Sorry let me change that. Has anyone got any tips on shooting macro. I will not rush it from on..
Gav
I suggest you start a new thread with a more appropriate macro title, as not many macro specialists are going to drop in on a croping / cropping thread
my tips as one who is thoroughly inexperienced and uneducated in the art but had a play earlier this year enough to know I know too little:
- use a macro capable lens if you've got one (don't know all of what you've got and what it can do), or consider adding macro tube(s) or a macro adaptor (filter ring add on lens thing)
- watch out for minimum focus distance on your lens (tubes or adaptors will modify it)
- select your focus point
- get some tables or a calculator for depth of field then you'll understand why:
- use a tripod or use AI Servo to continually focus if handheld, body sway will move it out of focus. Also use AI Servo if any chance of subject moving.
- f11 or f18 to get any reasonable depth of field,
- 1/100 if there is any chance of camera or subject moving (including wind)
- you'll soon need flash (forget above iso 400, its too noisey on the 400D), if you're using popup flash then probably need to remove lens hood to prevent shadow across subject, also a diffuser (eg. adapted plastic milk carton) is useful but not vital. I use manual mode on camera with flash for macro (Av mode on the 400D meters the shutter for background and controls flash power for subject fill, so you end up with long exposures).
- your example was soft, this also washes the colour out. Possibilities:
-Too close (minimum focus distance for lens)
- subject or you moving slightly after focussing
- low shutter speed for movement (you or subject)
- incorrect sharpening set in camera if using straight out of camera jpegs
- incorrect sharpening technique if using Post Processing software (go read the tutorials section if you don't understand, look for : Sharpening, Unsharp Mask and USM)
- trying to increase size of image beyond available resolution
- consider boosting saturation slightly when editing
just my thoughts, not necessarily correct :nuts: