Beginner Macro

Creamy Goodness

I'm starting to fall in love with all the lovely macro shots that are being posted up here, and thinking i'd like a go at that.

was looking on kea-photo and notice this

would just be a good cheap way of getting some good quality macro shots? it would be used with my canon 450D camera.

Phototoxin

its alright but not uber for macro TBH. I would suggest getting some macro filters and trying them.. I've recently cracked out mine and I'm having such fun !

tadhgrrr

or a set of kenko/jessops extension tubes (~€70) onto which you could mount your nifty fifty (if you have one)
-t

oshead

Expermenting with first time macro, i'd suggest first a close-up macro lense (Diopter) and second some extension tubes.

Dave OS

quilmore

this people don't have the best reputation regarding quality of stuff, but this:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14111
is cheap enough to take the pun if necessary, I'll probably order it soon

Roen

50mm f1.8 with tubes is a great way to get into macro.

Lens manufacturers use a very loose definition of macro when they tag it on to a zoom.

TJM

It's a nice lens for most purposes but it's not a real macro lens as it won't give you 1:1 magnification of your subject on the sensor. Extension tubes and a 50mm 1.4 are the way to go for macro on the cheap. Make sure the tubes are automatic (i.e. pass through aperture controls). You needn't bother with autofocus pass through tubes - they're expensive and imho unnecessary for most situations.

riiight!

I have a 50mm 1.8. any idea where I could get extension tubes to make it a macro. any shops in dublin sell these?

AnCatDubh

Cremo wrote: »

would just be a good cheap way of getting some good quality macro shots? it would be used with my canon 450D camera.

It depends on what your expectation of quality is - i mean like most things in life 90% of what is expected to be achieved can be done on a budget, but the remaining 10% can cost you lots of money.

If you are just starting into it and was also hoping to do some of that nice 300mm longer range stuff in addition to the macro - then my personal and humble opinion is that it probably would be fine for you.

I have something similar (although Pentax mount) - don't have it to hand at the moment but its a Sigma 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 with macro. The macro works in the 200-300mm range. Its a great value lens - probably suffers a little on the quality side of things. I don't have much macro available to me at the moment but if of use - the image below was taken with it: not particularly as a macro shot but as part of the recent bokeh challenge.



Purists will go 1:1 and 50mm, perhaps tubes, filters, and other bits n bobs. For the moment the Sigma that I have is ok for me which is the acid test.

The lens is useful for its zoom capacity on a nice fine day, presents challenges in low light (to be expected stopping at f4.5) and as a add on you'd get a macro mode. For serious macro and you'll probably go for something suggested previously but to my opening comments - it depends on your expectation. Its not bad as a zoom with a bit of macro thrown in.

As a portrait it will give you something like this;



And as a long range it will probably be good for;



(Hardly macro! )

Good luck with it.

Balfey1972

tadhgrrr wrote: »

or a set of kenko/jessops extension tubes (~€70) onto which you could mount your nifty fifty (if you have one)
-t

I got these from dealextreme.
Work great with the nifty fifty.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12456

Saggitarius

Anybody has been tried soon the next trick? You need a normally kit lens that you mount "up side down" also in this case the front is the back and back is the front (if you are satisfied with this method you need in the future an adapter) and the machine set to Manual mode. Try it out! See bellow the results. I taken 5 minits ago with normal room lights.

oshead

Saggitarius wrote: »

Anybody has been tried soon the next trick? You need a normally kit lens that you mount "up side down" also in this case the front is the back and back is the front (if you are satisfied with this method you need in the future an adapter) and the machine set to Manual mode. Try it out! See bellow the results. I taken 5 minits ago with normal room lights.

This is an extremely cheap way to get into macro photography. It will easily give you 1:1 magnification and more. You can buy reverse coupling rings to screw the lenses together for under €30.

Dave OS

Creamy Goodness

hey, totally forgot i posted this thread been mega busy .

i think i'll go for the filter idea first and see how that works out, where'd be the best place to buy in dublin? i know of conns but i've been there a few times and overhearing some of their sales pitches really didn't sit well with me.