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Author Topic: Techniques for field macro photography  (Read 6373 times)

Lin Evans

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #20 on: April 25, 2005, 02:19:14 am »

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You won't need any tripod mount for the 100 macro. Just mount the body to the tripod. This lens isn't all that heavy to cause much cantelever with the 20D.

I have never seen any one use a tripod mount with this lens and I have seen many people using it. It is very popular.

Using a tripod is a must, though.

The Canon 100mm F2.8 macro is pretty light and as mentioned you really don't need a mount for the tripod. As for needing a tripod it really depends on lighting and the subject. If you have Canon's dual macro flash you can get great macros without a tripod unless you are trying to shoot at 1:1. In such case the major problem is slight movement between the time you autofocus and the actual capture. Tiny movement can create serious OOF blur because the depth of field is quite small even when shooting at small apertures near diffraction. My solution for non moving subjects is to shoot at F8 and take several exposures with slightly different focus points then combine them with Helicon Focus. With this approach you can achieve nearly infinite depth of field (this technique also works for hyperfocal wide angle landscapes). Again, the subject must be rock still and if it's an insect you must usually work fast.

Lin
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Lin

dlashier

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #21 on: April 07, 2005, 12:57:17 pm »

I hold the stem with my left hand, preferably out of the frame, although with shallow DOF sometimes that doesn't matter. btw the "holding" is as often to get the lighting right as to still in a breeze.

- DL
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mikebinok

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #22 on: April 08, 2005, 02:05:38 am »

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I sometimes use one of those umbillical clips to hold larger stemmed items steady but if you shooting smaller woodland stuff you might consider either buying or building a portable light tent. You can also be quite creative with diffusers as wind-breaks too!
What are these clips like and where could I get them? I think I'll look into the portable light tent option.
http://www.tripodhead.com/products/plamp-main.cfm

It's overpriced, but try the above.  I purchased one, but don't use it much.
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Jonathan Wienke

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #23 on: April 11, 2005, 10:50:16 pm »

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Holding is definitely out - I've tried this and it definitely doesn't work (for me). *Any* movement at all causes blur and my hands aren't perfectly still.
Try a faster shutter speed, and flash, possibly in conjunction with some of the previous suggestions like the light tent. Some subjects don't like being clamped...



http://www.visual-vacations.com/Photogr....ng_.htm
http://www.visual-vacations.com/Photograph...flash_setup.htm
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BJL

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2005, 11:11:56 am »

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Stopping down and using flash (in my experience) doesn't work well because a) the actual increase in DOF is marginal and  working with flash in the field is very awkward.
True, macro flash seems to be a difficult art, but it can help in some situations, like small animal shots, with the help of special setups like ring flash, twin flash, or flash units mounted on a boom to get the right angle on a very nearby subject.

Several of John Shaw's books on nature and close-up photography have some good advice, incuding a home built flash boom as an alternative to expensive special purpose macro flash systems.
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dnone

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2005, 04:23:52 am »

hey jonathan,

perused your triple flash construction: where do you get those brackets for attachment for the additional lateral flashes?

was the spider triple flashed?


THX in advance.

dn
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Jonathan Wienke

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #26 on: April 18, 2005, 04:06:02 pm »

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where do you get those brackets for attachment for the additional lateral flashes?
I chopped the plastic brackets that came with the flashes, but you can get the equivalent at any decent photo store. Then I mounted them to the lens hood with 1/4-20 screws and epoxy.
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boku

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Techniques for field macro photography
« Reply #27 on: April 20, 2005, 07:41:32 pm »

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I have just ordered the 100mm f2.8 macro lens to go with my 20D and can't wait to try it out.  I read somewhere that there is a tripod mount ring for this lens - can anyone throw any light onto whether this is a useful bit of kit or not?
You won't need any tripod mount for the 100 macro. Just mount the body to the tripod. This lens isn't all that heavy to cause much cantelever with the 20D.

I have never seen any one use a tripod mount with this lens and I have seen many people using it. It is very popular.

Using a tripod is a must, though.
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Bob Kulon

Oh, one more thing...[b
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