Macro help please

L

lancsoatcake

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197
Name
Daniel
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Hi there,

I've recently bought myself the 100m f2.8L IS Macro lens and, after a couple of nice test shots on quite a large spider outside last night, I notice I can only get so close.

I used my 7D as I felt the 1.6 crop would allow me to get more of the subject in my picture.

But I want to be able to photograph the smaller spiders and ants, and I don't believe I have either the magnification necessary, nor the detail with which I could crop down an image.

Do I need Macro extension tubes?

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. For image quality I'd prefer to use my 5Dmkii, but as mentioned I have a 7D if it may be better in this instance.

Many thanks,

Dan
 
To let something like a small spider (in terms of how big spiders are, as a garden spider isn't that big following that logic), you'd need extension tubes for it to fill the frame completely. You could get the canon 65 MP-E specialised lens if you intend on doing hundreds of these style shots over the years. The closer you get though, the more light you'll need, so a flash will be a necessity.
 
Thanks James, what exactly do extension tubes do may I ask?

The MP-E 65mm looks fabulous btw but maybe for the future.

I am using 580exII flash to give light necessary :)
 
The canon 100mm is a 1:1 macro so that's the largest magnification you'll get, if you set the lens to manual focus and set to the closest focusing distance you'll have maximum magnification (changing the focus distance alters magnification), now take a picture of a ruler and you'll see that the number of mm marks captured on the image is the same as the size of your sensor, so a smaller object will fill the frame on the 7d tan the 5d. To increase magnification you can add a full set of tubes which will give around 2:1 twice life size , so an object half the size of your sensor will fill the frame, or a teleconverter which will give 2:1 (2x)or 1.4:1 (1.4converter). Or you could get a MPE which will give you 5:1
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
The canon 100mm is a 1:1 macro so that's the largest magnification you'll get, if you set the lens to manual focus and set to the closest focusing distance you'll have maximum magnification (changing the focus distance alters magnification), now take a picture of a ruler and you'll see that the number of mm marks captured on the image is the same as the size of your sensor, so a smaller object will fill the frame on the 7d tan the 5d. To increase magnification you can add a full set of tubes which will give around 2:1 twice life size , so an object half the size of your sensor will fill the frame, or a teleconverter which will give 2:1 (2x)or 1.4:1 (1.4converter). Or you could get a MPE which will give you 5:1
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul, that's really useful :)
 
Extension tubes are hollow tubes that fit between the camera and the lens, moving the lens further away from the camera. This causes the minimum focus distance to decrease, allowing you to get closer making your subject look larger.
They can be used with any lens but, iirc, are more effective with shorter focal lengths.
(Also see reverse mount adaptors - putting the lens on backwards.)
Cheap sets with no electrical contacts are <£10 but everything will need setting manually. Focus you can manage but setting the aperture tricky without an aperture ring on the lens.
Auto tubes have the electrical contacts and cost from ~£60 and allow auto focus and camera aperture controll.
 
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