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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Macro techniques
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Showing posts 26 - 50 of 53, (reverse)
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 11/08/2002 02:42:58 AM · #26
Originally posted by goodtempo:
Do any of you have a stand, tripod, technique to hold the camera directly over and close to the subject? Whatever I try I either can't get close enough to the subject or something gets in the way. I'm trying to point the camera straight down and close to the subject.
I have a tripod but the center post is over 12 inches long and that keeps the camera way to far from the subject

Close the tripod and lay it on its side? Similarly for a monopod.
You could get a broomhandle, and glue a 1/4 inch whitworth thread bolt into the top. Thats how I made my monopod.
Ive also got a couple of extremly cheap tabletop tripods that are good for ground level stuff.

Tripod wise, Ive got a Uniloc tripod, which is great for this weeks challenge. Shame about the weather here, its been raining for the last week.
 11/08/2002 03:55:48 AM · #27
The best thing for this is to get a tripod with a reversable
center column so that you can suspend the camera from it, rather
than sitting it on top...
 11/08/2002 04:25:02 AM · #28
you can get something called a copy stand for pretty cheap. i know kodak makes them for less than $20. They're specifically for the purpose of reproducing flat documents and let your camera point straight down without any obstructions.

do a search on google.
:)


 11/08/2002 07:47:28 AM · #29
Cool, great ideas! Thanks.
 11/08/2002 09:46:54 AM · #30
I'm excited - way to go dpchallenge! This is all so educational. I've just joined and I know I'm going to learn a lot by having weekly challenges. I set my camera to take 640 x 480 pics with approx. 70 KB file size in order to meet requirements, instead of cropping. Had to use F5.6 --- now it's back to the camera to see if I can get more DOF.
 11/08/2002 10:43:25 AM · #31
you dont want to shoot at 640x480.

your pic will not be as sharp as if you shoot at higher res and then downsample. believe me.

also shooting at higher res gives you an advantage that if part of the frame is unusable, you can crop it out and still have a great picture.


Originally posted by cykhansen:
I'm excited - way to go dpchallenge! This is all so educational. I've just joined and I know I'm going to learn a lot by having weekly challenges. I set my camera to take 640 x 480 pics with approx. 70 KB file size in order to meet requirements, instead of cropping. Had to use F5.6 --- now it's back to the camera to see if I can get more DOF.


 11/08/2002 01:59:28 PM · #32
Originally posted by Gordon:
The best thing for this is to get a tripod with a reversable
center column so that you can suspend the camera from it, rather
than sitting it on top...

Thanks Gordon! After close inspection I now see that my tripod has a reversable center column and it works great! Duhhhh!
 11/08/2002 03:01:46 PM · #33
Mine isn't reversible. but it has a mounting screw affixed to the bottom of the column for essentially the same functionality, even though it's not quite as convenient.
 11/08/2002 03:44:21 PM · #34
The final crop can make your picture better than what it is, my example is my "On the Road" submission which was taken from this original. I didn't know at the time but I could have made the cropped version higher quality by not compressing it as much. It wasn't necesary because it was tooken from a small section of the original.
 11/08/2002 04:08:23 PM · #35
Jump in Kendall, with a 1,000mm lens and F64. You will never know how DPC voters will treat you unless you participate with photographs.
 12/01/2002 05:50:21 PM · #36
Originally posted by JEM:
Jump in Kendall, with a 1,000mm lens and F64. You will never know how DPC voters will treat you unless you participate with photographs.

I do participate with photographs? (1,000mm lens and F64) ha ha ha


12/23/2002 12:56:54 PM · #37
To get great closeups, I would recomend working with extension (SLR users) rather than close-up filters when possible. Filters are great for low light w/out flash because you loose no light but because they are glass, there is always a chance that you may be loosing image quality. With extension, there is no extra glass for light to travel through therefor you get a picture a good as your lense will permit. The downside is loss of light. A 52mm tube will lose about 2 stops of light so I always shoot with a mini-flash. A plus side to extension is that you can use them on any lense (close-up filters only come in select sizes.) When shooting w/ extension, set the focus ring to infiniti and focus by moving the camera/ lense combo back and forth until focused. A general rule for extension is magnification = extension in mm over focal length in mm. For example; for 1x you want a 50mm tube on a 50mm lense. Hope this helps.
 12/23/2002 05:10:34 PM · #38
I once used a very very rudimentary way of getting closer to my subject. I used a magnifying glass. The reason? Because I didn't have enough available light with me. I couldn't close the aperture much so I got a pretty unsharp picture. So while I am giving you this technique I'm not suggesting it. I thought it would come out cool but in the end it sucked and I was very disappointed with the results. I'm not bitter though:)
 12/23/2002 05:58:48 PM · #39
Here is my gallery of Macro and closeup shots. //www.pbase.com/davenit/macro_and_closeup

Some were shot with the 28-105 Canon. The zoom alows greater focusing ability. I love using my 70-200 with extension tubes. The Xbox game controller was shot using that lens with a 20mm tube. HUGE DOF can be obtained and I was shooting from around 2 feet. //www.pbase.com/image/9157585

I love macro and closeup photography for the abnormal. I don't have a single insect shot with my tubes or lens. I am more interested in the abnormal macro shot... LOL

Dave
 12/24/2002 02:29:11 AM · #40
Dave,

Some neat stuff in there. I have a question, though. The D30 has a reputation for low noise. However, I noticed a fair number of the shots were quite grainy. Is this because you were using a higher than usual ISO? Thanks,
Koliin
 12/24/2002 04:47:45 AM · #41
Hey Koliin...

I shoot at 100 always and there really is no grain in the shots. I just shot things that had grain in them... LOL... The Motorola cell phone is brushed aluminum (grain), the smile shots are a grained metallic surface, Casioframed is a grained plastic surface, Glass is a carving in glass so it is grained also.

The D-30 at 100 is real grainless unless you shoot stuff with grain in it. LOL!!!

Dave
 12/24/2002 11:16:29 AM · #42
haha, i see what you are saying. some real nice stuff in there. how did you light the penny in libertyframed.jpg?
 12/26/2002 09:42:14 AM · #43
Davenit...

great macros! i've been playing around with still life and macros now that winter has been here. do you crop some of your macros when using your 28-105? what macro lense do you use? how do you like your sigma wide angle (i'm think of getting the sigma 24-70 2.8EX)? I would love to see a "how'd they do that" on LibertyFramed.

12/26/2002 10:22:04 AM · #44
Magnetic9999 would love to tell you that it was some big huge planned out lighting thing but alas..LOL...

It was a weird reflection on the origninal shot (that was just meant as a macro test) and then I used some lighting filters in PS. The ends justify the means though I guess. One of my personal favorites.

By the way thanks...
 12/26/2002 10:25:57 AM · #45
Originally posted by bushfrenzy:
Davenit...

do you crop some of your macros when using your 28-105? what macro lense do you use? how do you like your sigma wide angle (i'm think of getting the sigma 24-70 2.8EX)? I would love to see a "how'd they do that" on LibertyFramed.


Bushfrenzy, I love my 28-105. Some have said it is the best 28-105 they have ever used. It is an amazing lens and one I am thrilled to own. It is incredibly sharp. I don't know why or how but I guess I just got lucky.

I love my 15-30 Sig. Best lens I own. I would recommend it to anyone out there.

I explained the Liberty shot in the post previous to this one. The funny thing about it is that the shot told me what to do to it. there was this strange reflection in exactly the area I put the lighting affect. It was weird when I was doing it. Lot's of fun!!!

Dave
 01/08/2003 05:07:58 AM · #46
Originally posted by jalexander:
A general rule for extension is magnification = extension in mm over focal length in mm. For example; for 1x you want a 50mm tube on a 50mm lense. Hope this helps.


Really , you have to take into account the "built in" focusing extension in the lens. A 50mm lens with a 50mm tube on it will be more than life size (1:1) magnification, a shorter tube + the built in extension might get you close, The nikon 50mm macro lens has a tube made for it. And the 50mm lens will have almost no working distances with a 50mm tube on it. I would put tubes on longer lenses like 180mm or 105mm or even a 200mm. That way you will have enough working distance to use a tripod or hand held with a flash on a bracket. And you can shoot macro wildlife without scaring it away. I have use a 52mm tube on 180mm and 80mm lenses with a manual flash on a bracket and got great results doing macro wildlife
 01/08/2003 10:32:07 AM · #47
I got incredible macro when I used film by purchasing a lens reversing ring. It threads on to the end of a lens and then flips the lens around and secured it to my camera backwards. The depth of field was extremely small but by playing with zoom and focus on the manual lenses you can get incredibly close to your subject. I've tried it on my G1 and it still works but because of the distance from the filter adapter to the sensor there are some vingetting issues. If you have a SLR try just holding a lens to your camera backwards and you can see what I mean. Rember to open the apeture way up to get all the light you can!


Hank
 03/29/2003 05:20:41 AM · #48
bump - as we have a macro challenge on, and I just ran into this.

Ed
 04/14/2003 03:44:32 AM · #49
hi all!

just a few reverse marcos.

//www.pbase.com/foto_oli/macro

//www.pbase.com/foto_oli/fly

Message edited by author 2003-04-14 07:48:30.
 12/20/2003 04:25:27 PM · #50
Bump...for the current macro challenge. By the way, anyone have idea for an adjustable platform to allow you to adjust the height of an object for macro shots?
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