Challenge:Best Insect Macro shots using equipment totalling<£300(not incl essentials)

hiphopopotamus

hiphopopotamus

Messages
321
Edit My Images
No
I hope the title of this is self explanatory. Having spent the last day or so trawling through some of this forum's macro insect photography (lots of which is astounding), I often wondered how much people had to spend to get those results, so thought I'd ask to see how well some of you guys can do using equipment totalling <£300 (obviously not including things considered the basic essentials to photography in general, such as the camera body + standard flash/diffuser + tripod. Obviously a lens is essential, but I'm ruling that out here).

For example, I have a canon 50mm 1.8 II (~£75), was looking into some kenko tubes (~£100-130). And then maybe adding a ring flash on, would probably take me up to the £300 budget.

Someone might have a macro lens bought for <£300 that blows the combinations out of the water.

Hopefully some of you have the equipment necessary to try something like this lying around, and might like the challenge...?
 
Dont know if this counts as macro as I dont have macro lenses yet.
I only have a Panasonic DMC-G3 with 14-42 lens for now, but heres a shot I have taken with just that.

fire milipede by kayicolyn, on Flickr

Dont know if this is cheating as the milipede belongs to my friend who goes round to schools teaching about bugs and ecology.
 
Last edited:
This would probably be my favorite of mine, Taken on my canon 40D using my Sigma 105mm Macro (£250 Ish) and the onboard flash (If i remember correctly).
I love the sharpness of this lens, this pics looks exactly the same at 100% crop, Its fantastic.

IMG_4991 by Gareth Davies, on Flickr
 
Taken with my 300D and a Tamron 28-300, handheld in natural light. It cost less than £200 new :)


fly.jpg
 
Interesting photos,the one at 105mm looks great,was that taken with a tripod/standalone flash?and was the bug dead?
 
Nope very much alive, was in the butterfly house in Portsmouth. Handheld but using the onboard flash I think, as this was before I got my 430EX.
 
That's great, looks like I might be trying out that lens I think. Just waiting for some polaroid AF extension tubes to arrive and I'll try them out with my current lenses, but if a bit too fiddly I may jump for that lens. Are there any others around the same price I should consider?
 
Looks like you may have set the budget too high with £300 :LOL: Some really fantastic examples of what can be done without spending a small fortune.
Here are my contributions from the real bargain end of the spectrum, although the first two are technically just close-ups not really macro.



Just Canon's 18-55mm lens <£100 (or free if you accept that it comes with the body as a kit)


Bee on Lavender2 by SarahLee1001, on Flickr





Canon's 18-55mm lens <£100 (or free if you accept that it comes with the body as a kit)
PLUS
Yungnuo off camera flash <£50


(Excuse the added text and zoomed bit, I used this to make a point on another thread and can't find the original unedited one right now)




Canon's 18-55mm lens <£100 (or free if you accept that it comes with the body as a kit)
PLUS
Yungnuo off camera flash <£50
PLUS
Raynox adapter <£50


fly1 by SarahLee1001, on Flickr
 
Sigma 70-300mm £70 second hand off eBay, or <£120 new on amazon.

Yongnuo Flash <£50.

Raynox DCR-250 £50.

flybubble.jpg


hoverflycopy.jpg


Luke
 
All my macro shots are done with an ancient, fully manual Nikkor 105mm micro f4, £100 of that auction site, Kenko tubes, about £100 and sometimes a Raynox 250 as well.

This is without the Raynox

DSC_0752 by simon ess, on Flickr

And this is with the Raynox.

Raynox 3 by simon ess, on Flickr
 
Last edited:

IMG_4494 by m.rodgers1, on Flickr

Take with the 18-55 kit lens with a £2 coupling ring and an old FD mount 50mm lens reversed on the front. Used the popup flash with a tinfoil, cardboard and sellotape diffuser.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top