Macro photography and is accessible to anyone and is one of the most popular photographic styles
There is something very enjoyable getting close to a object and looking at it close up , you see things that you have never seen before because the naked eye might have missed it or is just not been able too see all the detail a camera can see .
So macro is full of surprises you never know what your going to get until you look though that view finder
Most digital cameras have a macro mode even some mobile phones have one too so everybody can get close up and get good results
Whether done with a manual or digital camera, macro photography pictures can reflect the beauty of an insect, small coin, flower, or any other small and overlooked item.
The beauty of this sort of photography is that you can experiment in a very limited space
I took a few macro shots using my digital Kodak camera here is a few examples
A SMALL SLUG
A FLY
By using macro mode on your camera you can get up close up
The main symbol for macro on a camera is tulip icon , this mode will automatic set the camera to a close up setting
This mode will let you focus on something close to the lens many allow the photographer to shoot less than 10cm from the picture subject
Owners of DSLRS have macro settings that allow for close up work
Most DSLRs include a close-up setting on their picture mode dials
They also have the benefit of being able to buy special macro lenses
A lot of zoom lenses have a macro function you mite not be able to get as close up as a prime macro lens but you can still get good results , here is a example of a macro shot just using my 55-250mm zoom lens
Macro lens
A macro lens is a expensive lens but most can uncover detail that would be impossible to detect by the eye and give new perspective to extremely minute subjects such as insects or the petals of a small flower
A macro lens is merely a regular lens with a greater than normal extension capability built-in
Most macro prime lenses can focus down to 1:2 or 1:1 reproduction (ie life size)
and come typically in focal lengths ranging from 50 to 200mm
Advantages
- Excellent quality
- Convenient
- Can be used as regular lenses as well
Disadvantages
I have a 60 mm macro lens and have got up and close up with it
Cheaper methods of getting macro results
Extension tubes
Extension tubes or extension rings are hollow tubes designed for use in macro photography.
The tubes are usually supplied in a set of three lengths ( eg 12mm, 20/25mm and 36mm) and fit between the camera and lens to offer a choice of macro magnifications.
The tube contains no glass inside
its sole purpose is to move the lens farther away the sensor , the farther away the closer the focus will be and the greater the magnification A problem with these is the loss of light
You can mount the tubes between lens and camera body to get your choice of macro ranges
Advantages
- Relatively inexpensive
- Relatively compact and easy to carry
- No added glass layers
Disadvantages
- Not all tubes retain metering or aperture
- Must refocus if you zoom
- Difficult to get the length you want
I have a cheap set of extension tubes and he is a example of
how far they can focus too as you add each tube together
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| Original with 50mm lens |
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| With 9mm tube |
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| with 9mm plus 16mm |
Bellows
The bellow is an extender which is inserted between the lens and the camera body and lengthens the distance between your lens and the sensor improving the ease and accuracy of macro photography.
I have not used bellows myself but I'm sure you good get great results
They allow you to smoothly and constantly adjust the distance between your camera and the object you want to photograph.
Advantages
- Great flexibility — variable length extension
- Easy way to get a lot of extension
Disadvantages
- Expensive
- Bulky
- Cumbersome to use
- Does not couple metering or aperture
They are a step up from extension rings and are good for anyone wishing to take extremely close-up pictures
Telephoto extender
A 1.4× or 2× telephoto extender gives a larger image, adding macro capabilities. As with an extension tube, less light will reach the film or sensor, and a longer exposure time will be needed. However, working distance remains the same as without the teleconverter.
I have not got a Telelphoto extender but its a good simple way to get closer to your subject
Advantages
Disadvantages
- Useful, but somewhat limited for true macro
A teleconverter is a tube that extends the focal length of your lens. For example if you placed a 1.4x teleconverter onto your camera with a 400mm telephoto lens, then it would create similar effects to using a 560mm lens
Reversing a lens
Reversing a regular or shorter lens on top of a longer lens in theory optimizes it for greater magnification simply by reversing the path of light through its elements
To do this you can buy a macro coupler, which screws into the filter threads on the front of the two lenses to join them mechanically
Advantages
- Easy way to get to high magnification
- May work with lenses you already have
Disadvantages
- Possible vignetting
- Not all combinations work well
I have never used this method but i have seen good results on websites
Close up diopter
I have a set of these filters x1 x2 x4 x10
These handy lens accessories essentially are nothing more than magnifying glasses you screw onto the front of your lens that allow you to get closer
Advantages
- Inexpensive
- Compact — fits easily in camera bag
- Works with the lenses you already have
Disadvantages
- Not quite as good as a true macro lens
I have a set of these filters x1 x2 x4 x10 and they are one of my favourite ways to take macro shots
I think they work better on a prime lens because the quality of the lens
and on a zoom you would need to refocus after zooming
Here is me using my 50mm with a 10x macro filter screwed on
I'm using all manual settings also manual focusing
I have a hot shoe lead to my flash gun to help with exposure
First i got low to the ground and set my lens to manual focus and spot metering to capture the Lady bird , I used a Aperture of f/10 to get the whole ladybird in focus and negative space became out of focus
I used a shutter speed of 1/60 sec and had my camera handheld with a ISO of 100 to get the best quality image
I could use my flash gun on the left hand side by using my hot shoe adaptor lead
Composition
I got down low angle to get a view of the lady bird walking towards me I wanted to capture the lady bird sharp so i metered using spot and set the AF point to the center and metered onto the face of the ladybird to get a good depth of Field .
Ladybird
Canon 450d
Lens 50mm
filter 10x
Shutter speed 1/80 sec
Aperture f/9
ISO 100
Metering Spot
flash gun used
Conclusion
No reason you can't use both extension tubes and diopters or any combination of macro equipment . Part of the fun is trying different combinations.
Macro photography is about getting close to the image and getting a good composition , the sharpness of the image has to be very good . Also ambient light will be not as good because of the apertures involved
so added light will help improve your shots .
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