first try at supermacro...

what do u guys think about these pics - it was first try at semi-super macro yesterday. 105mm + 1.4x TC, not quite min focus. maybe a little more than 1:1 for the shrimp, and about 1:1 for the crab, i think.

is there enough detail? these little shrimps seem hard to get crisp detail out of. i did sharpen both a bit already. is the shrimp just another bland 'everyone has it' sort of image? our shrimps aren't so colourful as elsewhere...

Didn't even see the mollusk when i took the pic (at about 1:1, that thing is tiny). took one more about 10secs later and the mollusk was gone...

Thoughts?

I cant believe how hard it was just to find the things through the viewfinder. And I couldn't connect the auto/manual focus selector gear to the housing b/c of the TC, so all manual focus. gives me more appreciation for some of the popping supermacro i see on here.

(don't worry about my feelings - tell me if [and why] they blow.)

Cheers,

Chris

could be my screen but they look quite dark. (only adobe gamma balanced, but mostly my pics look a bit darker on lcd screens too)

It could also be just the shadow from the flash. Maybe it is necessary to get more light on the subject itself. Did you use one strobe or two?

Manual focus? That's tough to do with the shallow DOF you get with that lens/TC.

Since you asked, I think you could have positioned your strobe(s) better to light the subjects and minimize harsh shadows - just my $0.02. Using the TC decreases your working distance and makes it hard to get light into holes or cracks, but placing the strobes close to the lens port and almost parallel to the lens will help.

Manual focus? That's tough to do with the shallow DOF you get with that lens/TC.

 

Since you asked, I think you could have positioned your strobe(s) better to light the subjects and minimize harsh shadows - just my $0.02. Using the TC decreases your working distance and makes it hard to get light into holes or cracks, but placing the strobes close to the lens port and almost parallel to the lens will help.

I think you're right about my strobe angle. i didn't anticipate how extreme the side lighting would be, i did have the 2 strobes to the side pointing in, thinking the right one at 1/2 power would fill in the shadows, but i guess at these magnifications it is harder to fill in the gaps with side lighting. I'll try them next to the port parallel with the lens next time. Thanx for the tip.

Also, i chose manual focus cause i've tried the 105mm + TC on land and auto focus never quite got it. I needed to set it manually and move the camera slightly to catch focus. perhaps i'll try it on autofocus next time.

Do most people shoot super macro (at just over 1:1 these barely qualify...) in manual or auto focus or a combination??

Thanx for the tips - more criticism welcome, don't be bashful.

Cheers,

Chris

Do most people shoot super macro (at just over 1:1 these barely qualify...) in manual or auto focus or a combination??

 

Thanx for the tips - more criticism welcome, don't be bashful.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

I think shooting supermacro should only be done with manual focus, in whatever way you choose to do manual focus. Trying to do autofocus with a TC can be extremely frustrating.

The thing is, with these kinds of setups (ie: you're not just randomly shooting) you're not really 'focussing' anyways, you are making sure that the subject is in focus in the composition you want. So once you have that composition (or perhaps you can call it magnification, at any rate, once you have the subject fill the frame the way you want it) you should not need to alter the focal point of the lens anymore, just the positioning of your rig.

I do think they're a little too dark, but that should be easy to fix.

Great images!

Cor

Recently, I've been shooting a Sigma 105mm on an Oly E-330. With the 2x crop factor, this is equivalent to a film 210mm lens. I'm using auto-focus and the smallest aperture I can get away with for increased dof. Under low light, auto-focus is difficult for the camera, but with a bright focus light, it does just fine.

Calico bass face

Crab face

Spanish shawl eating.

Shawl face

Unknown shrimp

Starfish skin (they don't have faces!)

This is what you are reduced to when you have a macro lens and encounter a mola mola!