Need some macro help...

[dr34mc4st3r]

got some (amatuerish) problems need advice from the pros...newbie here!

1. when i tried 1:1 on my tamron 90mm, i saw that the DOF was really shallow. even if i set my aperture smaller eg. f11, it seemed the same when i compose my shots. is this the usual case? how you guys make sure you all could focus properly on the subject when the DOF is so shallow? i'm having a big headache looking at the viewfinder!

2. how you guys ensure that your flash properly exposes the macro shots? using a 3600HS(D) here. do you still use ADI or change to TTL? do you all use bounce flash w/diffuser (eg the stofen one)? what are the setup you guys use?

any tips are appreciated!

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

1. go read on macro, macro is liddat 1, so u should close down the aperture lor, hence use flash lah... else ppl invent ring flash & macro flash for?

2. if your flash & lens can do ADI, den use ADI lor, if yours cannot den TTL, no need to bounce lah... direct flash lor... high shutter speed if needed..

 

[tankm]

No pro here, but have done a bit in macro.....my few cents here...

1. When you are focusing, the camera is always at it's widest aperture, in your Tamron 90mm case it's 2.8. At close focusing and at 2.8 the DOF is indeed very shallow. This is one of the reason why I'm looking at the PRISM SPLIT SCREEN to help in manual focusing.

If you are using a DSLR, you can press the DOF PREVIEW to get an idea how your aperture setting, eg f11 will look like.

If you are not using tripod which is highly recommended, one technique you can use is roughly focus to the subject and then move your body forward/backward from the subject to focus.

2. I always use TTL as I have a mix of D and others non-D lens and do not want to keep changing the setting. For flash is more trial an error because of the close focusing distance. If you have the 5600 it will indicate the shortest distance required for proper exposure as well. If your distance is within the flash range, the exposure is very accurate. Most of the time, the distance is shorter than the minimum and compensation need to be done.

I use both bounce and direct depend on situation. With direct you can get higher shutter speed (HSS mode).

Hope this help......

got some (amatuerish) problems need advice from the pros...newbie here!

1. when i tried 1:1 on my tamron 90mm, i saw that the DOF was really shallow. even if i set my aperture smaller eg. f11, it seemed the same when i compose my shots. is this the usual case? how you guys make sure you all could focus properly on the subject when the DOF is so shallow? i'm having a big headache looking at the viewfinder!

2. how you guys ensure that your flash properly exposes the macro shots? using a 3600HS(D) here. do you still use ADI or change to TTL? do you all use bounce flash w/diffuser (eg the stofen one)? what are the setup you guys use?

any tips are appreciated!

 

[Trigger Happy]

i simply ignore what i see in the viewfinder, and trust that at f8 or 11, the DOF will be somewhat deeper. the macro images i take always turn out different from what i see. i guess this is one time the slr is not wysiwyg. i know it can be a little disturbing, seeing only the eyes of the dragonfly, but normally i get most of it in focus. just remember that the centre (unless you use AF lock) produces the sharpest part of the image.

 

[tankm]

:dunno:

i simply ignore what i see in the viewfinder, and trust that at f8 or 11, the DOF will be somewhat deeper. the macro images i take always turn out different from what i see. i guess this is one time the slr is not wysiwyg. i know it can be a little disturbing, seeing only the eyes of the dragonfly, but normally i get most of it in focus. just remember that the centre (unless you use AF lock) produces the sharpest part of the image.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

i simply ignore what i see in the viewfinder, and trust that at f8 or 11, the DOF will be somewhat deeper. the macro images i take always turn out different from what i see. i guess this is one time the slr is not wysiwyg. i know it can be a little disturbing, seeing only the eyes of the dragonfly, but normally i get most of it in focus. just remember that the centre (unless you use AF lock) produces the sharpest part of the image.

hmm simply ignore wat u see in viewfinder... think better cover the viewfinder... do blind shots... hiak hiak...

i shot a grasshopper, at f8-f11, still damn shallow, 1:1, might even need f19 to 22...

 

[dr34mc4st3r]

so is that why angle finders and those magnifying glass eyecups were invented for??? (hint hint*)

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

so is that why angle finders and those magnifying glass eyecups were invented for??? (hint hint*)

nope...

those are for ppl who are feeling rich... :bsmilie:

 

[Trigger Happy]

no.... i meant i don't let the seemingly shallow dof through the viewfinder affect my judgment - unless there's something wrong with my lenses or camera, i often find that the dof through the viewfinder is still very shallow even at f22 but pictures turn out fine.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

no.... i meant i don't let the seemingly shallow dof through the viewfinder affect my judgment - unless there's something wrong with my lenses or camera, i often find that the dof through the viewfinder is still very shallow even at f22 but pictures turn out fine.

u never check your DOF preview?

 

[Trigger Happy]

uh... shutter half press doesn't do the same thing? unless my dof preview button is faulty too..

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

uh... shutter half press doesn't do the same thing? unless my dof preview button is faulty too..

huh? u meant your 1/2 shutter also can do DOF preview... thats something my camera can't damn it... i think not yours faulty, mine pai liao...

 

[dr34mc4st3r]

uh... shutter half press doesn't do the same thing? unless my dof preview button is faulty too..

huh? the dynax 5d/7d manual states that DOF preview is via the bottom button near the lens

 

[drake336]

In response to OP:

1. Use DOF preview to get the general feel and adjust accordingly. Sometimes, if your subject moves a lot, you have no other choice short of upping your ISO if you wanna keep a small aperture. Changing the aperture setting will not give you real time feedback when you half press the shutter. Personally, if subject is animals, try to focus on the eyes, else it's your judgement...

2. Firstly, I believe the Tamron does not support ADI, so I'll go with pre-flash TTL, secondly macro flash is sometimes touch and go... I usually use it as fill-in only @ -1 to -2 stops

 

[ywh]

The DOF that you see in your viewfinder is that of the widest aperture of your lens i.e if you're using a 90/2.8, the DOF that you see is what you will get if you shoot at an aperture of 2.8. If you select an aperture of anything more than the maximum, the only way to gauge how much DOF is to use the DOF preview. When you fire off, the aperture will close down to your selected setting.

Trigger happy,

Half-pressing the shutter is to activate AF/AE and never to activate the DOF preview which is a seperate button on your camera body (if it has one). And try to use manual focus for macro work.

Thread-starter,

95% of my macro is done with a tripod. Macro is never fast work. Manual focus is used 100% of the time. Flash is used as a fill-in much of the time and also as the main light if motion has to be frozen.

 

[Trigger Happy]

unless my instructors at PSS didn't know what they were talking about, the DOF preview button in dslrs today is virtually redundant. using it (btw its below the lens mount on the right side) doesn't change anything in the viewfinder nor do what half-pressing the shutter can't. yes, half-pressing shutter is for AF/AE lock, but it also fulfils the role of DOF preview.

 

[tankm]

The best way to test DOF Preview button is in a place where you got lots of light, focus your macro lens on a subject that has some depth, set aperture to f12 and then press the DOF button. You will see the difference straight away in your view finder....parts that are blur just after the focusing point will now look sharp.

Half press your shutter does not give you DOF Preview. Now pull out your DOF Preview button and mail it to me. :bsmilie:

unless my instructors at PSS didn't know what they were talking about, the DOF preview button in dslrs today is virtually redundant. using it (btw its below the lens mount on the right side) doesn't change anything in the viewfinder nor do what half-pressing the shutter can't. yes, half-pressing shutter is for AF/AE lock, but it also fulfils the role of DOF preview.

 

[Trigger Happy]

:faint: ahhhhh.... so so so so so so..... kowtow..... thanks for the lesson!

 

[ywh]

unless my instructors at PSS didn't know what they were talking about, the DOF preview button in dslrs today is virtually redundant. using it (btw its below the lens mount on the right side) doesn't change anything in the viewfinder nor do what half-pressing the shutter can't. yes, half-pressing shutter is for AF/AE lock, but it also fulfils the role of DOF preview.

Trigger Happy,

Then Im really sad to say yes, your instructors DO NOT have the slightest idea of what they're talking about. Virtually redundant in the sense that you can shoot and check the DOF, if insufficient DOF, stop down more and shoot again?? If that is the case, they should have just said NO METERING system is needed ever again, just go with the Sunny 16 rule, check your histogram and shoot again if needed...

And pls let me know your camera model, it must be great technology to have the DOF preview built into the shutter release.....a little contradictory technology there: the focusing sensors need all the light the lens can allow to AF and yet half-pressing the button will activate DOF preview which cuts down light....phew....

 

[ywh]

The best way to test DOF Preview button is in a place where you got lots of light, focus your macro lens on a subject that has some depth, set aperture to f12 and then press the DOF button. You will see the difference straight away in your view finder....parts that are blur just after the focusing point will now look sharp.

Half press your shutter does not give you DOF Preview. Now pull out your DOF Preview button and mail it to me. :bsmilie:

Tankm,

Im sure you're talking about f/22 or f/32. First-timers should be pre-warned that the viewfinder will be much darker and time should be allowed to let your vision get use to the change before attempting to see the changes in DOF.