key, many dragons and butterflies will be very lethargic and cold after a night time and will often perch up to sun themselves early in the morning. At that time of the day they are very easy to approach as they have no energy so you can get right in. After rainfall (esp snap showers) when its cooler the bigger insects again get caught out and trapped in the cold (water logging can also slow them up a lot - esp butterflies on those large wings). 
Evenings as well they can be approachable as they perch up to sleep.


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## Hardrock (Aug 9, 2011)

The only one that looks close to 1:1 is the second one. If you want to get closer I would suggest a TC.  Its a little more magnification than a 12mm extension tube and gives you a little more working distance.


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## Robin Usagani (Aug 9, 2011)

Yeah.. My bad.  I meant I came as close as possible to get the whole thing framed.  Since some of the flowers are larger than my sensor, I guess they are not 1:1


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## Overread (Aug 9, 2011)

1:1 only occurs when the subject is reflected on the sensor at the same size as it is in real life - so on a regular macro lens at its closest focusing distance (most also have magnification markers to tell you the working magnification). Some mistake and think that any shot taken with a macro lens is macro and such is not the case.


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## johnh2005 (Aug 9, 2011)

Me thinks someone has gotten addicted.  I have read a lot of posts by Schwetty and none seemed like he was as excited as he is here:

"Yikes..  LOL.  I took my camera to work today and snapped some  dragonfly/damselfy.  I am not sure which.. we can determine it later on  my next post when I get home LOL.  I had to take off my hood and got  really really close already.   I think close up lens will be helpful for  smaller insects but trying to get close to for example dragonfly eyes, I  think that would be tough.  Anyway, I think I got some pretty darn good  pics.  Ill post it tonight! 						"

! at the end and all!


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