|
What kind of setups are you guys using to get some of these shots? In addition to a kit lens and a cheaper telephoto, I have one of the older Canon 100mm 2.8 lenses, which is great, but I can't get nearly that close. I thought about getting some extension tubes for it. I'm also going to buy a 50mm lens pretty soon, I saw some people recommending reversal rings for a lens that size as well? Some really great photos in this thread.
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2019 19:31
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 21, 2024 11:44 |
|
|
jarlywarly posted:I would say most of us are using a dedicated macro lens (close focussing) and a diffused flash setup where needed. Light setups is something I don't know hardly anything at all about yet, beyond some reading I've done. I got the canon 100mm f/2.8 (the old one, not the L model) because I wanted to work on macro stuff and it was a good price and I'm having a good time with it. Just need to work on technique and get some practice, and then start working with lighting more. Lot of intimidating information out there.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2019 20:58
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:I found this guide started me off well, it's a bit old but the principles are sound. Bookmarked to read later, thanks! Is the L lens you have noticeably better out in the field for taking those bug shots? I find I'm propping myself on things as much as possible to reduce any shake when I'm outside using the 100mm. Probably just need to make better use of my tripod, but it's been wet and wintry the last couple months and it's been hard to get out.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2019 21:44
|
|
|
Graniteman posted:If you want to do great macro you need to get away from natural light. If you use a flash you will freeze any hand shake. Build a diffuser. Get a flash. You don’t need a fancy flash (TTL metering is not needed). No, I 100% believe you. Lighting is something I'm still working to understand better. I'm trying to grab another lens or two at the moment to round out my bag, but I'll look a bit at some of the lighting things mentioned. Everything I've read about macro stuff has said lighting is important for bringing out detail and getting good shots.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2019 00:20
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:It goes like this, the closer you get the narrower the depth of field gets, at wide open apertures your depth of field is so narrow that the part of the subject in focus is minimal so you not only have problems getting the main parts in focus, any small movement will totally lose your focus. That's a weirdly useful breakdown, actually. Sometimes a lot of these articles I'm reading have a hard time breaking things down into layman's terms. Any suggestions for cheaper entry lighting setups? I've read that even just keeping some printer paper handy to deflect light downward onto your subject can be helpful. The flashes that come on the camera seem to have very little use for this kind of thing from what I've heard, seems that they directly light too straightforward at the subject instead of illuminating all around it, creating shadows and weird glares that aren't useful for any macros stuff. I love taking pictures of bugs and little critters, so I'll probably keep doing that and trying to get lucky on sunny days but I want to improve my setups before spring rolls around and the good critters pop out. In the meantime I'll probably practice on static objects and flowers.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2019 15:25
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:Everyone seems to end up with a large flash or 2 snooted towards a semi circle ring of diffuser material mounted on the lens shade (like a dog cone)  Well maybe I'll get there eventually. I'm not currently budgeting for a mounted flash, although I'll get one in time. Is there any kinda "cheap hacks" I can use in the meantime, stuff to just throw in my bag to improve my lighting situations without much expensive for the time being?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2019 17:28
|
|
|
I'm rearranging some of my purchasing priorities a bit based on recommendations in this thread. Namely, I'm looking to get a mounted flash to improve my lighting situation, and other diffuser equipment to practice with. I'm also going to grab a set of extension rings to play around with, if anyone has a recommendation. I don't mind having to modify cheaper ones like suggested above, although I'll spend a few extra dollars to get something better quality if there's a decent suggestion. I recently bought a 50mm 1.8 because I wanted one anyway, so I figure between that and the 100mm 2.8, I'll have some things to play around with and practice on. Lots of different diffuser type setups I'm seeing online. Some look better suited for more controlled indoor macro photos, and some look more useful for outdoor stuff. Preferably I'd be doing a lot of outdoors shooting, as I already do a lot of hiking and outdoors things when it's not cold and wet, and getting into photography was partly another excuse to get outside. Any recommendations for good diffuser setups?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 21, 2019 15:27
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:Let's have a photo Awesome. I really like the lighting on the green undergrowth. Neat seeing the fine growths on top of the mushroom cap too.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 25, 2019 18:03
|
|
|
 Ladybug on moss by Kevin Long, on FlickrThis was my first outing with a newer camera and equipment, after having listened to some advice ya'll gave. Walking on the Blue Ridge Parkway and found a beautiful patch of bright green moss on a rock with water flowing down it, and a couple tiny ladybugs wandering the moss. They were small, probably 5mm long. I didn't have my tripod so I tried my best to take steady hand shots on manual focus at different distances, because the focal depth was very shallow- I was using a 100mm f2.8 lens with some extension tubes attached as well. I only ended up with about 4 shots that overlapped well enough to align and stack in PS. Any advice or criticism is appreciated!
|
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2019 13:45
|
|
|
Anyone have good suggestions for editing tutorials? I guess this is a bit of a general question, but I'm doing almost entirely macro stuff at the moment and want to get better at editing. I'm shooting in RAW and large jpeg at the moment and want to make sure I fully utilize the available software (Lightroom and Photoshop, currently).
|
|
#
¿
Mar 18, 2019 18:56
|
|
|
Helen Highwater posted:There's also the Post Processing thread where you can ask specific questions. I somehow missed that thread, thank you. I'll read it over. So many videos either don't explain what they're adjusting and why. For content:  Needle Ice by Kevin Long, on FlickrWent hiking on a trail that ends up being about 6200 feet in elevation and was too cold still to see any bugs or other small critters. Found a lot of needle ice and tried to make a decent pic out of it. Gladly accepting some criticism and suggestions on this pic, did my best with post-processing in PS.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 19, 2019 13:27
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:It's nice but the angle just makes my head want to tilt. I get you can't crop/tilt as it's corner to corner. Fair. That's actually the angle it was sticking out of the ground, as it was on a bit of a slope. A lot of it grew out at weird angles and I thought it was neat , but maybe I didn't quite capture that i the picture. It's already a bit cropped in, maybe I can find the original and tilt it a bit. Thanks for the input!
|
|
#
¿
Mar 20, 2019 15:36
|
|
|
I want to say that this thread gives good advice and the above advice was given to me a while back and helped. I ended up forgoing other equipment to get a decent flash in my budget, along with some inexpensive diffusers, and it was worth the money. I also have the Canon 100mm 2.8f lens and it only cost me about $200, and it was worth every penny since I've really learned how to take advantage of it. I'll put the flash on and forget to turn it on at first, and when I compare the no-flash pictures to the flash w/diffuser pics, it's a huge difference. Right now it's just mounted on the top shoe but I'm going to work on getting an off-mount setup eventually. I keep meaning to post some pics I've taken. SPIRAL by Kevin Long, on Flickr
Fingers McLongDong fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Apr 18, 2019 |
|
#
¿
Apr 18, 2019 16:51
|
|
|
Just some lichen that I learned are called "British Soldier" lichen because of the red tips. I liked the red pop on the dull green. British Soldier Lichen by Kevin Long, on Flickr
|
|
#
¿
May 2, 2019 14:09
|
|
|
Little guy I found on a hike the other day.  Salamander by Kevin Long, on Flickr
|
|
#
¿
May 21, 2019 14:28
|
|
|
Nice spider! I keep meaning to post some things here for critique but always forget. Plus the thread is kinda dead. Anyone want to recommend an upgrade to my light system that would be easy to take on hikes? I usually walk with my camera shoulder strapped with the flash and diffuser on it, but my current basic light setup doesn't point downward enough for super close shots. Ring flashes seem ok but I see a lot of criticism about how they only give a frontal blast of light. Thinking about one of the dual-light rigs with the bendy arms.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 19, 2019 20:27
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:What lens you carrying? 100mm f/2.8, the older version on a canon 77D. Been using a 580 ex II speedlite with a 6 in diffuser. I was going to start practicing using the off-mount cord to shoot one handed, but that kinda seems like a pain in the rear end sometimes.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 19, 2019 20:45
|
|
|
Graniteman posted:The bendy arm twin flash is really the best option for good light diffused field shooting. There are other good options, and I’ve used a lot of them, but the KX-800 is the best. Put some roscolux vellum sheets under it attached to the lens with the arms set back a bit and you are all set. Thanks for sharing. Awesome focus on the eyes there. What's your setup look like with the paper attached? I do a lot of my photos on hikes and long walks, with my camera setup slung over one shoulder on a long strap. I was worried about a twin flash being cumbersome or tearing up the paper while hiking.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 20, 2019 04:19
|
|
|
Graniteman posted:I don’t have a current photo, but here’s an older one when I was using rigid plastic. Cool! I'll look into that, I'm all about saving a few bucks on 3rd party items if I can and they work well. Where'd you get the roscolus vellum at? Is yours just attached at the bottom of the lens with some tape? Initial googling shows some folks attaching things like softbox diffusers to each individual flash on the arms, which seems like a PITA. Have you had any problems with your setup disturbing your targets or limiting how close you can get?
|
|
#
¿
Jun 20, 2019 14:35
|
|
|
I'd love to have one of those canon MP E 65 mm, but they're a but pricey and I'm focused more on getting good at framing and composition with my 100mm for now. That KX 800 with some vellum is right in the price range for my next upgrade though.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 20, 2019 17:36
|
|
|
Helen Highwater posted:I'm thinking of the Canon 100mm f/2.8 (the non-L version). Is it ok? I want to try shooting bugs handheld to start with and maybe some still-life macro stuff on a tripod. Is there a better option for long-ish macro on a Canon without dropping a grand on glass I won't use that often? I got one because I wanted to learn macro stuff without spending a grand and it's been good for me. I think I got one for $200 online. It was recommended everywhere I looked online for budget macro. The motor can be a little slow but honestly I've had it on manual most of the time anyway so I dont care. It's been a great learning tool and has worked well for me.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2019 12:02
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:You can look at the Sigma 105 and the Tamron 90mm macros as well. Yeah not having IS has really forced me to learn how to be stable, take lots of shots, and use my gorillapod lol. What's that old adage about getting good with more basic equipment so you can appreciate the nicer equipment? That said, the Tamron seems like an appealing upgrade between the 100mm canon and the 65mm so I might look into it myself.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2019 14:07
|
|
|
Slide rails vs using the focus ring when you're tripod mounted? What do ya'll prefer? I'm just using the focus ring, when I played around with a slide rail it felt like I was causing slight movements each time I made an adjustment, less so than adjusting the focus ring with the tripod head clamped down.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 28, 2019 13:19
|
|
|
Yeah, I'm talking stacking. I was doing some stacking practice last night with the tripod and was taking the shots by physically adjusting the focus ring and then lightly touching the camera screen instead of using the button to reduce any movement. The stack worked out well, I had really minimal alignment issues around the border that required extremely small cropping. I'll probably try the app though since it can do focus adjusting without any touching, that's cool. Now if only I could learn how to shoot and edit in a way that the fine white hairs on a leaf (sage, in this case) don't absorb so much light and wash out the rest of the leaf. The flash was overexposing everything so I worked with natural light since the sun was shining directly on my subject.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 28, 2019 16:14
|
|
|
Time to rez this thread again... what's the preferred macro lens with IS for under $500 on a canon platform these days? Hoping to make an upgrade before a trip to Costa Rica in January, my current macro lens is an older 100mm without IS that I use on a tripod a lot. It's great, but I'd like to be more confident while hiking without having to use tripod. For that matter, anyone have suggestions for travel-friendly diffuser options?
|
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2019 20:13
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:With IS probably the Canon 100 f/2.8 L if you are shooting with high power flash for shake reduction IS is less important I've been liking the new Laowa 100mm 1x to 2x for flexibility it's manual focus and no IS though which doesn't really bother me when I shoot though I understand this is a personal choice. I use a flash with diffuser most of the time, but a lot of the time I'm handheld shooting on hikes and notice the lack of IS depending on what I'm doing. I might just grab a 100mm L but I'll check out the Laowa too.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2019 21:33
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:Do you know what flash on time you generally have? 1/4000+ is preferred. I don't, actually. It's a Canon Speedlite 580ex II, if that helps. I am admittedly not very good at adjusting settings on the flash yet, I haven't taken the time to teach myself everything I should have. I've had some issues getting overexposure as a result in some of my shots.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 14, 2019 21:40
|
|
|
Graniteman posted:These posts sound like you are still learning the ropes, so I'll give you the advice I'd give someone learning how to use their camera to take good macro shots. I apologize if I'm misreading it and you have more advanced skills and are really trying to deliberately blend natural light and flash exposures for creative purposes. I'd definitely say I'm still learning. I was getting into it a lot more some months back, and then got really busy with life stuff between work and buying a house, and haven't been able to do any shooting for a couple months but things are slowing down a little so I should be able to start practicing more. I'm still learning about stuff like the sunny 16 and all that and I learn better by going out and doing it. I've been doing some shooting with the flash, and some without, depending on the situation. I've either been doing some backyard shooting for practice, or taking the camera around with me on hikes where lighting is not always a sure thing. I'll start tweaking my flash settings when I get a chance in the evenings using the method you mentioned. With winter rolling around I wanted to try some more indoor controlled setting shots so that'll be helpful. I've gotten some shots I really liked with decent lighting while on hikes but it's frustrating having it be so dependent on the sun so I really want to get this flash thing down. I think I was thinking a lot about getting and L lens with IS so I could have the option, but I want to get good with the equipment I have as well. Thanks for the advice!
|
|
#
¿
Oct 16, 2019 17:06
|
|
|
Do you have any kind of rule of thumb or formula for adjusting your settings while using a flash outdoors, given the mixed nature of natural light? Living in the mountains, I might have full on sunlight, total shade, or a mix depending on the day and hike. I really should get a side bracket or something for my flash and a better diffuser. Everything seems to be DIY with everyone doing it differently.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 17, 2019 16:03
|
|
|
Alright, ya'll please share you favorite DIY diffuser setups. I'm going to quit being lazy and finally put one together since I'm also hoping to get some magnification set up. I've been using an off-shoe flash for the last year, and it's ok, but as I've gotten a little better at this I'm noticing the limitations more and more. Have a dragonfly for your troubles.  Brown-Dragonfly by Kevin Long, on Flickr
|
|
#
¿
Aug 3, 2020 15:36
|
|
|
Some fun stuff from the garden hanging out on the sunflowers:  Mantis-on-sunflower by Kevin Long, on Flickr Mantis-head by Kevin Long, on Flickr
|
|
#
¿
Aug 10, 2020 18:58
|
|
|
Has anyone tried using the raynox dcr-250 on a macro lens out in the field, handheld? I am curious to get one so I can get those real up close bug eyeball shots and the like, but I'm reading about how it really closes up your field of depth. I do all my shooting handheld, is it worth doing if that's what I want to keep doing and don't usually do much focus stacking? I'm also in the market to replace this ancient 100mm f/2.8 lens, it jams up when fully retracted and feels like it's starting to have issues when I turn the ring. Have to start looking at Canon options to upgrade.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2020 17:08
|
|
|
Yeah I figured there's no real way to get away from the narrower DoF. I guess my main worry was that the DoF would get so small that stacking becomes necessary, and getting more than a couple stackable shots can be harder when going handheld out in the field. The raynox just seemed like a very simple solution to get some magnification and ive seen some nice shots with it. I'm not super attached to 100mm, I considered getting something a little wider. Thanks for the info.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2020 18:36
|
|
|
I thought I had given a set of extension tubes to my nephew but it turns out I still have them  Maybe I'll try playing with that before I look at the raynox as a way to magnify. The main appeal was the small size of the raynox compared to tubes but I can make do for the time being. So that I don't keep posting without contributing photos, some single shot stuff i got with the 100mm:  Bumblebee-on-a-spiky-flower by Kevin Long, on Flickr Blue-Dasher by Kevin Long, on Flickr black-jumping-spider by Kevin Long, on Flickr
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2020 21:40
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:Nice shots, what's making you think you need more magnification? I just want the option to get all up in them eyes I'm not unhappy with what I can do now, just looking at things that will give me more tools/options to play with is all.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2020 22:40
|
|
|
Graniteman posted:When I was first doing macro I experimented with lots of tubes and reversed lenses and stuff. I was trying to get more magnification without realizing that mostly what I needed was to get closer. I will take this and jarly's advice to heart and work on trying to just get closer. It's really frustrating with some of the flies/dragonflies, especially the smaller more dainty flies I find in the garden, especially since I've been doing off-shoe handheld flash. I'm getting a real diffuser going soon so that'll hopefully help.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 26, 2020 01:38
|
|
|
Another question I'm wondering as I try to progress: how often are some of you manually adjusting your flash settings? I just leave mine on ETTL based on some general advice I was given here a while back, and adjust my f stops and shutter speed manually. Generally works fine that way for someone at my level, but I'm wondering if I couldn't be getting more use out of it. Also I took everyone's advice of "just get closer" to some results I was happy with on this cross orb weaver. It is kind of frustrating how saving things for sharing on the web seems to mess with colors and brightness a bit, but:  Back-Porch-Spider by Kevin Long, on Flickr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 1, 2020 21:40
|
|
|
Interesting. I have been using a handheld with a soft box around it so maybe that's part of it. I really need to educate myself on flash settings then, because I am getting a diffuser very soon.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2020 00:02
|
|
|
jarlywarly posted:What's your edit process? One thing to be wary of is auto white balance with macro flash (auto anything should be used with caution, although I tend to use ETTL more often, subject dependent though) the camera has a tendency towards being too warm when shooting macro flash, obviously shooting RAW solves the issue but you need to remember to adjust it in post processing. RAW is essential for macro flash really you need those highlights reducing all the time and shadows etc. I'm pretty amateur at editing obviously but I've been shooting in RAW+jpg and editing the RAW files using Lightroom, turning the knobs here and there until I'm satisfied. Then I export it to PS and save it with legacy web settings since I can't find an option to do that in LR. Do ya'll have a rule of thumb for when you switch to manual flash settings vs ETTL? What manual flash settings are you using with your diffuser?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2020 13:50
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 21, 2024 11:44 |
|
|
jarlywarly posted:
I didn't know this was a thing, I might do that some. I have been saving and emailing edited photo's to myself as a jpg to post on instagram, but I started a flickr just to post a few photos in this thread. Before covid, I was planning to attend some evening classes at the community college on learning how to use your camera better, and they had another on editing. Since that didn't happen I've just been googling/asking questions here and just making things happen by experimenting.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 2, 2020 15:45
|
|