Hello, camera advice required

nicola mulvey

nicola mulvey

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Nicola Mulvey
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hello ***. i'm new to this forum and could do with some advise. i am looking at buying a new camera. i'll be using it to photograph insects close up and on the move.

i have no idea on what specification i'll need for the job. can any one help?
 
nicola mulvey said:
hello ***. i'm new to this forum and could do with some advise. i am looking at buying a new camera. i'll be using it to photograph insects close up and on the move.

i have no idea on what specification i'll need for the job. can any one help?
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Nicola,

Welcome to the forum :wave:

There are more than a few reasonable options to furnish your needs but it would be good to have an idea of your budget before folks dive in too deeply.

Bob
 
If you want to take flying insects in flight I would suggest you go for a DSLR as the shutter lag is too much on bridge and compact cameras and your hit rate will be very low.
 
a budget would help. are we looking for slr,dslr or bridge?

have a look through the macro foum for ajophotog, he uses a panasonic(bridge i think) and a raynox 202. his photos are amazing.

if your after a dslr, then the canon 400d, 450d, 40d are good options. or the nikons d40x,d60,d80. then there is the fixed focal length macro lenses like the sigma 105mm macro.

or the canon mpe 65 offers up to 5x magnification.

best option is pop to jessops and have a feel and see which camera body feels best in your hands.
 
I agree, a budget indication would be good. However, all you usually see recommended are Canons and Nikons... they are awesome cameras, but don't discount Olympus kit Nicola. You will find them exceptional value, and on top of this they come with the best kit lenses currently available. Take a peek at the E-420 or E-520 (or E-410, E-510) and you will find they offer an astounding features per pound ratio, or if your budget stretches... the E-3.
 
i'm luck to say that my budget is about £1500 for this.

i was told by a friend that does not know that mush that i'd need this sort of cash for what i want. but the jessops bloke thought i'd not need it?

i will be taking very close up photos and in flight one too!

i'm trying to make a list of what i need. someone said DSLR, MACRO LENS AND FLASH GUN. would this be ok. and are there other details i'd need to know
 
i've just noticed the image used for ajophotog. that's fab! is it one of your photos if so what camera did you use for that
 
Yes it is one of mine. You really need a dslr for catching in flight shots, a macro lens and flash to freeze the action. I would suggest a Canon 40d and canon ef 100 f2.8 Macro lens, a speedlite 430ex, off camera flash cord and flash bracket. Then lots and lots of practice. all for less than £1100 I reckon. Don't bother with a bridge or compact for the reason I have given before.
 
ok. thank you. looking at your pic i'd go with what you say cos that's the sort of pic's i'd like to take.

my three year old son keeps a tank full of insects. the predator in there is a common housespider. i've been trying to photograph that with a normal camera but it's hopeless.

thanks for your help. i'm quite looking forward to trying it out.
 
Taking good photos takes time and practice so don't expect to take great photos straight away you may well need to work at it, if you get good photos at the start it's a bonus ;) Good equipment doesn't mean good photos. Good luck in your quest ;)
 
thanks. i'll be back in a week or so asking for more help i'm sure. lol
 
i've just been looking on the flickr site at the book lice (Liposcelis bostrychophila). will the equipment suggested by ajophotog get as close as that? with the fine detail that can be seen.
 
do you have a link you can post?
 
best to let alby answer that since he took it
 
Nicola just a word of caution, some of the macro images on this site are stunning but they are not easy to take even with the right kit and as Alby has said it will take lots & lots of practice to get good shots. you are usually only a couple of inches away from bug you are trying to photograph, the little buggers wont stay still long enough for you to focus or press the shutter release and a millimeter to far or too short and you will find the bit of the bug you want in focus is out of focus - Just don't be disappointed if you don't get results straight away. Good luck and don't forget to post on here when you get your camera.
 
No the equipment will get you to lifesize so you can fit a common wasp head to tail edge to edge on a photo, the booklice were taken with a bridge camera and a raynox lens and are about 5-6x lifesize. You will need extra equipment to get you to that sort magnification.
 
so i take it that'll be aswell as the others you have already suggested. guess thats why many people on here have more than one canera. so what would you need for that sort of detail?

thanks to dogfish for your word of caution. i'll enjoy trying anyway. i'm only doing it for my own entertainment.
 
You will need a lens called an MP-e 65 which will allow you to go from 1x to 5x lifesize but it's not the easiest lens in the world to use or the cheapest, you could also add a Raynox clipon lens on the front of the ef100 to gain more magnification but I strongly suggest you get used to the bare ef100 first and move on from there when you feel ready. Extreme Macro isn't the easiest to get on with as Paul says you are really close to the subject and the area of focus is very narrow. Enjoy the ef100 first I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
 
ok. thank you again for your help. hope i've not been a pain. i'll post back on here once i have had a play with it.

should i find this same thread or make another when i do? i dont know how it works yet.
 
thanks chris. it is fab i've been looking over the pic's. some inspirational work.
 
Just start a new one and post up some pics it the best way to learn through constructive criticism and we are all a friendly lot on here..... mostly :LOL:
 
In flight shots are seriously difficult - even with hoverflies that will sometimes obligingly stay still for you. Even getting a good static shot with a macro lens can take some practice and you need some understanding of photography as you will need some manual settings - auto modes just won't do it.

Fortunately you are in the right place for all the help you will need :)
 
thanks again to you all. looking forward to your constructive criticism.
 
I've pondered this thread for a while and I feel that a slight shift from my normal advice is needed.

I always recommend a 100/105mm as a good starting point for a novice macro shooter but the "in flight" bit bothers me a little.

Although the initial still shots will be a little more difficult to master, the flying shots would be easier with a 150/180mm lens due to their improved working distances. I suspect that it may be more beneficial to have a little more difficulty learning the basics and then be "up to speed" on the lens for flying shots if a 150 or 180 was procured from the beginning.

In a nutshell, the 100/105 would be the easier start but a 150/180 would be the best option for the ultimate goal.

Bob
 
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