Macro pictures
in [Digital Cameras]
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From: mark.worthington on 9 Mar 2005 06:50 Hi everyone, Could the group please advise on how to get really close up photos of insects and suchlike so for example a wasps head fills the frame? Can any of the macro functions on consumer/prosumer compacts do this or is a special macro lens needed and if so which would be best? Thanks Mark
From: Joseph Meehan on 9 Mar 2005 08:17 mark.worthington wrote: > Hi everyone, > > Could the group please advise on how to get really close up photos of > insects and suchlike so for example a wasps head fills the frame? Can > any of the macro functions on consumer/prosumer compacts do this or > is a special macro lens needed and if so which would be best? > > Thanks > > Mark Yes and Yes. To get a wasps head you are getting into the micro not macro range. That is you are looking for greater than 1:1 image size. To do that right requires some expensive equipment. I doubt if any of the macro zooms on a compact is going to do much good. The best compromise would be a dSLR with a real macro lens maybe with an extension tube to allow even closer focusing. Even with the multiplier effect of most dSLRs I suggest you will want something in the 90-200mm range. Anything else will be too close to the subject to allow easy lighting. -- Joseph Meehan 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math
From: Tumbleweed on 9 Mar 2005 08:29 "mark.worthington" <mark.worthington(a)ntlworld.com> wrote in message news:41FABDED.77530E9D(a)ntlworld.com... > Hi everyone, > > Could the group please advise on how to get really close up photos of > insects and suchlike so for example a wasps head fills the frame? Can > any of the macro functions on consumer/prosumer compacts do this or is a > special macro lens needed and if so which would be best? If you want to fill the frame with a wasp's head you are going to need bellows and a proper macro lens. To get the depth of field you will need to shut down to f32 - f45 which implies specialist lighting and a robust tripod. (You can get passable images by reversing a standard lens on tubes or bellows ... but you won't win any prizes.) If you are slightly less ambitious then you can get 1:1.5 ratio pics with Canon's 65mm macro ... at a price. (because of the restricted FOV on digital cameras this would actually be a greater enlargement) There are many good 1:1 macro lenses around and for insect photography you should be looking at 90 - 180mm lenses. The Tamron 90 is outstanding, as are the offerings from the big names. At 50mm the Sigma EX is exceptional, but the focal length is a tad short for insects. Lighting and minute depth of field will be your main bugbears :o)
From: Rick on 9 Mar 2005 09:48 mark.worthington wrote: > Could the group please advise on how to get really close up photos of > insects and suchlike so for example a wasps head fills the frame? Can > any of the macro functions on consumer/prosumer compacts do this or is a > special macro lens needed and if so which would be best? I can get good results with my minolta Z2, stop down as far as you can (in my case a pathetic f8), manually focus, plenty of light and a tripod. If your after bugs, you can slow them down by putting then in the fridge for a few mins, overdo it and you get dead bugs (which can be impossible to get into a natural pose). Just be aware that they warm up quick. -- Rick Digital Printing www.intelligence-direct.com - 01270 215550
From: Tumbleweed on 9 Mar 2005 09:52
"M-M" <nospam(a)ny.more> wrote in message news:nospam-DD91B7.09302709032005(a)netaxs.com.client.newsread.com... > Like this?: > > http://www.mhmyers.com/990/digs/waspmom.jpg > > (taken with a plain old Nikon 990) > > m-m It's a nice picture that could obviously be taken with pretty well any old camera. It is not macro. It is not 1:1 or anything like. It may well be a picture of a wasp's head, but the head doesn't fill the frame as the poster requested. Nice picture :o) But irrelevant. |