equipment for macro, advice needed

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ctheobald

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Chris Theobald
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Hi,

I'm just about to buy a Canon 40D with the kit lens for general shooting but really want to get into macro photography. Specifically I want to shoot flowers as I grow loads in my garden. I'm also considering purchasing the Canon 100mm macro lens and a mini tripod (Velbon Ultra Maxi?). For best results do I also need a macro ring flash (MR -14EX) or could I get away with using a Speedlite 580 ex11..or even some general desk lights? Are there any decent books/dvds which I could read to get more of a detailed knowledge of the subject? Ultimately I'd like to mount my pictures on canvas. Any advice would be really helpful.

Chris :)
 
sounds like an expensive month for you.

hi welcome to the forums:wave:
 
Thanks, I've been saving for quite a while but I can see I won't be buying all this in one go. I use a 10D and a 17-40L lens as part of my job and was initially looking at the 400D/450d but when I went into Jessops to get a feel of the 400d the whole thing felt so lightweight and plasticy..especially the 18-55mm kit lens.
 
I was using this arrangement for macro flash for ages before I got the Canon MT24-EX and it gives good results, but I found you did need to diffuse the light as shown.

Macro_setup.jpg


Macro lights are very convenient and make life much easier , but they can tend to produce very flat light - ring lights are worst in this respect.
 
Hi Chris, welcome to the forums.
I have the 100mm macro and the MT24-EX and the 580EXII and out of the 2 I prefer the lighting from the 580EXII with that lens, the MT24 is a very harsh light. The Canon 100mm macro is an excellent lens.
 
Thanks for the advice. CT, where can I buy a diffuser like the one you show on that photo? Would it be useful for shooting macro indoors. If I turn down the power of the flash or bounce it (indoors) would a get similar results?
 
That diffuser is the Gary Fong Diffuser, which works really well but is a bit of a rip off to be honest at around 50 quid. There's an exact copy which is no doubt just as good which you can pick up off ebay - I can't remember what it's called - someone please remind me. :thinking:

Turning down the flash power is OK, but the problem there is you really need small apertures for macro, so if you turn down the power it may struggle to put out the light at very small apertures, so I'd opt for some sort of diffuser or bounced flash if it's possible to set it up.
 
At the risk of repeating myself, below is the text of an answer I posted previously about macro work.

“Extension tubes are great for occasional use but they do reduce light reaching the film/sensor plane and they are not quite as sharp as dedicated macro lens.
The other thing about a macro lens is it can be used as a normal lens, I have a 55mm Micro Nikkor which I use as a standard, a 90 or 100mm lens would make a great portrait lens.
As a rule of thumb a 50mm is great for inanimate objects (good depth of field), 100mm is good for things that bite (twice the working distance but less DoF) and 180mm is for things which are venomous (the greatest working distance but the least DoF).
I hope this helps.”

In addition you will need a tripod. A flexible one such as a Benbo or Gitzo explorer would be ideal as an alternative choice a Manfrotto 190/055XPRO has a center column which can be used at 45 degrees.

Ring flash units are good for “record” shots but don’t offer to much creativity. Try a standard flash with a softening attachment used from one side on a cable possibly with a reflector on the other side to soften shadows. Pretty much the outfit CT used in fact!
 
CT said:
That diffuser is the Gary Fong Diffuser, which works really well but is a bit of a rip off to be honest at around 50 quid. There's an exact copy which is no doubt just as good which you can pick up off ebay - I can't remember what it's called - someone please remind me. :thinking:
Click to expand...

Lambency is the name and there are loads on ebay
 
That's really helpful...one further question. Why will I need a tripod for outdoor work? Is it just to frame the subject better. Presumably you wouldn't be working at low shutter speeds as any slight wind would have the potential to blur your subject.
 
The tripod is pretty much an essential for macro work. Not because of the shutter speeds so much as the very shallow depth of field. If you get too much movement back and forwards then your subject is moving in and out of your focal plane.
A mistake I have made too many times. Hand holding while shooting macro is a real pain!
And the Canon 100mm macro is a real dream, you'll love it!
 
AliB said:
The tripod is pretty much an essential for macro work. Not because of the shutter speeds so much as the very shallow depth of field. If you get too much movement back and forwards then your subject is moving in and out of your focal plane.
A mistake I have made too many times. Hand holding while shooting macro is a real pain!
And the Canon 100mm macro is a real dream, you'll love it!
Click to expand...

Never a truer word said, but don't spoil it, I rocked back and forth all afternoon today :) taking my shots! :cuckoo:
 
Thanks again for the brilliant advice, I've learnt so much already and I haven't even got my hands on the lens yet! The Forum has also alerted me to that kerso chap and he's selling the Canon 100mm lens for over £100 less that Jessops! I'm awaiting the arrival of the elite training video for the 40D. The clips I've seen on youtube look really informative and user friendly.
Chris
 
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