Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs:
 ·Comcast
1 edit | [Help] How to get the best Macro shots
I have a Koday Easyshare Z740 and although it has a macro setting I seem to have difficulty getting a good macro shot. I have a 35mm Minolta SLR that I bought in 1986 and didn't have problems because I could use different lenses / accessories.
I would love to get a nice digital SLR but don't have the funds right now so I'm trying to make due with what I have.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
**I did find This Macro Kit on eBay. Would this be worth buying?
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Black is the absence of light, but white is the absence of memory, the color of can't remember. |
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jaykaykay
4 Ever Young
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-13
Scottsdale, AZ
 ·Speakeasy
| Why don't you post an example of what you mean. I took a look at the camera for what it offered, and it certainly doesn't seem as if you should have too difficult a time getting something decent. No, certainly nothing like what you might get with an SLR, but decent. I can't tell you if the Macro kit will work, but if your camera isn't working as it should, no kit will work. Maybe there's something wrong with your camera. |
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Jodokast96
R.I.P Bassman442
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ | reply to Locutus65
You might want to check this thread out »[Lens] Raynox DCR-250 (macro). |
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Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs: | reply to Locutus65
Ok, I'll post an image tonight when I get home from work (in about 2 hours). |
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Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs:
·Comcast
| reply to Locutus65
EASTMAN KODAK Z740 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA
6.3mm 1/500th F2.8 ISO80
As close as I could get | 
EASTMAN KODAK Z740 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA
23mm 1/125th F3.2 ISO140
Grass in focus but bug isn't | 
EASTMAN KODAK Z740 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA
6.3mm 1/60th F2.8 ISO140
Same |
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Black is the absence of light, but white is the absence of memory, the color of can't remember. |
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Wastelands
Premium
join:2001-11-10
Irving, TX
clubs:
1 edit | reply to Locutus65
When you use diopter lenses (like the kit you linked), they work pretty much like a magnifying glass works in that you have to hold the glass pretty close to both your eye and the object you are magnifying. So, for still life shots (flowers) it works great, but doesn't work quite as well for insects as they think they're about to be eaten and leave.
You also have an issue of light, as the body of the camera will throw the subject in shadow (if it's small, like the insect you were photographing). You can work around the light issue (I posted about this in the Raynox thread), but it's something you need to be aware of when using diopter lenses.
The diopter lenses work great, as long as you realize that the working distance (the distance between your lens and the subject) will be reduced. In my case, when I use +3 diopter on my camera, my normal working distance goes from a foot (minimum) down to 3 - 5 inches.
So, it all depends on what you will be trying to photograph. Spiders in a web would be doable, but a flying dragonfly would be very difficult.
--
Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not. Time takes it all, time bears
it away, and in the end there is only darkness. ~ Stephen King
Come, reap |
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TheHarvester
Premium
join:2006-08-25
Dana Point, CA
| reply to Locutus65
When I did some Macro shots (like this one) »www.eyefetch.com/image.aspx?ID=108379
with my point and shoot Nikon Coolpix 8700, what I would do is stand back a bit and zoom in a bit also. I was about 1 foot away from the spider. I also used the highest MP. setting then just crop the image. As far as the focus you may need to use the manual focus (if your camera has one). Sometimes I would set the auto focus on something larger about the same distance away then (with shutter release still pushed half way down) move over to the main subject and verify the focus by moving closer or further away from the subject until the focus looks good. I think the need to get as close as possible is not always needed. Auto focus does not focus too well on very small subjects when there is a large high contrast background real close (your bug in the grass images).
Hope this helps a bit. |
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Wastelands
Premium
join:2001-11-10
Irving, TX
clubs:
| reply to Locutus65
An example of some of my shots (I have a Canon PowerShot S5 IS, 12x zoom) -
Camera without addt'l magnification -
Camera with +3 diopter (I wish I had a better example, but I've only used my set of Hoya HMC diopters a couple of times) -
--
Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not. Time takes it all, time bears
it away, and in the end there is only darkness. ~ Stephen King
Come, reap |
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siouxie
I've got the Steel City Blues
join:2005-08-18
Ontario
clubs:
·Bell Sympatico
·Mountain Cable
| reply to Locutus65
spider | | .jpg "38436 bytes")
garlic onion flowers |
These are about the best I have managed with it. |
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Wastelands
Premium
join:2001-11-10
Irving, TX
clubs:
| Are you standing back from the subject and using full zoom or trying to get as close to the subject and using super-macro (if your camera has that setting)?
Your spider shot appears to have some motion blur (handheld?) and the garlic/onion shot appears to have used the flash which blew out some of the white.
You might want to practice indoors (bright light) on a stationary object and see if you can improve your shots. Your camera could be very sensitive to movement at that magnification (which would be magnified in low light or with a moving subject). Each of my cameras (I have 3 digital cameras) have their strengths and weaknesses when using the macro setting. Finding the best way to use the macro setting can take some trial and error. =o)
--
Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not. Time takes it all, time bears
it away, and in the end there is only darkness. ~ Stephen King
Come, reap |
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