Difficult subjects

[Gill Catton]

Shutter lag unfotunately is a problem you'll have to put up with but all digital cameras seem to have this to a varying degree and its no less irritating even if the lag ids shorter! There is definately an element of luck to getting a good shot.

As regards stability my FZ30 was quite good, but I'd still try to use a fencepost, tree or indeed my knee if crouched to add to this. and yes I never used the viewfinder always the screen.

The optimum distance for the setup I had was about 6 inches from the subject so I'd learn to start at this point immediately. Finally the 250 is much harder to work with than the 150 I found.

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by djeyewater

Hi Gill

I've been trying to take some insect photos lately with my Panasonic FZ5 and the Raynox DCR-250, but I find that it is very hard to keep the camera steady (handheld) in terms of how I want the image composed. Combined with the shutter lag, I often take a photo and then when the shutter has finally triggered, find that I have moved the camera so the insect is half cut off. And this is with relatively static insects, not flying ones!

I will try your tip of using the rear LCD for focusing instead of the viewfinder, I have been using the viewfinder and found it quite hard to see the plane of focus (compared to the optical viewfinder of a DSLR).

Do you have any other tips or advice for close-ups/macro with the FZ + Raynox combo?

Thanks

Dave

Dave,

I do not have advice for your particular setup but offer this general advice re settings.

Use continuous auto focus and not single shot auto focus. This will take into account camera/insect movement. Final focus takes place after the shutter has been fully pressed. Manually adjust focus to get the insect roughly in focus and then let af lock on it. This blurs the background sufficiently to ensure the camera af will not attempt to lock on another subject.

This has worked well for me.

[davecatt]

If you don't wish to carry a tripod around with you,you could use a monopod for support on higher level subjects and table top tripod with adjustable head for ground level.

My monopod packs down small enough to fit in my bag and extends up to 6ft,It gets a lot of use for all sorts of shots and doubles up as a walking stick and even wading pole.
Dave

[djeyewater]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Shutter lag unfotunately is a problem you'll have to put up with but all digital cameras seem to have this to a varying degree and its no less irritating even if the lag ids shorter! There is definately an element of luck to getting a good shot.

As regards stability my FZ30 was quite good, but I'd still try to use a fencepost, tree or indeed my knee if crouched to add to this. and yes I never used the viewfinder always the screen.

The optimum distance for the setup I had was about 6 inches from the subject so I'd learn to start at this point immediately. Finally the 250 is much harder to work with than the 150 I found.

Hi Gill

Thanks for the advice!

I don't have the Raynox DCR-150, though I do have the Olympus MCON-35, which I think is a similar (a bit less) magnification. I think the 250 is quite a good strength for insects though.

Originally Posted by PeterD

Dave,

I do not have advice for your particular setup but offer this general advice re settings.

Use continuous auto focus and not single shot auto focus. This will take into account camera/insect movement. Final focus takes place after the shutter has been fully pressed. Manually adjust focus to get the insect roughly in focus and then let af lock on it. This blurs the background sufficiently to ensure the camera af will not attempt to lock on another subject.

This has worked well for me.

Peter,

Thanks for the tip, unfortunately I don't think my FZ5 camera can autofocus with the Raynox DCR-250 attached (at least it tried and failed when I tried). So I have been just using manual focus (actually fixed focus, as the FZ5 doesn't have manual focus) and moving the camera backwards and forwards to get the focus where I want it.

Originally Posted by davecatt

If you don't wish to carry a tripod around with you,you could use a monopod for support on higher level subjects and table top tripod with adjustable head for ground level.

My monopod packs down small enough to fit in my bag and extends up to 6ft,It gets a lot of use for all sorts of shots and doubles up as a walking stick and even wading pole.
Dave

Thanks for the help Dave, that mirrors what Gill said about trying to keep the camera steady. I do have a relatively small monopod (though not small enough to fit in my bag), and a Gorillapod, so I will give them a try.

Cheers

Dave

[acherontia]

My contribution -

This was taken hand held and with auto focus - I got around 4 reaso'nable shots from this honey bee but it did take over an hour to get them! Me arms were killin' me!'

The ISO was upped to 500, the f-stop was 5.6 and as it was sunny I got a shutter speed of 1/1600.
I have an added advantage here - I can hand hold on shots like theses as I have anti shake in the camera body. Canon and Nikon users can't get AS on their macros!

Acher

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by acherontia

Canon and Nikon users can't get AS on their macros!

Nikon users can - Nikon UK - Products - 0 - 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR Micro NIKKOR

Dave P.

[squishy]

Originally Posted by acherontia

Canon and Nikon users can't get AS on their macros!

And so can canon users:
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

[acherontia]

Oh dear - now Mr Acher wants one Aaargggg LOL LOL

Not being a gear head I didn't realise they'd got these now - at that price I'll have two of each please

Mr A tends to use 50mm macro so they wouldn't be fit for purpose - although he'd consider that tasty Nikkor for 'out and abouting'. Cheers for the link!
We tend not to pour over gear - it can get a bit 'want want want' instead of thoroughly learning and utilising what you have and until you grow out of it.

What did you think of the image? I've only been macroing since last September, when I got the 90mm Tamron f2.8 and I more or less had to wait until this Spring for most of my practice.

Acher

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by acherontia

What did you think of the image?

Impressive!

I know where there's a honeybee nest in a drain and have now spent about 3 hours lying down (how else? ) next to it trying to get a sharp shot of one in flight. It should be easy as they're in and out of the nest all the time but so far I've got just one okay-ish shot (which I'll try and remember to post tonight) but nothing anywhere near as good as yours.

Dave P.

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by acherontia

Oh dear - now Mr Acher wants one Aaargggg LOL LOL

Not being a gear head I didn't realise they'd got these now - at that price I'll have two of each please

Mr A tends to use 50mm macro so they wouldn't be fit for purpose - although he'd consider that tasty Nikkor for 'out and abouting'. Cheers for the link!
We tend not to pour over gear - it can get a bit 'want want want' instead of thoroughly learning and utilising what you have and until you grow out of it.

What did you think of the image? I've only been macroing since last September, when I got the 90mm Tamron f2.8 and I more or less had to wait until this Spring for most of my practice.

Acher

Firstly, I like your image and you are right - too much focus on the equipment side and none on your image.
Secondly, on the equipment side, at the shutter speed necessary for freezing wing movement, image stabalisation is unlikely to help.

The most important point on these types of shot is the narrow dof of a Macro lens makes focussing extremely critical. Two things affect this - camera movement when pressing the shutter and subject movement. To overcome these issues use of continuous AF rather than single shot AF is essential. If your camera allows you to inhibit rapid focus changes then this too would ensure the subject remains in focus regardless of the movement issues above. Another thing to help get good images is to make use of the narrow dof of the Macro lens and do a manual pre-focus before pressing the shutter button. This will cause the background to blur and reduce the opportunity for the af to wander off the subject.

These points would all help regardless of the equipment make/model.