Macro

All posts tagged Macro

Olympus MSC ED Macro 60mm f/2.8 Lens – Mini Review

Posted by scottbourne on January 24, 2013
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

olympus-m-zuiko-digital-ed-60mm-f2-8-macro.jpg

Here are the basics:

13 lens elements, 10 groups of lenses

1:1 reproduction ratio (photos will be 17.5mm across at closest focusing distance)

Aperture range F2.8 – F22

Minimum focus distance of 19cm (7.5 inches).

Dimensions 82mm x 56mm, weight 185 grams

Filter size 46mm

The Olympus MSC ED M. 60mm f/2.8 Lens is a dedicated Micro Four Thirds lens that I added to my kit both for its fast aperture and its effective focal length (EFL) of 120mm. It’s a perfect length for macro work.

Photo by Scott Bourne - Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons

Photo by Scott Bourne – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons

The wide aperture allows for shallow depth of field and when paired with the best glass (Olympus ED glass) offers really crisp images without distortion.

The MSC designation means the lens is “movie and still compatible.” The focusing sound won’t pick up during video recording.

The lens is affordable at under $500 and is really sharp. I love the smooth, circular bokeh and the fact that I can use this lens in tough conditions due to weather sealing and dust-proofing. When you look at what Olympus put into this lens for the money, it’s actually pretty amazing.

Photo by Scott Bourne - Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons

Photo by Scott Bourne – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons

It does shoot 1:1 and it has a focus limiter switch. At 60mm (EFL 120mm) it’s a tad longer than the Panasonic 45mm (EFL 90) and for me personally, I like longer focal lengths for macro work. Especially if you’re shooting bugs, butterflies, frogs etc., you don’t have to get so close and risk scaring the critters. The Olympus is also much less expensive than the Panasonic.

Like most macro lenses I’ve tested (for any format) the autofocus is a bit slower than you’d find on a typical MFT lens by Olympus. But that’s part of the trade-off when you’re going for such close focusing distances. It’s physics. No way to get around it and as I’ve said here for almost 15 years, photography is ALWAYS about compromises.

Photo by Scott Bourne - Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons

Photo by Scott Bourne – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons

One thing I really like about this lens is that it only weighs 6.5 ounces. It makes shooting macro hand-held actually viable.

Complaints? Only one. At f/2.8 the lens exhibits a touch of edge softness. Not atypical of this sort of lens or most lenses for that fact. At f/4 it’s sharp as can be and when you’re shooting macro, you rarely need to shoot wide open so it’s a moot point.

The Olympus 60mm macro is a bargain and if you’re thinking of going MFT it’s a lens that should be on your list.

Highly recommended.

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Low-Priced – High Performance Lightweight Canon Macro Flash Set-up

Posted by scottbourne on September 30, 2012
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: , , , .

Guest post and photos by Robert O’Toole - Follow Robert on Twitter

Complete setup as pictured above: Canon 5D MK II, Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO Macro lens, SunpakPF20XD flash, dual flash bracket made into a single flash bracket and Studio hut PT-04 Radio flash trigger.

After I developed my lightweight hand holdable reasonably priced macro set up for Nikon my Canon friends asked me to come up with something similar for them. My goal was something very light that was easy to carry and travel with that gives you great looking results but had to be within most peoples’ budgets.

Cosmos flower and visitor and 1:1 life-size magnification ratio, hand-held, Palos Verdes, Southern California. 1/200 s, f/8, ISO 200, flash on manual 1/8 power setting. Canon 5D MK II, Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO Macro lens, SunpakPF20XD flash, dual flash bracket and Studio hut PT-04 Radio flash trigger.

After quite a bit of time trying multiple flash units and about a dozen different flash brackets I now have a lightweight, reasonably priced Canon macro flash that works great. Canon’s MT-24EX works okay no doubt but its very expensive, very cumbersome and is not exactly light. This little simple system works great and weighs in at less than 16 ounces with batteries. The cost is a whopping $102 and if you already own an off shoe camera cord you can forget the radio trigger and get the rest of the gear for around $80.

The set up is built around the Sunpak PF20XD flash. I chose this flash because it is so light and offers manual output control. With macro smaller is better, something small and light is easier to carry with you and allows to spend more fatigue free time out in the field. You need to understand that I use this flash set up in manual mode and not TTL. As far as I am concerned this is the only way to work with macro but finding a small flash unit that offers manual power is not easy. In fact I think you are looking at the only one available as far as I know. The PF20XD output is settable from full to 1/128 power with a rear control dial. It uses normal AA batteries in the field recycles really quickly in manual mode. Best of all the flash weighs less than 4 ounces with batteries and is available for about $40 with free shipping at some big retailers like Adorama.

Of all the brackets I tried this bracket from ishoot was by far the best. The quality and finish is really surprisingly good and is almost made entirely of metal, even the little ball heads are metal! This thing will even hold a full size Canon (or nikon flash) if you choose to. The arca swiss quick release plate is a big bonus for people that might want to use a monopod or tripod sometimes. This unit is available from a number of sources online, I picked this one up for $28 shipped. I bought two units and kept one as a dual arm unit and removed one arm on the other unit since I normally use a single flash so losing one arm saves even more weight.

Never use a macro flash without some kind of diffuser, I chose a mini soft box type diffuser for the the PF20XD. This unit is labeled Polaroid, but they can be found all over, I found the same unit labeled Vivitar online at Walmart.com. One of the best things about this unit is that it folds flat so it takes up almost no space when it is not being used. Since it is a universal fit unit it can be awkward to set up at first but some velcro and a wide rubber band at it works well enough. I paid a $8 with free shipping at an online retailer.

This system offers high performance at a very low price. Mix and match and add or delete items as you see fit. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get good light.

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Macro Photography on a Budget

Posted by scottbourne on October 9, 2011
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials, Tips. Tagged: , , .

Post & Photo by Joe Farace – Follow Joe on Twitter

The classic definition of macro photography is that the image projected onto the digital sensor (or film plane) should be the same size as the subject. In other words, an SLR at a 1:1 ratio, an SLR with a full-sized chip should have the ability to produce life-size magnification and focus on an area as small as 24×36 mm. Manufacturers sometimes describe a lens’ close-focusing capabilities as “macro” even if it doesn’t meet that definition. Over time the term “macro” has gradually come to mean being able to focus on a subject close enough so the image is life-size or larger when viewing a 4×6 inch print. If you do the math, this only requires a magnification ratio of approximately 1:4.

Conventional wisdom is that close-up photography requires lots of expensive, specialized equipment. While it’s true you can spend lots of money to make macro shots, you don’t have to break your piggy bank to shoot macro, no matter how you choose to define it. Here’s why…

Most filter and camera manufacturers offer what are sometimes called close-up “filters.” Although not really filters in the traditional sense, they pass the duck test: They look like filters, work like filters and quack like filters, so I’ll call them filters like everybody else. But close-up filters are really supplementary lenses that shorten your camera lens’ close-focusing distance allowing you to get closer to the subject.

Close-up filters, such as the ones used to shoot the above example, are available in different strengths (or diopters) as a set usually includes versions labeled Close-up +1, Close-up +2, and Close-up +4. A diopter is a unit of measurement that’s used to describe the power of a lens and is expressed as the reciprocal of the focal length in meters. Tip: Close-up lenses are double-threaded so they can be used in combination with one another but to get the sharpest results it’s a good idea to place the strongest filter closest to the lens’s front element. For macro shooters on a budget, a complete set of close-up filters in 58mm threads should cost less than $40.

So if you’re trying to save money, buy close-up filters instead of lenses. They might be all you need.

Joe Farace is the author of “Studio Lighting Anywhere” the second book in a trilogy or glamour and portrait photography from Amherst Media. It’s available on Amazon.com.

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Photography Basics For Newbies Part – 4 (Macro)

Posted by scottbourne on December 4, 2010
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .

This continues a series of tips I’m going to publish for new photographers. For those of you who already know this stuff, I promise to keep the more advanced posts coming for you.

Alex Henderson from New Orleans, LA wrote – “What is a macro lens and why would I want one.”

Macro is another way of saying “close up.” In short, a macro lens is a close up lens and allows you to get much closer to your subject than you would be able to otherwise. For instance, the close-focusing distance of a typical 100mm lens might be several feet. A “macro” version of the same lens might be able to focus down to a matter of a few inches.

While the word “macro” technically (and typically) refers to a one-to-one ratio, i.e., a “life-size” photo, the word macro has morphed. Now it seems to be a designation manufacturers use to designate all lenses that allow close working distances but that might not deliver a one-to-one ration.

Many inexpensive zoom lenses claim to be macro lenses but only offer 1:3 magnification (1/3 life-size.) This may or may not be important to you, but you should know that true macro lenses usually come at a premium price.

You might want a macro lens if you need to make photos of smaller objects such as insects or the insides of flowers. Macro lenses are also great for making abstract images.

For more information on lenses, read my post on how to choose a new lens.
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Three Very Short Macro Tips

Posted by scottbourne on October 14, 2009
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: .
Copyright Scott Bourne 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Copyright Scott Bourne 2009 - All Rights Reserved

1. If you’re new to macro and just want to put your toe into the water before diving in head first, you can save some money and buy a simple close up lens kit to get a feel for macro work. If you like it – then you can buy a real macro lens later.

2. On-camera flash just doesn’t work for macro. In fact, it’s usually terrible. Use off camera flash and be sure to diffuse it as much as possible to avoid harsh shadows.

3. Be careful. Don’t disturb plants, flowers or insects just to get a shot. Remember you’re in their home. Act with respect.

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Long Term Test Results – Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens

Posted by scottbourne on July 28, 2009
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: .

_ASB1571 - Version 2

I thought I might be past this part of my life – but I guess you’re never too old to fall in love. Yes it’s true. I love the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens. It was a timid relationship at first. I had never worked with a macro lens at 105mm. I was used to 180mm macro lenses. Would 105 be enough? Well she turned out to be more than enough for me. The 105 focuses down to 1:1 and does so quickly and easily. Once you get close, you can manually adjust or simply lean the camera in or out for fine focus on macro subjects.

Bottom line, this is probably my new favorite all around lens and here’s why. It’s truly exceptional! (Look up my past reviews and see how many times I have used that word. I can tell you not often.)

On a full frame camera like the D3, this lens performs spectacularly. It’s not only a great macro lens, but at 105mm it’s perfect for portrait work, particularly head shots. And if you’re a landscape shooter, it’s just enough of a telephoto to help you isolate some details or to make a series of shots for a panorama.

The VR really works and in both macro and portrait situations, (but probably means more to portrait photographers) this can be a great help to anyone who doesn’t want to use a tripod.

The lens isn’t exactly light, given it’s a fast f/2.8 lens, but it’s not unusually heavy. The build quality is top-rate. The bokeh is beautiful and smooth and this puppy is SHARP! I don’t know if it’s the Nano-Crystal coat ED glass that reduces flare or what, but from f/4 on, it’s easily the sharpest prime lens I’ve ever used in this focal range. And it ain’t at all bad at f/2.8.

I love the fact that it uses internal focusing. When shooting macro shots this is a big deal. You can’t have the lens protruding into your subject as you focus. And speaking of focus, I continue to be amazed at how fast and quiet this lens is.

The 105 micro is clearly a superb all-around lens, capable of producing great images in a wide variety of situations. If I am not out shooting birds, then you can pretty much assume I’ll have this lens on one of my cameras when you see me out and about. In fact, if I could only have one lens, this would be the one. While it’s not exactly cheap at $930, you get what you pay for. In this case, it’s worth every penny.

Very highly recommended!

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This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

A Ring Light is the Right Light for Macro Photography

Posted by scottbourne on May 28, 2009
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: .

close up

Photo and Post by Rick Sammon – Follow Rick on Twitter

If you are really serious about close-up photography, and really want to take creative control, invest in a ring light, sometimes called a ring flash. A ring light fits on a macro lens and can provide ratio (1:1, 1:2, etc.) as well as shadowless lighting. You control the light by turning on and off, and by adjusting, the power output of the two flash tubes that circle the lens.

In addition, you can use the ring light’s Flash Exposure control, the +/- settings, to fine-tune your exposure, and to take a daylight fill-in flash picture.
The light from a ring light also adds contrast to a picture, making it look sharper than a natural light photograph. I used a Canon Marco Right Light MR-14EX on my 50mm macro lens for this close-up picture of red-eye tree frog,

You cannot use a ring light on a wide-angle lens. If you do, you’ll get a hot spot in the center of the frame.

Ring lights are wonderful accessories for close-up photography. There is, however, one problem when using them when photographing reflective objects, such as the eyes of the red-eye tree frog. As you can see in the bottom image (cropped from the original top image), the reflections of the flash tubes show up in the animal’s eyes. There is no way around that when taking this type of picture.

Therefore, you need to clone out the reflections in the digital darkroom. For best results, zoom in on the photo on your monitor so that the eyes (in a case like this) almost fill the monitor. Then select a small, soft-edge brush and carefully clone out the reflections. As is most often the case, the smaller the brush size the better.

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