Macro shots with 35mm SLR

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Snappychap

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Josh
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Hey guys and girls :)

I've recently just started to try and "get into" photography. I'm using a mint condition Praktica MTL 5 that was given to me and I must say it's such fun to use! Very nostalgic I guess! Looking to be upgrading to an Olympus OM1 in the near future once I've (hopefully) acquired the basic skill sets for taking a half-decent shot ha!

One thing i've wondered about a few times recently is taking macro shots.

So could you friendly and ever so helpful bunch give me some advice on what lenses I should be considering (these don't have to be specific to my MTL5 - but more what focal length lenses etc), what techniques to be using i.e what film to use, what shutter speed, what aperture etc? Also anything else you think that might help me to take a decent macro shot!

Thanks a lot in advance,

Snappychap (y)
 
My first ever SLR was a Praktica MTL3.....fond memories

Cheapest way to get into macro is to get a reversing ring so you can put a lens on back to front and change it into a macro.
 
Having just reviewed my macro attempts for the February POTY competition, I have realised I'm the last person to offer any advice on macro photography.

Lesson 1 learnt today...dust on a prop looks enormous in macro...clean props properly before photographing.
 
My first dip into macro was digital but the gear I used on the front was antediluvian :) I'm not a macro shooter as such but I like to snap the odd one now and then, which is why I can't justify spending loads on proper lenses.
I have used, and would suggest, 'auto' M42 extension tubes, about £10. Then you can stick your standard MTL5 (it's a Pentacon?) lens straight on them. These, as an example, are from my local camera shop: http://www.charleseaglesandson.com/used uni tubes m42.htm . Auto M42 tubes just mean there's a little rod running through them that pushes the aperture pin in on the lens, so you can focus open and the lens will stop down when you fire the shutter, same as if it were on the camera. They're a bit dearer than a reversing ring, true, but as they generally come as a set of 3, in different lengths, a bit more versatile. All three together are usually about 55mm to 60mm of extension, so you can get true 1:1 macro with a 50mm lens. This is from a digital body but using the above mentioned M42 gear on the front:
Vespula Germanica 5 by Michael B O'Brien, on Flickr
Depth of field at macro or near is silly-small, even at small apertures like f11. I found that f11 was about as far as I could go before sharpness suffered too much.
I tend to use flash a lot for macro, with a Pringles tube extender. A quick Google will throw up hundreds of how-to's :)
Of course, with film, you'll have to be even more confident about technique, no chimping or live-view :) Expect a lot of waste! Even digital, I get 1-in 4, but maybe that's just me being rubbish :D

*edit I'd forgotten I had this on flickr. The Pringles flash extender I use! :
'Pringles' flash extender by Michael B O'Brien, on Flickr
 
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Steve said:
My first ever SLR was a Praktica MTL3.....fond memories

Cheapest way to get into macro is to get a reversing ring so you can put a lens on back to front and change it into a macro.
Click to expand...

Haha glad to hear that they were fond memories for you!

I'll have to read a little into that, sounds interesting to say the least!
Thanks for the advice :)
 
Carter64 said:
My first dip into macro was digital but the gear I used on the front was antediluvian :) I'm not a macro shooter as such but I like to snap the odd one now and then, which is why I can't justify spending loads on proper lenses.
I have used, and would suggest, 'auto' M42 extension tubes, about £10. Then you can stick your standard MTL5 (it's a Pentacon?) lens straight on them. These, as an example, are from my local camera shop: http://www.charleseaglesandson.com/used%20uni%20tubes%20m42.htm . Auto M42 tubes just mean there's a little rod running through them that pushes the aperture pin in on the lens, so you can focus open and the lens will stop down when you fire the shutter, same as if it were on the camera. They're a bit dearer than a reversing ring, true, but as they generally come as a set of 3, in different lengths, a bit more versatile. All three together are usually about 55mm to 60mm of extension, so you can get true 1:1 macro with a 50mm lens. This is from a digital body but using the above mentioned M42 gear on the front: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecarter64/7076508847/
Vespula Germanica 5 by Michael B O'Brien, on Flickr
Depth of field at macro or near is silly-small, even at small apertures like f11. I found that f11 was about as far as I could go before sharpness suffered too much.
I tend to use flash a lot for macro, with a Pringles tube extender. A quick Google will throw up hundreds of how-to's :)
Of course, with film, you'll have to be even more confident about technique, no chimping or live-view :) Expect a lot of waste! Even digital, I get 1-in 4, but maybe that's just me being rubbish :D

*edit I'd forgotten I had this on flickr. The Pringles flash extender I use! : http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecarter64/8004460492/
'Pringles' flash extender by Michael B O'Brien, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Some really useful help and advice there mate :)

What exactly is it that the extension tubes do to the standard lens - apart from what you've described already regards to stopping down the lens?

I'll have to give it a try and get through a few rolls of film, testing upto what aperture I can get away with!

That flash extender is very interesting! In what way did you find that using flash a lot helped improve your macro shots?

(sorry for all the questions but I'm a true novice here haha!)

Thanks again
Snappychap
 
Snappychap said:
What exactly is it that the extension tubes do to the standard lens - apart from what you've described already regards to stopping down the lens?
Click to expand...

I fully agree with Carter64's recommendation of using extension tubes. These are basically just hollow tubes which allow the lens to be positioned further away from the camera. The further away the lens is from the camera body, the higher the magnification. The Nikon ones I bought many years ago are 14mm, 27.5mm and 52.5mm, and can be used individually or all three together if you wish. There should be no problem obtaining them for a Praktica, or any other make for that matter. :)
 
Tubes move the lens further away from the film plane, increasing he magnification factor. So, at an extension of 50mm tube with a 50mm lens, you get 1:1 magnification ie an object 5mm in real life uses 5mm of the negative, before it's enlarged by printing/scanning :) 25mm of tubes would give a 1:2 magnification, so 5mm real life would register as 2.5mm on the negative etc. Length of tube divided by lens focal length = magnification ratio. Bear in mind, the working distance from the front of the lens to the subject is also quite small, a matter of inches or less. A longer focal length lens increases this, and even better with a dedicated macro lens but then we're getting into large amounts of money territory :)

I use flash mainly because the weather and my work commitments (night-worker, I sleep the first half of the day) seem to conspire against me and it's rare I have the time when it's nice and bright outside!
Negatively, the light is harsh and easily creates hot-spots on anything remotely reflective. But it has the positives of allowing small apertures consistently and freezing movement. A 50mm lens on 60mm of tubes is a swine to keep really steady hand-held in the field, at least for me: I recall the MTL5 is quite a hefty beast as it is :)
At macro, the movement is amplified, like it is with telephoto. Even the tiniest bit of camera movement can induce camera shake blur. Without flash, on a bright day, you could still get a reasonable shutter speed of say 1/250 at f11, especially with ISO400 film. Don't forget that with longer tubes, there's some light-loss in addition to the aperture. So with the lens set at f11, the amount of light hitting the film is more like f16 or f22, which will of course impact on the shutter speed. The camera's TTL meter will of course, consider this but you'd have to adjust if you used a hand-held meter.

I started with static objects indoors to get the feel of things. That way you get more keepers and this tends to reduce the beginner frustration lol.
I suppose it depends on what you want to shoot. Bugs tend not to hang around and universally fail to understand 'great, love it, can you just hold it there while I set up' :D :D For things that aren't going anywhere, a tripod and focussing rail is ideal. And way less frustrating :) :)
 
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You can also get lenses that screw into the filter fitting, in various magnifications; not sure about the quality of the image though. I have one, and I'm not certain about my test shots. They aren't obviously bad but they don't thrill me. Also a "tele-converter" might work, basically an extension tube with a lens in it. And finally I found I had an old Tamron 85-210 lens with a "macro" setting. I know people pooh-pooh these, but it gets roughly 1:2 and the quality does look pretty good across the image to me. It weighs a ton though. Apparently one of the Vivitar 85-210 lenses has a real 1:1 but I've no idea if it's available for Praktica.

So, tripod, tripod, tripod! Then you can take multiple shots at different focal planes, focus stack and enter this months POTY round!
 
If you want a set of three extension tubes which will fit your MTL 5 and any M42 lens, send me your address by PM and I will post them to you.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
If you want a set of three extension tubes which will fit your MTL 5 and any M42 lens, send me your address by PM and I will post them to you.

Steve.
Click to expand...

Carter - again Thanks a lot for explaining that! It's slowly starting to sink in :)

Chris - yeah I've heard about a couple of lenses with macro settings, but I definitely agree with the tripod suggestion haha! I haven't got the most steady of hands :(

Steve - how much for the extension tubes?

Thanks again everyone for the advice and help so far :)

Snappychap
 
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