Zen and the art of macro focus...

[Pupp]

So, tips and tricks please...

Lighting?
Aperture?
Focus stacking?

[RobDickinson]

Uh proper macro flashes + rail mount + manual focus and/or focus stacking.

You talking mpe65 kinda macro or 1:1 stuff? Theres a lad on avforums gets good results handholding & focus stacking.

[Pupp]

RobDickinson said:

Uh proper macro flashes + rail mount + manual focus and/or focus stacking.

You talking mpe65 kinda macro or 1:1 stuff? Theres a lad on avforums gets good results handholding & focus stacking.

Nikon 105

Just interested in how to get some field depth

[Simpo Two]

Pupp said:

Nikon 105

Just interested in how to get some field depth

Simple answer is very small aperture. However that will lower your shutter speed massively so you'll need tripod or flash.

Fancy answer is focus stacking - this is a series of focus-bracketed shots which you composite in PS.

What are you trying to do?

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 14th October 22:35

[4hero]

Do you plan on photographing insects mainly?

I always shoot handheld, although as Simpo said, you'll need a tripod for stacking. CombineZM is very good at stacking, and Brian (LordV) has written an excellent tutorial on how to use it. I've only really done one stacked shot (taken with my 100mm f2.8), stacked from 5 shots, all shot manually moving the camera in a little bit further each time.

Clicky photo for the original if you like.



F11'ish, 1/250, ISO100, and adjust the flash to suit conditions is my general settings.

[beano500]

Pupp said:

Nikon 105

Just interested in how to get some field depth

I have the 105mm (the VR version, not sure if this is the one you mean) - do you know that if you add a TC and focus close it is limited to f/100?

Just a useless fact I've picked up from RTFM

Haven't tried stacking yet, but one of the tricks is just to get the best out of a shallow dof.

It's not a bad little lens...

[Simpo Two]

Nice figs Beano!

Slight pity about the sharp cut-off between the figs and the white b/g. Get blurring

[beano500]

Valid point, Simpo, I simply painted up the exposure in LR to burn out the pale grey to white.