First time Macro

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doug_1986

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Doug
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Hi there,

I'm new to this forum and fairly new to photography, so go easy on me!

I got a Canon 600D and a few lenses about 6 weeks ago, and have been playing around with it. Not exactly sure what sort of subject I intend to shoot the most, just thought I'd try it all and see what I like.

Anyway, I tried to do some stuff with close-up work the other day and the lenses I have just wouldn't focus when I went in close, so didn't work that well. Decided to buy myself a 90mm Tamron macro lens yesterday which should turn up in a few days.

Really just wondering if there's anything else you all think I may need? Also any hints and tips on where I should start with it?

Thanks!
 
A tripod, some paper and tin foil for reflectors, a nice vase, some large sheets of paper in various colours for backgrounds and some flowers as well as other interesting objects to practice and play on. Keep it cheap for now, use daylight from windows etc or bounced flash to keep it softly lit.
 
Hi Al,

Thanks, good tips there! I currently don't have a tripod, so I guess I should probably see if I can pick one up. Nothing too expensive though! Would one of those Gorillapod ones suit? I haven't tried them but they seem sort of stiff
 
I don't really like using tripods but when I do I want to be able to get the positioning that I want. I therefore find that the only tripod I'm happy with is a Benbo.

You could check them and Uniloc out as it's possible to position the camera in almost any position and that can be important when shooting macro.
 
They do look really nice, but kinda expensive for me! Benbo Mini Trekker for £65 seems to be about the cheapest... i was thinking more like £15! Perhaps after a few goes I'll appreciate the need for something better
 
Ok cool, may pop up to the local Jacobs on my lunch break tomorrow and see what they have in
 
Ahh, another question, what would happen if I added an extension tube to it? I don't quite understand it, but i guess it moves the lens away from the sensor to increase the magnification. On ebay there are some fairly cheap tubes that say they maintain auto focus function and are less than 1/2 the price of the canons. Are these worth it? I seem to be reading that it would make everything larger, but it would all get darker?
 
If your shooting bugs dont bother with a tripod / mono-pod - you've so little dof that the bug will have done a runner before you get you feww mm's of focus in the correct place - money much better spent on a flash and a DIY diffuser, have a look in the macro stickes for inspiration.
 
Don't rush into tubes etc until you really need them. A cheap tripod will do for now, you night need to get above your subject more than you expect.
 
Ahh right, ok cool! Sorry I should have said, kit list is...

Canon 600D
18-55mm Kit Lens
Canon EF 50mm 1.4 USM
Canon EF 24mm 2.8
Tamron 90mm 2.8 Macro (to be delivered...)
+ a few UV filters + lens hoods for the 50mm & 24mm (& 90mm)

As I said I've only just started out really, and I'm happy with the kit I have so far (although I did some stuff with the 50mm at 1.4 and it wasn't as sharp as I'd hoped, but I think that may just be user error).

With the flashes, do I need one of those ones that stick to the front of the lens? Any tips on how to go about it?
 
You don't need A flash for macro yet, get a cheap tripod and use available light to start with. Flash is handy for portraits and taking shots at parties etc but don't rush into buying kit until you know what you need. You won't know that until you've been taking shots for a little while. It is too easy to buy expensive kit because it looks good or someone says it's good, only to find you never really needed it.
 
Al Brum said:
You don't need A flash for macro yet, get a cheap tripod and use available light to start with.
Click to expand...

Personally I wouldn't bother with a cheap tripod unless it's a good one bought cheap because it's pre owned :D Cheap new ones are probably more trouble than they're worth although your mileage may vary with make and model etc.

Years ago I had a cheap Jessops one and it was rubbish. The only way to use it was to set the camera on timed and then press the shutter in the hope that when the camera fired the tripod would have stopped shaking. Spending any money on a cheap unstable tripod is possibly going to be, largely, money wasted.
 
Ok, fair point! I think Al is right though in that I shouldn't rush into buying kit (I'm pretty bad at that!). I guess I should just give it a go and see what I need after.

Am really looking forward to the 90mm though! I can really see macro work being the type of photography for me
 
woof woof said:
Personally I wouldn't bother with a cheap tripod unless it's a good one bought cheap because it's pre owned :D Cheap new ones are probably more trouble than they're worth although your mileage may vary with make and model etc.

Years ago I had a cheap Jessops one and it was rubbish. The only way to use it was to set the camera on timed and then press the shutter in the hope that when the camera fired the tripod would have stopped shaking. Spending any money on a cheap unstable tripod is possibly going to be, largely, money wasted.
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Yeah, fair enough, you can go too cheap! :D
Let's say a reasonably priced tripod then! It will also come in handy for landscapes and even the day when you find yourself doing that big family group shot for Mum....
 
Al Brum said:
Yeah, fair enough, you can go too cheap! :D
Let's say a reasonably priced tripod then!
Click to expand...

OP has already rejected the idea of a Benbo costing £65 and says that the target is £15. I may be wrong but I wouldn't expect too much from a £15 new tripod, and then there's the question of a head. A scan of used suppliers and auction sites may with luck throw up a bargain or two but £15 or anything like it is verging on a wish and a prayer. OK for casual family shots, but close inspection of images may show the limitations.
 
Well, we can go on all night and still basically agree with each other, OP needs to spend a little more than £15 if at all possible, if not then so be it, el cheapo for now it is.
My main concern is always that people rush in and spend a fortune on kit they don't need - I am no different in that respect.
 
Al Brum said:
You don't need A flash for macro yet, get a cheap tripod and use available light to start with. Flash is handy for portraits and taking shots at parties etc but don't rush into buying kit until you know what you need. You won't know that until you've been taking shots for a little while. It is too easy to buy expensive kit because it looks good or someone says it's good, only to find you never really needed it.
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I'm sorry but that's crap, light is probably the most important component of macro shooting @ 1:1 gives a working distance of 99mm , thats 99mm from the front of the lens to the subject, gives approximately a 2mm focus band at F16 - that means just 2mm is in focus - you wont have time or the control on a cheap tripod to get that focus band on a fly's eye let lone the shutter speed to get a sharp shot - if you shooting subjects that don't move and close-up rather than 1:1 you may get away with a trpod (dont buy cheap as you'll need to buy again - experience taught me that ;) ) on a bright day with no wind or indoors .
 
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Al Brum said:
You don't need A flash for macro yet, get a cheap tripod and use available light to start with. Flash is handy for portraits and taking shots at parties etc but don't rush into buying kit until you know what you need. You won't know that until you've been taking shots for a little while. It is too easy to buy expensive kit because it looks good or someone says it's good, only to find you never really needed it.
Click to expand...

F11 - F16 and a fast shutter speed and your saying you don't need a flash? Really? Hmmmmm i think you need to go back to the drawing board.
 
Ok, so on the flash front, if i were eventually to buy one, what sort of thing would you all go for? I've seen the ring flash ones, and ones with arms coming out from the sides of the camera and all sorts. Also I guess if i do end up going for an extension tube (which I'm sure I'll get before eventually investing in a closer lens) that will make everything darker, so I suppose the flash will be even more important!

Something like this will work?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Macro-Light...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1337547843&sr=1-1
 
iancandler said:
Those ext tubes are brilliant, I gambled on a set a couple of years ago and asides from a sometimes sticky lens release they have worked flawlessly.
I got mine from an ebayer in poland who was selling them at the time.
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Great! I'll bear that in mind when i (eventually) want to upgrade the lens and get closer in
 
Regarding the comments about needing flash and me not knowing what I am talking about, you have both assumed the OP is only interested in moving objects like insects. I suggested he start with objects that don't move in an earlier response. Your comments are ill thought out and insulting, I have sold many still life macro shots taken with nothing but daylight, reflectors and a tripod.

Back to topic, those are great flashes for macro Doug, and if photographing insects at f16 very useful. For more general photography including adding light to still lifes a 430EX would suit, you can bounce the flash off walls, paper etc to get it where you want.
 
doug_1986 said:
Ok, so on the flash front, if i were eventually to buy one, what sort of thing would you all go for? I've seen the ring flash ones, and ones with arms coming out from the sides of the camera and all sorts. Also I guess if i do end up going for an extension tube (which I'm sure I'll get before eventually investing in a closer lens) that will make everything darker, so I suppose the flash will be even more important!

Something like this will work?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Macro-Light...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1337547843&sr=1-1
Click to expand...

Personally don't like ring flashes, its difficult to diffuse and leaves distracting highlights on the subject . start of with a diffused hotshoe flash, then you could get a bracket to move the flash of camera if you get some tubes.
 
Al Brum said:
Regarding the comments about needing flash and me not knowing what I am talking about, you have both assumed the OP is only interested in moving objects like insects. I suggested he start with objects that don't move in an earlier response. Your comments are ill thought out and insulting, I have sold many still life macro shots taken with nothing but daylight, reflectors and a tripod.

Back to topic, those are great flashes for macro Doug, and if photographing insects at f16 very useful. For more general photography including adding light to still lifes a 430EX would suit, you can bounce the flash off walls, paper etc to get it where you want.
Click to expand...

That ring flash is crap - its LED - i use a 7.5W 220 LED array for night macro - as a spotting light (is crap for anything else) , i still use a MT24EX to provide flash for the subject, I'm so pleased you have sold many still life macro shots (i dont see any posts from you in the macro section though ;) ) , allowing you to give such good advice based upon your experiences, i have also stated you may get away with natural light & a tripod for subjects that don't move at close-up distances. Again 1:1 @ f16 gives 2mm dof so you need good light to get high enough shutter speed to stop camera / subject shake.

Take a look in the macro section - i would guess most if not all 1:1 macro shots are taken with flash.
 
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Ok great, thanks! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to help me out, and will always take any good advice onboard. I think really I need to suck it and see, find out how it all works before I go sinking any more money into things! If it turns out I need a flash then I'll certainly buy one - I guess it's just which one!
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
That ring flash is crap - its LED - i use a 7.5W 220 LED array for night macro - as a spotting light (is crap for anything else) , i still use a MT24EX to provide flash for the subject, I'm so pleased you have sold many still life macro shots (i dont see any posts from you in the macro section though ;) ) , allowing you to give such good advice based upon your experiences, i have also stated you may get away with natural light & a tripod for subjects that don't move at close-up distances. Again 1:1 @ f16 gives 2mm dof so you need good light to get high enough shutter speed to stop camera / subject shake.

Take a look in the macro section - i would guess most if not all 1:1 macro shots are taken with flash.
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Mirror lockup. STILL life's :)
 
Al Brum said:
Mirror lockup. STILL life's :)
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mirror lockup has NO affect on you subject - so unless it a brick or chair or some other inanimate object not affected by wind it's still not going to cut it. or are you talking indoor studio type shots :thinking:
 
Still life's, things that are still.... I really don't know how else to say it.
 
Tripod wise I'd recommend spending a bit more on something with a decent ball head, I went with a reasonable cheap multi lever one when I started macro and getting the kinds of small exact movement I was after was very frustraiting.
 
Moreorless said:
Tripod wise I'd recommend spending a bit more on something with a decent ball head, I went with a reasonable cheap multi lever one when I started macro and getting the kinds of small exact movement I was after was very frustraiting.
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Hi there!

If you don't mind, what sort if thing would you recommend? What did you end up upgrading to?
 
Makes such as Slik, Manfrotto, Benbo and Velbon will serve you well. Don't forget the second hand market.
 
Moreorless said:
Tripod wise I'd recommend spending a bit more on something with a decent ball head, I went with a reasonable cheap multi lever one when I started macro and getting the kinds of small exact movement I was after was very frustraiting.
Click to expand...

I have a decent ball head, well, at least it cost a decent amount of money :razz: :D but I don't think I'd recommend one for macro or anything like macro as it's very difficult if not actually impossible to avoid that... drop. For accurate positioning I use a geared head, but this is just pushing the cost waaaaay beyond £15.
 
Personally, I would take Dogfish magnets advice in this thread, I brought my macro lens, a new manfrotto tripod, new 3 way head. focusing rail, as I was told natural light would be fine, with in a week I had brought Nikon's macro flash set up and have never used the tripod or focusing rail for macro, I do use the tripod for other stuff but not macro. Light is the biggest thing in macro.
 
Davec223 said:
Personally, I would take Dogfish magnets advice in this thread, I brought my macro lens, a new manfrotto tripod, new 3 way head. focusing rail, as I was told natural light would be fine, with in a week I had brought Nikon's macro flash set up and have never used the tripod or focusing rail for macro, I do use the tripod for other stuff but not macro. Light is the biggest thing in macro.
Click to expand...

Agreed light is your friend
 
Davec223 said:
Personally, I would take Dogfish magnets advice in this thread, I brought my macro lens, a new manfrotto tripod, new 3 way head. focusing rail, as I was told natural light would be fine, with in a week I had brought Nikon's macro flash set up and have never used the tripod or focusing rail for macro, I do use the tripod for other stuff but not macro. Light is the biggest thing in macro.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this - I must say I'm not the biggest fan of tripods in general (have used them a little for filming) and while they certainly have their places, I tend to try not to use them. Obviously that's a huge generalisation, and I would never try to get a really long shot without one with a video camera, but you get what I mean.

What I'm trying to say is that I don't know whether or not Macro photography is one of those situations where a tripod is imperative. Personally I don't quite see how setting up a tripod infront of a skittish bug will work, although I totally get using one on static, controllable subjects like vases. Again, this is where I just need to try it really.

Macro lens arrives tomorrow, very excited! I think I will be buying a flash, just need to figure out which one
 
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