On improving close-up shots..

[pixelpixie]

Some close ups i took with my D100, 18-55mm / 50mm + raynox 250 + DIY diffuser.
It was hard work and perspired like mad.. find that i'm not able to get very sharp pictures with lotsa details (compared to other Csers who uses the same 50 + raynox combo) Anyone who can shed some insight on how to take better & sharper macros with this set up is much appreciated!

Some hopper who like to stare
Taken at: 1/160, 55mm, f14

My first damselfly!
Taken at: 1/160, 55mm, f14

Acrophobic?
Taken at: 1/160, 50mm, f11

Anticing
Taken at: 1/160, 50mm, f9

Thanks for viewing!

 

[chynthynk]

Anticing
Taken at: 1/160, 50mm, f9

Thanks for viewing!

This one is really nice... :thumbsup:

 

[pixelpixie]

This one is really nice... :thumbsup:

thanks for your comments and for dropping by

 

[NovJoe]

Nice subjects you have. You may want to take note of your exposure for the shots. #2 & 3 look underexposed to me, thus loss of details from the subjects. Color wise is pretty good overall .

 

[B-setting]

remember in the next photo outing, try to use flash. you will see lots of difference with using flash.

 

[jameskkmok]

Look good to me just a little under exposed, try use flash to fill it a little.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[pixelpixie]

Nice subjects you have. You may want to take note of your exposure for the shots. #2 & 3 look underexposed to me, thus loss of details from the subjects. Color wise is pretty good overall.

hi there, thanks for your comments and encouragement. ya i do notice that some of my shots tend to be underexposed, will keep an eye on the exposure the next time i shoot!

remember in the next photo outing, try to use flash. you will see lots of difference with using flash.

Look good to me just a little under exposed, try use flash to fill it a little.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

hihi both, thanks for your tips and encouragement. actually i got use flash leh (SB-80DX).. :cry: but my flash is not illuminating the subject enough i think, due to its distance from the subject.. not sure if you get what i mean haha. the subject may be better lighted with the built-in flash but i dont have a diffuser for that yet so i dont like to use that straight on to shoot for now... if i dont use flash, some of my shots (depending on location/ available light) usually turn out in total darkness...

 

[B-setting]

i noticed your shutter speeds were usually 1/160, and aperture at f 14.

i think your shutter speed could be a bit high, therefore resulting in darker shots.

what i usually set are these: 1/125 and f/11, but then it depends on the lighting condition of the surrounding and whether you are directly under the hot sun.

also, if you are worried that the built-in flash is too bright, you can adjust the fill ratio to 1/4 fill. this is because you are already so close to the insect, you do not need a full fill flash to take the pic.

 

[ex0rzist]

Hi PixelPixie, Some pics look slightly noisy. Could be due to the ISO you set. Whats your ISO used ?

 

[pixelpixie]

i noticed your shutter speeds were usually 1/160, and aperture at f 14.

i think your shutter speed could be a bit high, therefore resulting in darker shots.

what i usually set are these: 1/125 and f/11, but then it depends on the lighting condition of the surrounding and whether you are directly under the hot sun.

also, if you are worried that the built-in flash is too bright, you can adjust the fill ratio to 1/4 fill. this is because you are already so close to the insect, you do not need a full fill flash to take the pic.

hi B-setting, thanks for sharing i will try a different setting the next time with a slower shutter speed (since the subjects usually are stationary anyways) and compare the results. mmm.. didnt know i can use the 1/4 fill ratio will try that out too and see if it improves the exposure..

Hi PixelPixie, Some pics look slightly noisy. Could be due to the ISO you set. Whats your ISO used ?

Hi ex0rzist, thanks for dropping by. My ISO was usually set at 200-400 and sometimes i boost to 800/1000 if i find that i need more light. I cant rem the setting i used for the above pics D100 does not retain the ISO info will have to make a note to rem the ISO info next time.

But for #2 and #3, the pics were indeed a lil underexposed and when i applied shadows/highlights in PP, it introduced quite a bit of noise... :embrass:

 

[B-setting]

didnt know i can use the 1/4 fill ratio will try that out too and see if it improves the exposure..

i am using D70, and there is a Manual Flash Setting that allows flash fill at 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and Full, if i remember correctly.

and so yes, you could control the flash output, but only if you set the flash to Manual mode. (I am talking about the built-in flash by the way) That also means your shooting mode on the camera should be "Manual". Focussing is simply us moving the camera forward and backward until we feel it is the sharpest frame.

if you know troy and teebs, who are regular macro shooters, i learned a lot from them. in fact, when i made my DIY milk-bottle diffuser, i got inspiration from both troy and teebs.

keep shooting!

 

[pixelpixie]

i am using D70, and there is a Manual Flash Setting that allows flash fill at 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and Full, if i remember correctly.

and so yes, you could control the flash output, but only if you set the flash to Manual mode. (I am talking about the built-in flash by the way) That also means your shooting mode on the camera should be "Manual". Focussing is simply us moving the camera forward and backward until we feel it is the sharpest frame.

if you know troy and teebs, who are regular macro shooters, i learned a lot from them. in fact, when i made my DIY milk-bottle diffuser, i got inspiration from both troy and teebs.

keep shooting!

Eh yup, just checked, there is a flash control on mine too.. kinda like exposure compensation icon, but for flash adjustment. Haha yeah AF is quite impossible to achieve with such shallow depth of field eh?

Mmm i dunno them :embrass: but have seen their pics and they take amazing macros with their set up... haha sounds like time for me to diy that meiji diffuser for my built in flash

Thanks for dropping by to share pointers, really appreciate it. Yeah! Keep shooting!

 

[nutek]

Eh yup, just checked, there is a flash control on mine too.. kinda like exposure compensation icon, but for flash adjustment. Haha yeah AF is quite impossible to achieve with such shallow depth of field eh?

Technically, flash exposure compensation is different from flash power.

Flash exposure compensation is used when flash is in "auto"/TTL mode, where you want to override (+/-) the exposure decision by the flash system.

When you are using manual flash controls (i.e. full power, 1/2 power, 1/4 power etc), you are already controlling the flash output manually. This control is set on the external flash unit itself (by setting it into manual mode, and adjusting the power there); not too sure if the pop-up flash has such a setting.

It's the same concept as with non-flash exposure.
In "M" (manual exposure mode), you find that exposure compensation function is not applicable/available, because you are already controlling all 3 factors (shutter, aperture, ISO) to achieve the desired exposure. Similarly, for flash exposure, once you are in Flash manual mode, it may not make sense to adjust flash exposure compensation anymore (you probably could; but since you can control the flash output manually, why do so? )

 

[pixelpixie]

Technically, flash exposure compensation is different from flash power.

Flash exposure compensation is used when flash is in "auto"/TTL mode, where you want to override (+/-) the exposure decision by the flash system.

When you are using manual flash controls (i.e. full power, 1/2 power, 1/4 power etc), you are already controlling the flash output manually. This control is set on the external flash unit itself (by setting it into manual mode, and adjusting the power there); not too sure if the pop-up flash has such a setting.

It's the same concept as with non-flash exposure.
In "M" (manual exposure mode), you find that exposure compensation function is not applicable/available, because you are already controlling all 3 factors (shutter, aperture, ISO) to achieve the desired exposure. Similarly, for flash exposure, once you are in Flash manual mode, it may not make sense to adjust flash exposure compensation anymore (you probably could; but since you can control the flash output manually, why do so? )

Oh yes, thanks for clarifying that. I get you now.. Mmm.. gotta read the manual on whether there is a manual flash control for my built-in flash then..

 

[B-setting]

Oh yes, thanks for clarifying that. I get you now.. Mmm.. gotta read the manual on whether there is a manual flash control for my built-in flash then..

there should be one inside the "Menu" mode of the camera. it is known as "CSM" option in my D70. you need to press the "Menu" button at the back of the camera body and see what's available from the LCD display.

yeah, or read up your camera manual.

cheers!