Macro sruggle....Help!

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oymd

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This is my first try at macro, and i really need some tips. I find my results very poor, and i do not know why the images came out so poor, no matter what I tried.

First off, the equipment used was:

Panasonic G2 with the 45-200mm OIS lens
Raynox 250 was used with the lens at FULL zoom.
Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod
Manfrotto 494RC2 Mini Ball Head
Remote shutter release
Nissen Di466 flash

I understand I wasn't using a dedicated macro lens, but I have seen online MUCH better results with the Raynox 250+Zoom lenses?

My test subject was a tiny spider I spotted in my balcony, weaving its net in one of the balcony chairs arms....he hasnt moved for about a week...:D

Problems I faced:

On sunny days, I felt too much glare and focus wasn't easy.

When I used flash, I couldn't get the exposure right.

The Raynox has an INFINITESIMALLY TINY DOF!!!! Almost impossible to get the whole spider in focus!!

Used remote shutter, and turned OIS OFF on lens.

When using the Manfrotto's top column in horizontal position, I felt the tripod was going to tip over? How can this be overcome?

I just bought the tripod and head. I am happy with the first, but very unhappy with the head?! I read people using it on proper DSLRs with zoom lenses, but I felt it struggled with my low weight basic setup?! I am thinking of returning it, and getting the 460MG. Will it be any better? Or the 496RC2?

Lots of questions, and need some advice...many thanks..

Here is the setup:

IMG_1451.jpg



The elusive spider:

P1040221.jpg


P1040232.jpg


P1040273.jpg


P1040275.jpg
 
The DOF is tiny at that focal length and distance from the subject. It's not just a Raynox thing, it's a macro thing in general.

The first thing I noticed with your shots (well, the one that I checked anyway!) is that you seem to have used the widest aperture available, which will make the DOF even more tricky. Try using a narrower aperture. That will make the DOF slightly more workable, as well as hopefully giving you sharper results. :) I usually aim for about f11-f13, but sometimes I even go as far as f20.
 
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Thanks for the tip. Will try that.
How about shutter speed?
What SS should I aim for? If I go to f/12 I suppose I'll need a slower SS?

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I find ball heads absolutely useless for macro, because when you release the friction, the camera wants to flop all over the place. A 3-way head is much easier to control. With regards the threat of the whole lot tipping over, extend the legs outwards by releasing the grey catches at the tops of the legs and extend the legs' lengths to compensate the height. This way, the tripod will have a much wider base and be more stable.
 
Increase your aperture to f11 or f16. Shutter speed is irrelevant if your using flash. If using a tripod and no flash then you can use slower shutter speeds as the camera will perfectly still. Why use the center column in the horizontal position?

Dai
 
Put everything in Manual, set shutter to 1/200 iso 100 or 200 and aperture to f11 then adjust the flash power up or down to give you the correct exposure and if possible try and get the flash diffused and over the front of the lens (checkout the show us your macro gear sticky in this forum for some DIY inspirations)and use handheld for insects as tripods just get in the way. Practise with these settings on simple static objects to get use to the shallow DOF and how best to lay the DOF plane on the objects to show them at their best and before too long you will improve, manual focus moving the camera in and out to gain focus. Keep at it.

Hope this helps in some way ;)
 
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If your camera has live view then use it. Someone mentioned this to me and I have found my shots have improved dramatically. Live view on, man focus, digitally zoom right in and re-focus. Pin sharp results. Also use a 2 sec delay.

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Ajophotog said:
Put everything in Manual, set shutter to 1/200 iso 100 or 200 and aperture to f11 then adjust the flash power up or down to give you the correct exposure and if possible try and get the flash diffused and over the front of the lens (checkout the show us your macro gear sticky in this forum for some DIY inspirations)and use handheld for insects as tripods just get in the way. Practise with these settings on simple static objects to get use to the shallow DOF and how best to lay the DOF plane on the objects to show them at their best and before too long you will improve, manual focus moving the camera in and out to gain focus. Keep at it.

Hope this helps in some way ;)
Click to expand...

In my limited new experience at (bug) macro photography I can completely agree with all of this Alby! (y) Exactly what I do.
 
oymd said:
This is my first try at macro, and i really need some tips. I find my results very poor, and i do not know why the images came out so poor, no matter what I tried.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the "joys" of macro!

Unfortunately you have started with a bad subject - a tiny spider and a zoom lens used with the raynox.

Now many people praise such a combo but at FULL zoom your zoom may not be good enough to get the kind of shots we ALL crave!

I would say break into macro slowly - try more mundane subjects such as flowers etc -AND (as long as it's legal) pick them then set them up indoors and try photographing them at various zooms etc with and without the Raynox.

You have to break into macro relatively slowly as it's a totally different discipline and nothing like "ordinary" photography.

And if you think flowers are too mundane here are two pics of Daffodils which I am quite pleased with:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20926615@N05/5572061761/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20926615@N05/5572652048/sizes/o/in/photostream/
.
 
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Thanks to everyone for the very helpful posts....

The advice on APERTURE was especially helpful, as I found that at f/11 I had better DOF to work with...I even tried f/22 several times...:D

Also the bit on MANUAL FOCUS was very very helpful, as I needed it to focus on the movement inside the watch, instead on the glass of the case back, which wasn't very clean...:)

I also exchanged today at Jessops the Manfrotto 494RC2 head for the bigger 496RC2 head. Much better in my opinion.

Sadly, my little friend...the tiny spider, has disappeared from my balcony chair, so I had to make due with my watch...:(

Here are some examples....not great...but I felt I am more in control with the DOF after following the advice I got here...

SHOULD HAVE CLEANED THE CASE BACK GLASS!!..
:)

P1040355.jpg


P1040363.jpg


P1040368.jpg


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P1040378.jpg


Many thanks....(y)
 
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When using flash, should I point it at the subject in focus, or ceiling etc?

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Might I suggest that a 45-200 is not an ideal macro lens, and that you may well be better off with n old manual focus fast fifty on extension tubes or as I have, on a Teleplus macro 2x teleconverter? 1:1 Macro with a useful DOF (f5.6 is just nice most of the time I find) and it's a cheap as chips setup.

Here's an example from me:

P1060357s43.jpg


Zuiko 50mm f1.8 (set to F4 for this shot) on above mentioned converter, shot handheld on a GH1.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
Might I suggest that a 45-200 is not an ideal macro lens, and that you may well be better off with n old manual focus fast fifty on extension tubes or as I have, on a Teleplus macro 2x teleconverter? 1:1 Macro with a useful DOF (f5.6 is just nice most of the time I find) and it's a cheap as chips setup.

Here's an example from me:

P1060357s43.jpg


Zuiko 50mm f1.8 (set to F4 for this shot) on above mentioned converter, shot handheld on a GH1.
Click to expand...

Thats very nice.

Can you please point me in the direction of the EXACT components of your setup?
I'm quiet the newbie...:D
 
oymd said:
Thats very nice.

Can you please point me in the direction of the EXACT components of your setup?
I'm quiet the newbie...:D
Click to expand...
Cheers (y)

It's the one in the middle:

P1060247s43.jpg


Zuiko 50mm f1.8 standard lens (Late version Zuiko Auto S, try and find one that either says just Zuiko or Zuiko MC, don't get a F.Zuiko one as the contrast and colour is pretty nasty on digital)

The Teleconverter is a Teleplus OP Macro 2x one deigned specifically for this lens. It's pretty old, came with my OM2, was going to sell it but it turned out to be very useful! I think they did a series of them dedicated to the standard 50mms of each manufacturer.

Then there's the OM-m4/3 converter which is just a cheap ebay jobby, and finally they all sit on a GH1.

(y)

I have also used ancient super cheap 70-210 zooms on extension tubes on 4/3 as well as the 50mm on extension tubes too, but I prefert this TC for it's nice wide focus ring,
 
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