macro lens
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GardenersHelper
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You could use an achromat on your 70-300. They cost between £40 and £80 or so. Examples include the Canon 500D, Marumi +5, Canon 250D, Raynox 150 and Raynox 250.
You might need more than one of these depending on the range of size of the subjects you want to photograph. Other things being equal (like operator skill) a dedicated macro lens will give you better results. But people are often surprised at just how good the results from achromats can be.
Or you could use a close-up filter set. These are cheaper, and more flexible in terms of the range of magnifications they can produce, but they produce lower quality results than achromats, and are particularly prone to chromatic aberration.
You should be able to do something with a reversing ring with the lenses you have. This example is based on a 70-300mm and 50mm so should apply pretty well to your gear.
http://www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=40
Failing that close up filters are a cheap, easy way to get started on Macro. Pretty effective too.
http://www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=40
Failing that close up filters are a cheap, easy way to get started on Macro. Pretty effective too.
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And to prove that this series of pics was taken just using a cheap set of close up filters off Ebay for about £15.00 (+1, +2, +4. +10 dioptres) fitted to a kit lens on a Canon 350D
1. A Ladybird Larva taken using a +4 dioptre filter
2. Insect and Flower using a +4 dioptre filter.
3. Fly on Nettle Flower using a +10 dioptre filter.
Smaller filters work much better than large filters so the 18-55mm kit lens on th Canon 350D worked very well.
As usual with all macro work the DOF is always very small so be prepared to use my technique: take hundreds of shots and throw away a lot of duff ones !
And turn off AF - it is useless on macro shots - use the preset focus and rocking back and forth technique.
The photos shown here were taken without flash but for most shots flash is preferable as long as you can balance it with the daylight which normally means working at about 1/200 sec for the flash and then setting the aperture as needed (usually a very small one to help with the DOF).
And as has already been said - practice, practice, practice - in fact a good idea is to do what I often do and bring home a lot of little flowers etc and photograph them indoors using a tripod to get a feel for the subject.
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GardenersHelper
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+1
Hmm.... Not sure about useless, not as a blanket statement. Some people, and I'm one of them, do use autofocus for close-ups/macros. It may depend on what camera/lens you use. Best I think to try it for yourself and see what works best for you.
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You could try a set of extension tubes, £60 will get a set of polaroid ones that still allow autofocus, aperture control and other normal camera controls to function.
If you do want to get a macro lens though then I can vouch for the Canon 60mm macro lens being good and I've seen a few going for around £200 recently.
Canon 60mm and polaroid extension tubes, handheld using autofocus.
If you do want to get a macro lens though then I can vouch for the Canon 60mm macro lens being good and I've seen a few going for around £200 recently.
Canon 60mm and polaroid extension tubes, handheld using autofocus.
OP
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Guys
I will be doing Macro as part of a collage assignment, so don't know if I would use Macro often or not.
I think I will give the filters a go first and if I find that I want to do more, I can go for a new lens.
Thanks for all your help.
John
I will be doing Macro as part of a collage assignment, so don't know if I would use Macro often or not.I think I will give the filters a go first and if I find that I want to do more, I can go for a new lens.
Thanks for all your help.
John