macro lenses

[eeyore7360nc]

Thanks for the input. I have a feeling this will be my birthday present to myself.

 

[AKVTiger]

Thanks for the input. I have a feeling this will be my birthday present to myself.

You will enjoy it!

 

[dreamstone]

Hi All,

Im doing a photography studio shoot next week and i need a Lens that would be able to get very close to a human eye but still keep excellent image quality preferably an EFS Lens as i prefer the way they feel and there prices are more in my budget than the l-Series lenses

 

[dreamstone]

Hi All,

Need help regarding macro photography?I need to take ultra sharp macro photos of objects as close as 1mm or maybe less.My dsc-hx1 goes as close as 0.4 inches but i need a good combination of a dslr camera and an affordable macro lens with performance better than dsc hx1. I also need to know the difference between 50mm,100mm,105mm macro lenses and how to assess their power.thanks

 

[photo_chick]

Look at the ratio for the lens... 1:1 is traditionally macro, though it's evolved to mean 1:4 or larger on the film plane. So the closer that ratio is to 1:1, which is life size on a 35mm film plane, the better. Macro isn't about how close you can physically get to the object, but how the lens magnifies it.

And as far as ultra sharp... that will cost you some $$$ and affordable may not be an option, depending on your definitions of affordable and ultra sharp.

 

[photo_chick]

A standard 50mm is traditionally considered a magnification closest to the human eye. Macro is actually a larger magnification than the human eye sees.

People will muddy this up with the crop factor, and that starts a whole other debate about the crop factor being magnification versus enlargement.

EF-S lenses are not labeled that because of their quality, but because they only fit on crop cameras. There are entry level ones with poorer image quality and there are some that are better. EF lenses also have some lenses that are better than others. They fit both crop cameras and full frame cameras. L series fit both and are the best glass Canon makes.

 

[ssanders79]

I need to take ultra sharp macro photos...

The best advice is use a tripod and remote shutter.

 

[zackiedawg]

Also to clarify a few things: Why do you need to get so close? Are you trying to get something small to fill the frame, or do you have limited space in which to work? If the goal is to get small things really big, then getting closer isn't necessarily what you need - getting a close-up lens can help stand farther away while getting more magification power.

Also, do note that macro is sometimes harder than people expect with a DSLR, because a DSLR with a dedicated macro lens, especially one at 1:1 ratio, has an unbelievably small depth of field. With a bug just 1/2 centimeter long, focusing on the eye at F8 could have the body and antennae be completely out of focus. It's that shallow. Even stopping down to F11-15 is still very narrow DOF, and now you're dealing with slow shutter requiring either a flash, a tripod and still subject, or high ISO.

Many macro DSLR shooters of very small objects end up stacking multiple shots at different focal distances in post processing to get more of the small object in focus.

With a P&S camera, especially one with a small sensor, the depth of field is much larger and more foregiving...so when doing macro work, even with a closeup lens, you can often shoot at fairly large apertures and still keep a smaller subject completely in focus. Strange as it seems, P&S cameras really aren't a bad choice for macro - at least up until the extreme pro level with dedicated macro flash systems, diffusers and softboxes, tripod mounts with rail focus systems, good lenses, and lots of software to process, stack, blend, etc. For the average hobbyist looking to take macros for fun or general display, ultrazoom P&S cameras can sometimes actually be a better choice. Pair a Sony H5, Panasonic FZ20, or Canon S3IS with a closeup lens, and you're ready to shoot - and with the big zoom and closeup lens, you can get frame-filling shots at reasonable shooting distances some inches away rather than right on top of the subject.

Just some ideas to throw around your head! If your reasons or needs are different, ignore what I said!

 

[NonaMannequin]

Hi All,

Need help regarding macro photography?I need to take ultra sharp macro photos of objects as close as 1mm or maybe less.My dsc-hx1 goes as close as 0.4 inches but i need a good combination of a dslr camera and an affordable macro lens with performance better than dsc hx1. I also need to know the difference between 50mm,100mm,105mm macro lenses and how to assess their power.thanks

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

1mm! Wow, I have a buddy who shoots with older Minolta stuff that ended up buying a very high end Microscope and adapted it for film and eventually Digital. He is as close as he neeeds to get and gets wicked pics of bacteria and anything else he can zoom in on.

 

[photo_chick]

Macro is not about distance to the subject. It's about magnification on the film plane.

True macro is a 1:1 magnification. This means that the subject is life size on a 35mm film plane. The definition has evolved to mean life sized on a 4x6 print, which is about 1:4. Crop cameras have also decreased the ratio slightly according to some because of their slightly smaller sensor size.

That ratio, 1:4, or better is what you want to look at on your lens rather than the focal length. The closer you get to 1:1. the better. If you go over, like 1:2, the image will be larger than life.

You can also fudge macro if you have a high enough megapixel count to crop in on your image. While you loose some image quality doing this, it does give you a larger subject on your final image.

I've been out in the sun all day so I hope that was a coherent explanation.

edited to add... as a point of reference, the Canon MP-E 65mm, which is a lens that is only used for macro shooting, magnifies from 1 to 5 times life size. But it's minnimum focusing distance is .24 meters.

Why is it that you need to be so close to your subject?

 

[Groucho]

If you're looking for affordability, the way to go is probably a bellows setup. Get a bellows and you can make almost any lens focus ridiculously close. They're not very practical to use but they get the job done.

 

[Altair]

Other options are close-up lenses, which are screwed onto your lens like filters and can be stacked or extension tubes which can be used the same way, but attach between the lens and camera.

 

[VVFF]

Hope you guys enjoy

 

[DznyFan]

Beautiful!

 

[Spinning]

very nice! Especially the dandylion! Makes me ahhhh why did I kill them all??? LOL!

 

[baseballmom51]

very nice shots, I love the lady bug and the spider web, something beautiful out of some thing normally annoying

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Very Nice! What set up did you use to capture those images?

 

[VVFF]

Very Nice! What set up did you use to capture those images?

Almost all, except the ladybug, were taken with a tripod. All used a Canon 50D w/ 100mm F2.8L IS lens. All were natural light outdoors.

 

[aggielawyer]

I love the colors in the ladybug pic. Thanks for sharing!