Macro question

Paulw

So, I bought a new macro lens (Canon MP-E 65mm). It's nice.

My question, for those who shoot macro - how the hell do you get flies and insects to sit in front of the lens for you to take shots??

Any tips/advice is more than welcome.

magicbastarder

i've heard that putting them in the fridge so that the cold slows them down helps.

however, i leave the exercise of convincing your better half that this is necessary to you.

bernard0368

Paulw wrote: »

So, I bought a new macro lens (Canon MP-E 65mm). It's nice.

Yes it is my budget would never get that far.

As for the insects, the fridge will work but that usually means taking them out of their enviroment. The best is get up early before the sun warms the up. They are a lot more approachable then. The other thing is keep low as most insects eyes are designed to look upwards, so if at all possible come in from below them.

ThOnda

Tease them to land where you expect them. Sweet juices for most of the insects work, then flowers and/or lots of patience outdoors. Pick your flower or spot and wait. If you go after them, you'll disturb them.
The nasty trick is to spray them with mist of water (if you are too comfy to get out early in the morning when they are covered in dew), because they cannot fly when wet.

pikaia

Hi,

As Bernard said, evening & mornings are best times. I think a 65mm lens could maybe be too close for some insects, 100mm upwards are usually best.
But macro isn't all about insects, its a great lens and you should have some fun times with it.

Best of luck with it.

Regards
Brendan

Paulw

pikaia wrote: »

I think a 65mm lens could maybe be too close for some insects, 100mm upwards are usually best.
But macro isn't all about insects, its a great lens and you should have some fun times with it.

Oh I have the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens too.

Here's some non-insect picts I took yesterday.

Feather -


PWP_7576.jpg by PaulWa, on Flickr



Cherry


PWP_7583.jpg by PaulWa, on Flickr



Strawberry


PWP_7631.jpg by PaulWa, on Flickr

oshead

Forget the fridge. It's cruel and some insects can't recover and die. Most are really easy to approach. Makes no difference which lens you use. All movements toward them should start low and be fairly slow and even. No sudden jerks. Some insects have a third eye on top of their head thats used for detecting movement, so stay low and don't cast shadows. Problem with getting up in the morning is it's very hard to find any insects. The best time to locate them is during a warm day when they're all about and the weather is changeable. Like when rain clouds are approaching. Temps can drop fairly rapidly and a lot of insects get caught out unawares. You usually have 10 or so minutes to shoot away before the rain comes.

Shoot everything handheld. You'll need a flash. The MP-E 65mm has a tripod collar, use this with a bamboo stick clasped tightly in your hand. It'll give you the stability you require and the flexibility to adjust height quickly. To avoid all your shots having black backgrounds and inevitably looking the same, try these settings for some colourful backgrounds. You can program into your camera, these are real good starting points to work from. f8, 1/60th ISO200. For argument sake, lets say these settings give you 1 and a half stops below ambient. This is exactly where you want to be. Adjust ISO and/or shutter to keep below the ambient.

Any lower than f8 and the dof on that lens is going to be way to shallow, especially at higher magnification. The temptation is to shoot stuff at 2.8, but at that, you'll find your dof dropping to less than 1mm. Go much higher than f8 and you'll have light problems, again especially at higher magnification. When lens expands the light drops off rapidly from front of lens to sensor. You loose many stops as you approach x5 mag and you're pushing f16... lol

Anyway, I'm glad you got the lens in the end, the glass is perfect for insect shots and the learning curve with it is steep enough to keep you interested and on your toes..... looking forward to seeing some great shots.

Necronomicon

Out of curiosity, what made you plump for a 65mm when you had the 100mm?

Paulw

Necronomicon wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what made you plump for a 65mm when you had the 100mm?

100mm gives you 1:1.
65mm gives you 5:1 magnification. Much closer and much more detail.

I wanted to try something new.

Necronomicon

Paulw wrote: »

100mm gives you 1:1.
65mm gives you 5:1 magnification. Much closer and much more detail.

I wanted to try something new.

Ah! I was very confused as to how a shorter focal length resulted in more magnification, until I googled the lens itself. I'd never heard of it, but it sounds seriously cool. Looking forward to seeing some shots.