Some Macros

[OneCosmos]

Hi again,

As promised a mail about macro. I wanted to find out if people were managing to do much? I have been pretty busy with the Canon 65mm macro and twin flash and you can see my results here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/onecosmos but I have also attached a few of my favourites below. I am loving this lens and although I have now purchased a focus rail for use on the tripod I did so knowing that 90% of the photos I have taken could not have been captured with a tripod. On the other hand, I find it difficult to go beyond 3x without a tripod.

Thanks for looking,

Chris

[StarLane]

Mate these are awesome......not sure why no one else has replied???????

I've tried macro before with living creatures and realise how difficult it is, especially lighting.

Well done :thumbsup:

[zardos123]

love the spiders and the beatle hard gets well done;)

[OneCosmos]

Thanks to you both - the comments are much appreciated. I thought I'd been sent to Coventry :confused2:

I first tried Macro myself back in the early 1980s and found it to be a tortuous pastime with a very low keep rate. Digital photography combined with modern macro lenses and flash units makes everything much easier. Fortunately Canon have not yet produced a 'passify insect life, button on their cameras so the challenge remains very real, but all the more rewarding for that :)

[rcheshire]

They are very nice Chris. Macros are great fun.

[Poita]

Lovely work.
Can you post a photo of your setup, very interested in how the focus rail works.

[OneCosmos]

Thanks Poita,

I should emphasise that none of the macro images I have taken have been taken using either a tripod or a focus rail, but I did end up buying the Manfrotto rail just in case I want to explore some options in more of a 'studio' type of setup. I reckon in the field very few living creatures will oblige long enough for you to move in to position with a tripod. I also think a focus rail would be extremely slow compared to just moving backward and forward!

I am currently working in Melbourne, but back to Brisbane on Friday and I will set it all up and take some photos and post them., In the meantime if you want to see pictures of the camera, lens and flash setup you can see them on my flikr site - flikr.com/photos/onecosmos

[Poita]

Thanks I'll take a look.

I am doing everything hand-held but having trouble with the light. Your stuff is fantastic.

[OneCosmos]

Ok, back in Brisbane and I finally decided to give the manfrotto focus rail a try. I also took some pics as I promised.

I attachedd the quick release plate to the bottom of the rail and the camera directly to the rail (which required a screwdriver to secure properly, which would be a little onerous). The focus rail worked exactly as it should, forward and backward in a pretty smooth motion.

The real problem though is that a tripod and focus rail for field macro work is about a useful as a chocolate teapot :( I cannot imagine using it to get any results at all. I have done pretty well without a tripod up 'till now and think I will continue without. The focus rail may come in handy though if I decide to do some studio-type of setup with static subjects.

For macro work outside, imaging living creatures I'd say forget it!

[Poita]

Thanks for the update, I wondered how it would work to be fast enough for live subjects, I guess I have my answer!

It might be handy for my telecine project though.

[gary]

"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour." - Blake

Beautiful shots and thanks for taking us into another world.

[OneCosmos]

Thanks Gary and sorry for the long delay in responding - work really does get n the way of life!

[Chris.B]

Great macro shots, will have to save for a macro lens. I have been using a set of tubes and the 75-300mm lens. Works ok.
Not yet up to your level but working on it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cboylen/sets/72157618593818232/

Hand held outside shots are very hit and miss. I'm lucky to get 2 or 3 I'm really happy with each session. The rail and mini studio looks like it will give very nice results.

[OneCosmos]

I disagree about trailing behind in terms of your shots. They look impressive and I love the Wasp 6332.

I have heard and read a lot about people saying the Canon 65mm MPE 'is difficult', 'shouldn't be your first macro lens' and other such statements. Personally I don't hold with this view at all. I have never found anything easier in all my life - seriously. In the field I keep about 90% of the shots I take because the lens seems incapable of a bad result - so long as you have the flash unit too. It isd almost impossible without flash.

It does take patience for sure but I simply set it to the smallest apperture and the shutter to 200th second and let the flash take care of the rest (although I do use manual flash and experiment with pointing angles etc).

Compared to what I used to usein my teens - an old autobellows with no flash it is a breeze :)

I would encourage anyone to go with the MPE 65mm if they use Canon. The quality is superb.

Chris