What camera/lense do you use for butterflies?

blackb1rd · #1 (**permalink**) 15-07-2010, 09:39 PM

Hi all,

Just wondering what camera/lense combo people on here are using to get their butterfly pics as there are a lot of very nice pics in the Gallery.

I use a Canon 400D and a Canon 55-250 EF-S IS telephoto (never tried to capture butterflies until this year). The lense is far from ideal but gets me good enough pics to use as my pc screensaver even if they're not award winning.

What do you think would be the ideal lense for typical sunny day outdoor butterfly shots?

A few of my first efforts

Jason Claxton · #2 (**permalink**) 16-07-2010, 11:59 AM

Hi Blackb1rd

I have a Canon 450d,100-400L and a Sigma 105 macro.I like to use the macro where I can but it is often a lot harder to get up right close,although some species are more approachable than others,the macro does have its rewards.The 100-400 will get me plenty close and it is the lens that I put on if I want to be certain of a shot .I'm kind of wishing for a 150 macro now.
Try also posting on the photography forum also for further help.

Cheers Jason.

basquesteve · #3 (**permalink**) 16-07-2010, 12:43 PM

I use a Olympus SP500UZ compact camera you need to sneak up on them

Miss Caretaker · #4 (**permalink**) 16-07-2010, 02:00 PM

Just for the record, I have a Nikon coolpix which I use on the macro setting. Nowhere near professional and again you have to creep up on them in the hope that they don't fly away before it focusses! Here are some of the shots I've managed with it:

Jo

ollyk · #5 (**permalink**) 17-07-2010, 12:54 PM

I had a Nikon Coolpix 8700 which had a superb lens for macro and as long as there was no fast movement and plenty of light it thrashed my SLR / Sigma 17-70 and 70-300 macro lens combination. However insects in flight was nigh on impossible as you can imagine so there is a plus side for the pro gear.
I would possibly change my mind if I had a dedicated macro lens but until then I will continue to regret selling my Nikon for close detailed shots!

rlchew · #6 (**permalink**) 17-07-2010, 05:46 PM

Nikon D80 and Sigma 150mm macro .... plus patience and luck!

Richard

Miss Caretaker · #7 (**permalink**) 17-07-2010, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ollyk

I had a Nikon Coolpix 8700 which had a superb lens for macro and as long as there was no fast movement and plenty of light it thrashed my SLR / Sigma 17-70 and 70-300 macro lens combination. However insects in flight was nigh on impossible as you can imagine so there is a plus side for the pro gear.
I would possibly change my mind if I had a dedicated macro lens but until then I will continue to regret selling my Nikon for close detailed shots!

The only other downside, other than the impossibility of taking movement shots, is that the batteries don't last long when it's only used on the macro setting.

stevecurtis · #8 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 07:39 AM

Hi blackb1rd just a small peace of advise, whatever set up you choose make sure its light and compact enough to always carry with you,ive been there with all the heavy kit that stays in the car, I have now gone back to a Panasonic FZ38 which I carry every where and get some great results good zoom as well which is great to get good quality record shot if you can not get close.

all the best Steve

Geoff F · #9 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 11:07 AM

Well you are on the right lines there but those photos are a bit soft and your exposure is a bit variable. But it depends if you are looking for semi pro results or just a quick snap as an aid to identification.

But good butterfly photography isn't as easy as it sounds.

Your equipment is reasonable although that lens tends to get a bit soft at full length. If you need to get even closer, an extension tube will help. I started macro photography with the Canon 70-300 IS plus a 25 mm tube. But on the downside, you do lose a bit of light with a tube so you may need to increase your ISO slightly.

My main question though, is did you use a tripod? With your set up I would say always use one. I struggled with poor focus until I purchased a reasonably cheap tripod. Now I mostly lug around a Manfrotto which is heavy and has to be strapped to my backpack for carriage. But for general lightweight occasional use I have a Velbon Luxi L which is a 4 piece construction which folds up to 14 ins and fits inside my backpack. Lightweight, reasonably stable and fairly cheap for a quality tripod but that still means getting on for £100.

A shorter macro lens would give better handheld results but if you need a general purpose zoom stick with what you have and get a tripod. Or as an alternative, a monopod would help.

With regard to general camera settings. You need a decent depth of field so I would use Aperture Priority (Av) set to around F11. Keep an eye on your shutter speed to cope with any wind movement. Adjust the ISO if necessary; keep it as low as possible but you should be OK upto ISO 800.

I prefer to focus manually but auto focus can work better on those flighty specimens where a quick shot is needed. Using just the centre focusing point will help to prevent false auto focus problems.

Spot exposure metering will prevent the background from giving an inappropriate exposure to the intended subject. But a little exposure compensation will often be necessary where you have excessive contrast.

Careful editing of the resulting images will give extra improvement, especially using Unsharp Mask to enhance sharpness. I think your posted examples could benefit from this technique.

Apart from that, it is just a case of keep shooting and experimenting with your camera settings. Always try to work out what went wrong with the failures!

As for me, I use a Canon 40D with Sigma 180 macro lens for general insect photography. But that lens is heavy, rather expensive and must be used on a strong, and pricey, tripod. You don't really need that big a lens for butterflies.

Hope this helps a little.

ps. This site gives some good advice on extension tubes, etc. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tut...es-closeup.htm and they also have another tutorial on macro photography

blackb1rd · #10 (**permalink**) 18-07-2010, 01:11 PM

Thanks for the detailed post and advice Geoff, exactly what I was looking for.

I'm aware the pictures I've taken so far are a bit soft but it is a fairly cheap lense (all I can afford at present) on full 250mm for most shots and entirely hand held so I'm not overly worried about that.

I don't take a tripod out as I think in many of the places I shoot it would simply be too cumbersome and difficult to use. I also find I'm constantly moving and changing position shooting butterflies so a tripod is not always suitable; perhaps a monopod would work better in that respect.

One thing I have realised, and that you've also highlighted, is the lack of depth of field. I was generally shooting at F5.6-10 and it has meant that a number of the shots lack enough depth to keep the whole buttefly in clear focus. I'll try to shoot more with F11 or higher and see if that improves them.

As for post processing I currently do nothing but an occasional crop and some minor level adjustments. I would however really like to be able to do more I just don't always have the time and patience to do so. I use GIMP to edit and know it is capable of a lot more than I use it for at present - sharpening would certainly be a good start.

For the record I originally set out just to capture good enough images for clear identification (trying to compile a list of species seen on various reserves in the area). However, I do find it very addictive and any advice that lets me improve to a level where my pictures could be called "semi-pro" is very much appreciated.

Thanks again