"Is there a "Simple " Way Please??

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Tickover

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Hi All
Names Terry [77yrs] from Plymouth UK,please could you help me .A complete Novice at Macro and would like to start with the kit i have now ,so as to see if i can handle it [ not to bright after a stroke ].I have a Nikon D40 with the kit lens plus a Sigma70-300mm DG Macro lens ,also a Xmas gift of a Raynox 150 ??. outdoors in the garden is where it all happens HI. If possible could you please suggest a few combinations or set up to start with,as a proper Macro lens is out of my Pension range?want to get a flash but do not know what to get.i can focus manually as the old eyes are not to bad.
Thank you all for allowing me on your site ,really love the comments and info hoping someone can spare me a few minutes and not to technical please
Kindet Regards Terry
 
You can get magnifying filters super cheap on ebay - to be honest I've used these not only on the kit lens but also the macro lens that I have. They're about £10.

If you're wanting to do it all in the garden, the lens you have is fine for some ,acro shots without getting too close to the subject.

The best advice that I was ever given was don't shoot wide open, - the sharper the better, so smaller apertures (higher number f/stop).

Hope this helps.
 
Terry, use the Raynox 150 on the 70-300... not sure what magnification you'll get, but I'd think you'll defo get macro. For a flash, consider the Jessops 360AFD (I have one)... you can make a ring flash adapter for it out of a CD Spindle and some cardboard... works a treat too.

To check if your hitting macro, with a sensor size of 23.7 x 15.5 mm, put a ruler on a table, focus on it, and check (align it with the long access), if you can see about 23.7mm of the ruler only in the shot, your at macro (1:1), with the DCR250, that's at about 100mm, but I think it'll be longer on the 150.

Good luck.
 
These are some initial settings that I took from a Scott Kelby book: F14, min 1/200s and manual focus. That should give you a starting point.
 
MagicMynx said:
You can get magnifying filters super cheap on ebay - to be honest I've used these not only on the kit lens but also the macro lens that I have. They're about £10.
Click to expand...

The cheap filter close up lenses on Ebay are a very good start at a very cheap price.

They normally come in a set of 4 (+1, 2, 4 and 10 dioptres) but are best used on the kit lens where the filter size is not too big.

I have found that the larger filter sizes are pretty useless over 67 mm with only the +1 being any good.

So I'd go with the kit lens and a set of the smaller filter lenses as a starter.

But just one warning - once you get in really close the DOF is very reduced and you can expect a lot of throwaways - so take a LOT of pics. :)
.
 
Another cheap way to achieve incredible magnification is with "lens coupling" where a special 2-way filter ring is used to join 2 lenses together filter to filter.

The magnification you get is the ratio of 1 lens to the other.

The coupling rings are dirt cheap on Ebay (from Hong Kong etc) but once again practice is essential and a tripod since the DOF can be about 1/10mm!

But again a real cheap way to get high magnification.

Just note the longer focal length lens should be on the camera and the shorter focal length lens coupled to it.

Go here to see some pics taken like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20926615@N05/sets/72157628714278311/

Here a tripod really is a necessity and setting the time delay on the camera to try to avoid any blur.

.
 
You could have a look for a set of extension tubes to go with your kit lens. They will make a big difference for not such a big outlay. There are various oines available so you'd have to make sure they were compatable with your lens.
 
Tickover said:
Hi All
Names Terry [77yrs] from Plymouth UK,please could you help me .A complete Novice at Macro and would like to start with the kit i have now ,so as to see if i can handle it [ not to bright after a stroke ].I have a Nikon D40 with the kit lens plus a Sigma70-300mm DG Macro lens ,also a Xmas gift of a Raynox 150 ??. outdoors in the garden is where it all happens HI. If possible could you please suggest a few combinations or set up to start with,as a proper Macro lens is out of my Pension range?want to get a flash but do not know what to get.i can focus manually as the old eyes are not to bad.
Thank you all for allowing me on your site ,really love the comments and info hoping someone can spare me a few minutes and not to technical please
Kindet Regards Terry
Click to expand...

Raynox DCR-150 is perfect with the 70-300. Just the job for flowers and butterflies and things around that size. Have a go with that. The focusing ring won't do very much, but the zoom will.

Don't use autofocus. Do it by setting the shot up roughly in manual, then move your whole body gently back and forth and watch how the plane of sharpness moves over the subject, then pick your moment.

Until you have a flash sorted out, you'll need good light for a high f/number and a shake-free shutter speed. Push the ISO to get that.

If you find you want to get closer still, for bugs and beetles, then consider the stronger Raynox DCR-250 - or some of the other options. But see how you get on with what you have got now first.
 
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