What do you use for your close ups

[BillN_33]

A or B

I tend to use 300mm with a x 1,4TC, sometimes with a FF DSLR Body, (D810 or D750) - and have used most DX and FF Nikons over the years), and sometimes with a Nikon V1, (less than £100 used) + FT-1 + Nikon 300mm ......... any good SLR manual focus "old" lens is also good

Just thought that I would throw 2 "close ups' out .. taken quickly this evening

Both images cropped to about one third of the FF image - i.e 66% of the image discarded
One image taken from 8.5 metres and the other from less than a metre

one is with the Nikon 105mm f2.8 VR and the other with the Nikon 600mm f4 with a 1,4TC, (therefore 840mm)
Both with an FF Body and on a tripod
not that scientific as different shutters speeds and f values

I suppose I am asking, what do you use? ........ and you don't need a micro/macro lens to take reasonable/good images

1).

2).

 

[davholla]

I use a Canon MPE65 and Canon 60mm lens combined with one of these 3 Canon 7D MKII, Canon 550D or Canon 40D.
The problem with the MPE65 is the weight - very heavy.

 

[GardenersHelper]

I use various kit depending on subject matter, my location and my mood/inclination. I use cameras with 1/2.3", micro four thirds and APS-C sensors. I have several macro lenses but only use one of them, and that only recently, for flowers. I never use macro lenses for invertebrates - I prefer to use close-up lenses. With interchangeable lens cameras I use close-up lenses on tele-zoom lenses (45-175 on micro four thirds, 55-250 on APS-C).

Here are some examples using various combinations of kit, four flowers and four invertebrates. (I use various other combinations.)

I probably used a tripod for #6, the rest being hand-held. I used flash for #5 and #7, possibly with a Venus Optics KX800 twin flash, possibly with a Metz 58-AF-2. In either case the flash would have been mounted on the camera hot shoe and diffused with a DIY diffusion arrangement. I almost always use natural light for flowers. For the past several years I have generally used flash for invertebrates, apart from larger subjects such as butterflies and dragonflies in sunny conditions.

#1 APS-C Canon 70D with 55-250 EF-S lens, possibly with Canon 500D close-up lens

1 70D+55-250 1325 11 2018_05_10 IMG_7526_DxO RAW LR7 1400h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#2 1/2.3" 24-720 mm equivalent Panasonic TZ60 travel camera

2 TZ60 1327 02 2018_05_20 P1120989_DxO RAW LR7 1400h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#3 1/2.3" Panasonic FZ200 25-600 mm equivalent bridge camera, probably with Canon 500D close-up lens

3 FZ200+probably 500D 0730 58 2015_05_30 P1800305_DxO DXO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#4 Micro four thirds Panasonic G80 with Olympus 60 mm macro lens

4 G80+60 macro 1321 27 2018_05_07 P1230653_DxO RAW LR7 1400h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#5 1/2.3" Panasonic FZ200 25-600 mm equivalent bridge camera, probably with Raynox 150 (or possibly Raynox 250) close-up lens

5 FZ200+probably R150maybeR250 0735 06 2015_06_04 P1830278_DxO LR 1300 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#6 Micro four thirds Panasonic G3, probably with 45-175 mm lens, possibly with 45-200 mm lens, with close-up lens, probably Raynox 150

6 G3+probably R150 1319 016 15 P1710921_DxO 0100RAW01cP SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#7 1/2.3" Panasonic FZ330 25-600 mm equivalent bridge camera, possibly with Raynox MSN-202 close-up lens, or possibly with stacked Raynox 250 and 150, or two stacked Raynox 250s

7 FZ330+R202orR150+250 1254 2 P1360282_DxO 0100RAW01cP SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#8 APS-C Canon 70D with 55-250 EF-S lens, possibly with Canon 500D close-up lens, possibly with no close-up lens

8 70Dpossibly+500D 1158 111 1017 05 2016_03_25 IMG_8514_DxO SP7a LR6 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

I think that for close-ups controlling the illumination (or making canny use of natural illumination), making informed use of available apertures and post processing are all rather more important than the particular kit used.

 

[mikew]

Just getting back into it, at the moment its an old Sigma 105 macro via dumb adapter on a EM10MK11 with a shoe mounted Meik 320 flash, think i am going to order the Olympus 60mm macro tomorrow,then look at improving the lighting.


P5260013 by electric.mike, on Flickr

P5260012 by electric.mike, on Flickr

P5270009 by electric.mike, on Flickr

 

[alfbranch]

Quite simply look here
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-macro-rig.132158/

It varies massively.