First Macro lens ordered, what else do I need to get up close?

TimmyG said:
I suppose it might be possible to scratch the lens coatings, but I think it would take a fair bit of abuse to do this.
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....I have seen a video where a Canon lens was intentionally scratched and photos taken with it before and after its ordeal and the images did not suffer! However, I still don't abuse my camera gear.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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Close up lenses and alike a poorly recommendable but I
can point towards extension tubes!
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These were taken using the Raynox 150, a superb and inexpensive macro conversion lens which personally, I would recommend.

Fly.jpg Hoverfly.jpg
 
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smr said:
Thanks for the suggestion.

The lens arrived this morning - fantastic delivery from Amazon as it did say it was coming Thurs, then Weds, then an email to say today! Saver delivery.

Anyway, I've just unboxed the lens, unfortunately the packaging, even though all through Amazon, wasn't brilliant - they'd not really put enough of that brown paper in the box to stop the sigma box from moving around. The lens when I pick it up makes a bit of movement inside, is that normal? Like I can feel something rattling a bit but it's not rattling loads? What could that be? Hope its not faulty.
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Funnily enough I have just purchased the Sigma 105mm macro lens from Amazon, and had the same lack of packaging. Sent a complaint in the hope they wont ship delicate equipment in that same shoddy fashion
 
When I received my Sigma 150-600 from them it wasn't even 'signed for', the postman just left it in the garden :/
 
odd jim said:
When I received my Sigma 150-600 from them it wasn't even 'signed for', the postman just left it in the garden :/
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Strange that you are having problems with deliveries from Amazon. The last half dozen deliveries I have had from them have all been via currier and signed for, in fact the last one arrived on a Sunday afternoon at about 4:00 pm.
 
killwilly said:
Strange that you are having problems with deliveries from Amazon. The last half dozen deliveries I have had from them have all been via currier and signed for, in fact the last one arrived on a Sunday afternoon at about 4:00 pm.
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That's what I used to get. The last two expensive photography items (combined, we're talking £1.5k worth!) were Royal Mail tracked, not even 'signed for'. My postie is a tool as well, can't be arsed to actually walk down my drive so he leans over the fence and leaves it all there!! At least he's stopped throwing it from the fence into the porch, small mercies.
 
A good sturdy heavy tripod and do your research! Macro is way way tougher than I ever thought it was.

OS also barely helps unless it's not 1:1

On the packaging note I agree and it cracks me up, us guys package things better than the big companies selling new
 
F/1.4 said:
A good sturdy heavy tripod and do your research! Macro is way way tougher than I ever thought it was.

OS also barely helps unless it's not 1:1

On the packaging note I agree and it cracks me up, us guys package things better than the big companies selling new
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OS does help me, but then I've never used a tripod! A tripod is completely impracticable if you're shooting bugs etc when you're actually focusing by moving minutely forwards and backwards for example, but anything static it helps of course.
 
It depends on the subject! Macro isn't just bugs lol ;)
 
The closer you get to your subject the less effective the stabiliser is and at 1:1 it is pretty much useless in my experience !
 
odd jim said:
OS does help me, but then I've never used a tripod! A tripod is completely impracticable if you're shooting bugs etc when you're actually focusing by moving minutely forwards and backwards for example, but anything static it helps of course.
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It does help sometimes. I've used a tripod and shot a tiny spider with a 20x microscope lens on the front of a Laowa 60mm UM. It was a bit of a one off but no way to hand hold at 20x plus magnification. I've also used a tripod to shoot a spider in it's web and flowers and only shoot on a tripod in the studio. If the bugs are stationary and not too skittish I try to use a tripod and my Velbon Supermag slider, which allows me to move the lens back and forth at small increments. Not terribly helpful for bugs that don't sit still, though.
 
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Maybe it's just me, I only ever use tripods for night shots, everything else I do handheld :)
 
odd jim said:
Maybe it's just me, I only ever use tripods for night shots, everything else I do handheld :)
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Yeah, many do. Pop a 10-20x microscope lens on the front of one of your macro lenses and you'll soon be converted. :D

That should have said SuperMag Slider above, as opposed to the auto-correct's "Superman Slider". :wacky:
 
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I only use a tripod for macro when indoors, but find a monopod very useful when photographing bugs and flower outside. Rocking backwards and forwards with the monopod allows pretty accurate focusing.
 
Promise not to laugh, one of the best investments for outdoor macro IMVHO.....is the.....Rubber Kneeling Pad....... :exit:
 
Get plenty of practice. I though it had a steady hand until I tried macro. As said above even 4 stop IS doesn't help that much as you get closer. As you add more extension tubes you or close up lenses to allow you to get closer you can get so close that you start blocking out the light on the subject.

Try several methods. I don't use a tripod, have tried to learn to rock into focus, but I can see its use on subjects that are happy to sit for you. Not every subject is going to be in a position where you can get easy access and as you hold the camera further away from you so it gets harder.

The best investment I made and one that made a huge difference to my images was buying a ring flash. Yes they can give hot spots but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in my view. I've since made a diffuser for it and that has improved it further.

There are some pretty neat set ups in the macro thread and I tried a small flash on an arm initially but found it a little unwieldy. If you go down the flashgun route then try and keep it simple and compact. The last thing you need is to be faffing about adjusting flash angles etc when you're trying to get the shot.
 
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