- Location
- Wasatch Range
Nice!
Experimenting with macro
- Thread starter asp
- Start date
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NAXJA Member #135
- Location
- Albuquerque, NM
I hate to admit it but I have had better luck doing macro with my pocket cam than with my D700/105mm Micro combo. My problem is with the short depth of field at close distances. A smaller sensor gives a greater dof than a larger one and I hate having my macro subjects blurry. Check out this broken valve spring, it is 1 inch in diameter, my LX-3 was set to 1/30 @ f/4.5:
This toad was done with my 105mm at f/36.
The dof is barely sufficient for my tastes, luckily my little amphibious buddy posed in a position that didn't demand more from me. If you like doing macro I would suggest a pocket cam with a hotshoe. They will give more depth of field than a DSLR. The ability to hold the camera at an arm's length helps with composition when your subject won't come to you and a hotshoe will let you add enough of your own light to maximize your dof. The valve spring was lit by a 1500 watt halogen work light from one side and a speedlight with a 1/4 CTO gel on an off camera sync cord from the other.
This toad was done with my 105mm at f/36.
The dof is barely sufficient for my tastes, luckily my little amphibious buddy posed in a position that didn't demand more from me. If you like doing macro I would suggest a pocket cam with a hotshoe. They will give more depth of field than a DSLR. The ability to hold the camera at an arm's length helps with composition when your subject won't come to you and a hotshoe will let you add enough of your own light to maximize your dof. The valve spring was lit by a 1500 watt halogen work light from one side and a speedlight with a 1/4 CTO gel on an off camera sync cord from the other.
asp
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Westport, MA
Cool shots (I especially like the frog) and neat shooting technique.
For shooting the frog, I would have been tempted to use my 70-300mm VR stopped down to f/8ish and a maybe a 36mm extension tube. Not sure how I would have done the valve spring...
Shallow DOF is something I think everyone that shoots macro fights. I find, a lot of macro subjects are small enough to effectively be 2D so a shallow DOF can work. Your picture of the frog and mine of the butterflies are examples of situations that are definitively not 2D, though.
For shooting the frog, I would have been tempted to use my 70-300mm VR stopped down to f/8ish and a maybe a 36mm extension tube. Not sure how I would have done the valve spring...
Shallow DOF is something I think everyone that shoots macro fights. I find, a lot of macro subjects are small enough to effectively be 2D so a shallow DOF can work. Your picture of the frog and mine of the butterflies are examples of situations that are definitively not 2D, though.
- Location
- Wasatch Range
Here's a couple that I shot last year. Both are in natural lighting, post sundown.
Camera was tripod mounted and I used a timed shutter release to minimize movement.
Camera was tripod mounted and I used a timed shutter release to minimize movement.