Panasonic FZ30 Macro

[tonycb6]

Hi all,

I have been lucking for a long while now and have searched for an answer to my problem,but couldnt find one,so.......

I have had my FZ30 for over a year now and so far just used it as a "point and shoot" camera.Now having been well impressed with the pictures that some of you have managed to produce,I have purchased a Raynox DCR150 macro lens but i cannot get anything to focus on the camera.Ihave tried the camera on all modes ie auto,p,s,and macro setting.

Could someone please let me know what setting to use on the camera?

I am just starting to "play"with the camera and starting to learn.So be gentle

Many thanks Tony

[wildone]

Have you altered the setting for Conversion? In menu the left side of the screen is REC 1/3. Scroll down to page 3 and set CONVERSION to W which is the first setting after OFF. The T setting is for telephoto should you invest in something like a TCON lens. Also if you are relying on auto focus set the little knob on the far left of the camera to AFMACRO which is the middle setting.

I am sure there are others who can give you more help but try this in the meantime.

wildone

[matt_xyz]

you don't need to select 'conversion' that won't affect anything. When you use the Raynox DCR close-up lens there is a fixed point of focus around 8 inches in front of the lens (although this varies depending on whether the main lens is zoomed in or out). You therefore should use the viewfinder (not the LCD screen) and approach your subject until it becomes roughly in focus. You can then half depress the shutter to get the AF to focus on it. You should first select macro AF via the switch on the side of the lens.

Try using it with the lens zoomed out towards wideangle as it is easier to operate like this. However, note that if you zoom out fully you will see the edges of the close-up lens. You should therefore zoom out only to around 100mm or so. As you zoom in towards 420mm you'll see that the magnification becomes much greater and the depth of field becomes much shallower. It is therefore harder to use.

Keep playing with it and you'll slowly get the feel of it. The FZ30 and Raynox DCR150 combination is capable of some excellent results.

Matt

[wildone]

Thanks for that Matt. Obviously why I have not had much joy with the Raynox DCR150 and have reverted back to the Nikon E4500. Will try your tips and hopefully have more success.

Winnie

[tonycb6]

Thanks for input,and thanks to matt,stunning pictures on your site! thats what sold me on both lense's.Ah i was using the lcd display to view,when the weather turns i will have another try.So i take it i can still use the macro lens on auto setting on the dial?Macro setting on left side switch,and no special settings in the menu?

tony

[mh68]

The most consistent method of focussing for the raynox macro lenses is to knock the camera into manual focus and achieve focus by moving the camera forward or backward slightly within the approx 8inch focussing range.That way you can get the part of the subject you want in perfect focus without relying on the autofocus, which can be very hit and miss.
Another tip for pin sharp shots is to use a lightweight tripod with 2 legs extended in the same way as a monopod (so the camera can be rocked back and forward in the same way as above)but with more lateral stability. These methods will ensure a good percentage of shots come out well. I`ve uploaded a couple of recent macros taken with the fz20/raynox dcr150 combo to show the sharpness you can achieve using these methods....





Mark H

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by tonycb6

Thanks for input,and thanks to matt,stunning pictures on your site! thats what sold me on both lense's.Ah i was using the lcd display to view,when the weather turns i will have another try.So i take it i can still use the macro lens on auto setting on the dial?Macro setting on left side switch,and no special settings in the menu?

tony

I think you should avoid using auto mode Tony. You need to select a reasonably small aperture to increase depth of field, so you should be using Aperture Priority (and selecting at least f8, ideally) or using Manual mode.

My technique is similar to that of Mark, above, although I do use AF rather than MF. I lock the AF onto the subject (it doesn't matter where at this stage) by half depressing the shutter. I then rock slowly back and forth and fully press the shutter when the precise area of interest (usually the eye) is in focus. This rocking technique can obviously be used with AF (if you're half depressing the shutter) or MF, so it doesn't matter really.

Matt

[tonycb6]

Hey! thanks guys,I managed to get a couple of close up shots of a lady bird in my back garden,although poor compared to those above!!
What i didnt come to terms with was,when i was zooming in i had to move back from the subject to get the subject in focus.What you didnt warn me about ,when focusing in on the ladybird using the view finder was the 8 foot wasp that flys in front of the camera!!!! Frightened the life out of me!!!Now i know the camera and lens are ok,i can now continue to get more confident and get some nice pictures.
I was on auto mode ,so i will now try manual mode and try to improve.

thanks a lot guys!!!!


Tony.

[mh68]

Good luck Tony, You`ll probably find that once you master the basic techniques your shots will improve in leaps and bounds.
Re using the viewfinder, I always try to use the lcd where possible for 2 main reasons....it helps in being able to see how far you are from the subject when trying to get the right focus distance, and also it allows me to be physically, a bit further from the subject so i`m not towering over it - a camera close up to an insect is going to spook it less than a 6ft human looming above it.

Mark H

[Gill Catton]

AAAArrrgghhhhhhh I have lost my last DCR raynox Nowhere seems to supply them now!! Anyone know of any suppliers?