by Arief Perdana
Macro photography of wildlife is not as easy as it might initially seem. Aside from the technical nuances of getting sharp close-up shots, photographers are endlessly confronted with the fact that insects have the addiction to flee, crawl, fly away as soon as you get close to them.
But do not let some small insects break you down and prevent you from mastering for yourself in order to enjoy photography.
by Harm Oosterhuis
Canon EOS 60D camera
Focal length 100 mm
Shutter speed 1/200 s
F / 4.5 aperture
ISO 320
It is almost impossible to imagine a macro photograph without a flash. In bad weather, it will provide the required amount of light, and in sunny weather it will remove contrasting shadows from the sun. Naturally, for macro objects, it is desirable to have either a ring LED illuminator. But of course, the result will be more influenced not by the price of the accessory, but by the photographer's skills and abilities to use it. Start shooting with whatever flash you have on hand. Pay attention to correct exposure and adjust flash output accordingly.
by Cesar Castillo
Nikon D3X camera
Nikon Micro Lens 105 mm f2.8
Focal length 105 mm
Shutter speed 1/95 s
F / 32 aperture
ISO 400
Many professional photographers advise using an aperture value of the order of f / 22, f / 32. The larger the number, the smaller the aperture, which provides a greater depth of field when more image detail is in focus, and the flash generates enough light to freeze any movement.
by Sreekumar Mahadevan Pillai
Canon EOS 60D camera
Focal length 60 mm
Shutter speed 1/50 s
F / 10 aperture
ISO 1000
A regular off-camera or built-in flash gives more light than, but the light is more straightforward, which is not always the best solution for illuminating shadows. Don't worry if for some reason you cannot afford to purchase a macro ring flash to take high-quality photographs, the available equipment may well be sufficient. Just proceed from your capabilities, planning photography for a particular period of the day, depending on the weather conditions and the presence of the sun and clouds in the sky, in particular.
by bug eye
Canon 7D camera
Macro 100 mm lens
Focal length 100 mm
Shutter speed 1/160 s
F / 8 aperture
ISO 160
Well, if there is a desire to equip in the first category, it is worth considering the following steps to improve your photo macro arsenal.
A must-have lens for macro photography
by teguh santosa
Canon EOS 450D camera
Focal length 60 mm
Shutter speed 1/125 s
F / 9 aperture
ISO 400
A 50mm lens or a macro lens works best. Choose the best option that you can afford so that you can increase the size of the object from 1: 1 to infinity.
All major manufacturers make their own macro lenses.
The flash that's right for you for macro photography
The ring flash is shaped like a donut. It surrounds the lens and contributes to an even, soft illumination. Some ring flash models have the ability to individually configure flash lamp groups.
In order not to construct complex designs from off-camera flashes, it is enough to spend money once to buy a ring flash, which is ideal for macro photography.
Macro rings speak for themselves
There are several ways to change the focal length of an existing lens. For example, you can increase the distance between the lens and body using extension rings or optional lenses with a dedicated close-up screw. Both solutions are cheaper than a macro lens, although not as convenient.
Additional lenses are ordinary magnifying glasses that screw on the lens like a filter, available in different diopters: +1, +2, +3 and +4. Depending on this and the lens used, the image is enlarged by a certain magnification.
And finally, something worth always remembering: macro photography is the privilege of the patient and diligent. Use it as a strong side of your character or to develop calmness and only calmness.
Macro photography is taking close-ups of small objects at close range. Without a doubt, this is one of the most interesting and fascinating genres of modern photography. Macro shooting at high magnifications makes it possible to show on the picture or the LCD screen not only the details visible, but also indistinguishable to the naked eye, or the structure of an object. This is interesting not only for photographers, but also for researchers, which is why macro photography is currently used in various fields of science. But for the implementation of macro photography, appropriate equipment and devices are required. These include sliding furs, which are worth talking about in more detail.
Features of using optics when shooting small objects
Macro photography usually uses a digital SLR camera that can provide excellent detail and high image quality. A DSLR is versatile and can easily adapt to specific macro shooting conditions. While everything is more or less clear with cameras that can be used to shoot objects at close range, then with optics suitable for macro photography, the situation is somewhat more complicated.
In this case, the scale of the photographic image depends on the relative extension of the lens, that is, on its extension in relation to the focal length. For example, if you want to get an image of an object equal to 1/10 of its actual size, then you need to extend the lens to 1/10 of the focal length. If you shoot with a 50mm lens, then the extension will be 5mm. In most cases, the frames of conventional lenses will allow you to do this.
But what if you want a 1: 1 image scale? This means that you will need to extend the lens by the size of its focal length. It is certainly not that easy. For example, if you are using a 100 mm lens, you will have to extend it 10 centimeters. In this regard, conventional lenses are unlikely to allow you to get an image scale larger than 1: 4 or 1: 5. Even in spite of the fact that by their optical characteristics they are quite suitable for macro photography. Therefore, professional macro photographers have to additionally purchase expensive macro lenses that do not have this drawback due to the use of complex internal focusing.
Agree that if your passion for photography is not limited to shooting small objects in close-up, and you often photograph in other genres, then buying a special macro lens will become simply a waste. After all, it costs much more than other types of optics.
Macro lenses have a long focal length, which is not always required for landscape photography. In portrait photography, a macro lens will also not be in great demand, since conventional optics have a softer focus and give a less contrasting image, which makes it possible to better convey elasticity, tone and softness of skin in photographs. In short, a macro lens is not a universal optics, but a lens aimed at performing narrow, specific tasks.
Macro accessories
What can replace an expensive macro lens if you decide to take up macro photography? It turns out that there are a variety of DSLR attachments that allow you to zoom in with conventional lenses. The essence of these devices is to provide additional extension of the lens. They provide the photographer with the opportunity to focus on the smallest details and look deeper into the microcosm. And with these devices, you can also use macro lenses to further zoom in and capture truly unique details in photographs.
It must be said right away that the set of devices for converting a universal or portrait lens into a macro lens is quite wide, and each of these devices has both its pluses and minuses. And the choice of this or that equipment depends mainly on the specific shooting conditions, the required image quality and your financial capabilities. Additional extension can be obtained, in particular, by the use of extension rings. But, unfortunately, their thickness is fixed and small.
Another option is a wraparound or reversible ring. Such a ring is perhaps the most inexpensive device that adapts to the lens for macro photography. It is simply screwed on instead of a light filter, and then the lens is attached to the carcass with the back side. This is a fairly compact and economical solution that does not degrade the image quality and does not affect the lens aperture. However, when using the reversing ring, there is no possibility of changing the macro scale at the request of the photographer. In addition, such a device limits the functionality of the camera - autofocus and built-in automation do not work.
Lens kits for macro photography are also sold. These lenses are often referred to as macro filters because they simply screw onto the filter thread. By using two or more lenses, you can choose the image scale you need, just like when using extension rings.
The advantage of macro lens kits is that you don't need to remove the lens. This is very convenient when shooting outdoors, when it is undesirable or not necessary to take off the optics. What is important, when using lenses, all the built-in automation of the lens - the camera works completely. But, unfortunately, this adaptation often leads to a deterioration in the quality of the picture due to the occurrence of chromatic aberrations.
Extension or sliding bellows
One of the best adaptations to provide versatile macro lenses are extension or retractable bellows. Furs can have a wide variety of designs, but they all look like a standard "accordion" from a dense leather or cloth bag. Bellows for macro photography are installed between the lens and the SLR camera, as a result of which the lens can be extended to the desired distance and, thereby, focus on smaller details.
The photographer can easily control this kind of "accordion" - the more you push it, the larger the scale of the photographed object in the image becomes. Actually, the main advantage of using bellows is precisely the fact that they allow you to change the scale steplessly, smoothly.
It should be noted that similar designs with stretching of fur folded like an accordion were used by photographers for a very long time, one might say at the dawn of photography. In particular, in 1840, a camera designed by Pierre-Armand Seguier was released, which had a leather focusing device. The prototype of the creation of furs for macro photography was blacksmith furs and a musical accordion, which appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, shortly before the official birth of photography.
The design of sliding bellows proved to be so successful and versatile that it began to be widely used by photographers in cameras of various formats. For decades, furs have been featured in the assortment of many photography gadgets and accessories companies. However, at the moment, the range of such products is no longer so wide. Among the most famous manufacturers, the German company Novoflex is engaged in the production of sliding bellows for macro photography.
It is quite convenient to use bellows for macro photography. The degree of magnification is changed by sliding the fur, and focusing by longitudinal movement of the entire structure. Focusing is a certain difficulty for a photographer, but if you also use special microlifts, along which you can carefully move the camera, then no difficulties arise.
In macro photography, the camera and lens are not connected in any way and exist in standalone mode. You open the full aperture on the lens, direct the camera to focus, then close the aperture to the working value and take a picture. Modern fur for macro photography allows, among other things, to use the tilt and shift functions of the lens to prevent perspective distortion, which sometimes happens when shooting small objects.
In addition, bellows are capable of transmitting all electrical signals between the camera and the lens. Because the bellows separate the lens from the camera, many important functions simply stop working. This leads to the need to do all the operations, as they say, in mechanical mode, or to buy special devices that transmit electrical signals from the camera to the lens. But today furs are produced in which this problem is completely solved. True, such systems are being developed only for use with specific camera models, for example, for the CanonEOS family of cameras.
The only drawback of bellows for macro photography is that the entire structure (camera - bellows - lens) turns out to be quite cumbersome, because, in addition to the bellows themselves, here you have to use special adapter rings for attaching the bellows to the camera. A set of focusing rails equipped with a microlift is also required. Due to such a cumbersome design, macro photography using bellows can hardly be carried out in the "field" conditions. Rather, it is exclusively studio and laboratory equipment. Do not forget that the more you push the fur, that is, the larger the image scale, the more the aperture of the lens in use decreases.
Despite these disadvantages, bellows that extend or extend are great for close-up photography. They provide the ability to change the scale of the image exactly the way the photographer wants. And at the same time, they do not degrade the quality of the final picture. If you do not want to purchase a separate lens for macro photography, then it makes sense to look at the more affordable sliding bellows, with which you can shoot small objects and objects with a universal or portrait lens already available.
In this article we will try to answer the question in the title, but first we will answer what exactly is macro photography.
Macro photography is a genre of photography in which objects are small, often details are displayed here that are not visible to the naked eye.
Macro photography is in many ways a technical genre of photography, in which it is impossible to shoot without the appropriate equipment. That is, if we take even the most expensive SLR camera with a universal lens, it will not work to obtain an acceptable quality of an object of, for example, 5 millimeters. We will not be able to shoot it large enough and with good resolution. In addition, it will be very difficult to even focus on it. To understand why this is happening, let's go a little deeper into the theory.
In photography, there is such a thing as depth of field - DOF (depth of field). Roughly speaking, this is the distance zone from the lens in which objects will be sharp at certain camera settings. In order to clearly shoot any object, you need to get it into the depth of field. So, with decreasing focusing distance, the depth of field becomes smaller. This can be compensated for by aperture of the lens, but then you have to increase the sensitivity of the camera or increase the illumination of the object.
In addition, it should be noted that the smaller the size of the camera sensor, the greater the depth of field. Therefore, for simple macro photography, you can use compact cameras, in which, as a rule, there is a special macro mode, and in it the optics are reconstructed for a short focusing distance.
A great example of a camera designed for amateur macro photography is the camera.
Firstly, it has a very close minimum focusing distance of 1 centimeter (in super macro mode), which makes it possible to shoot very small objects. That is, if you want to shoot fabric fibers, pixels on the monitor, but do not spend a lot of money, this camera is perfect for you. In addition, you get in his face an excellent waterproof beach camera with high-aperture optics.
However, if we look at the photographs taken with the compact, we can see that even at the minimum sensitivity there is digital noise here, which manifests itself in the graininess of the image. Therefore, the best solution for macro photography are cameras with a large matrix, Micro 4/3, APS-C and Full Frame.
At the same time, it is not at all necessary to chase after a large matrix size, because in macro photography, a shallow depth of field only interferes.
In addition to the camera, macro photography requires a macro lens, respectively. Again, it differs from lenses of other classes in a shorter focusing distance, which makes it possible to shoot small objects. Actually, when choosing a macro lens, many ask the question of how far it can shoot. However, different lenses differ in focal length, so the so-called shooting scale is important for us when choosing. What it is?
The shooting scale in photography is the ratio of the linear dimensions of the object and the dimensions of the image projected onto the camera matrix. That is, for example, if the scale of the lens is 1: 1, the size of the beetle is 1 centimeter, and the size of the matrix is 2 centimeters, then in the photo we will see that the beetle takes up half of the photo (the numbers are taken “from the ceiling” for simplicity).
So, a full-fledged macro lens will be considered one with an image scale of 1: 1, lenses 1: 2 are better, but less common.
What about the focal length of the lens? The most budget macro lenses have a focal length of 40-60 mm, for example Nikon 40mm f / 2.8G AF-S DX Micro Nikkor:
As you can see, these lenses are designed for the APS-C matrix, that is, the equivalent focal length here will be one and a half times more than the true one. However, even with such a matrix, such lenses suffer from several disadvantages:
- they need to be brought closer to the subject, which makes it difficult to use flash;
- when shooting from a close distance, you can frighten off an insect, for example;
- if you shoot from a long distance, more unnecessary objects get into the frame, which need to be cropped during post-processing;
- distortion of the proportions of objects and perspective.
In fact, the most common macro lenses are those with an equivalent focal length of 90-105 millimeters. The reason for their prevalence is their low cost and the ability to work with both full-frame and cropped cameras.
Long-focus lenses (150-180 millimeters) are practically indispensable for shooting live insects, since it can be taken from a greater distance so as not to frighten them away.
However, they are excellent for other macro photography objects as well, their advantages are more room for illumination, due to the considerable working distance, as well as the absence of distortions in the proportions of objects and perspective.
So what should you do if you want to try macro photography but don't want to spend money on a macro lens?
For such cases, there are their budgetary "substitutes". Let's list them:
Flashes for close-up photography
As already mentioned, when shooting macro with a camera with a large sensor, willy-nilly, you have to close the aperture in order to maintain a sufficient depth of field. For maximum image quality, the minimum sensitivity is applied. All this leads to the fact that it is necessary to apply artificial illumination of the object in one way or another. And as you know, the best bright light for photography can be obtained with a flash.
However, if you use a conventional on-camera flash, the illumination will be uneven, or even a shadow from the lens will appear in the frame. Therefore, the following types of flash units are used for close-up photography:
Using a tripod
In the case of close-up photography, the slightest movement of the camera can cause a radical change in the final shot. Therefore, if you are photographing a stationary subject, it is best to use a tripod.
When choosing a universal tripod for macro photography, it is worth choosing a model that meets the following characteristics:
conclusions
Macro photography is perhaps the genre of photography in which high resolution and technical quality are as important as light and composition. The technique is already known here, so it is enough to allocate a certain amount of money and purchase the described set of equipment.
If you want to photograph insects, you need to understand biology. Perhaps it is their search and “capture” that is the most interesting part of the process.
home
Choosing equipment for close-up photography
There are two reasons why macro photography attracts the attention of camera owners. In macro photography, the creative process is highly dependent on the technical skill of the photographer and prior art. The artist in this case is nature itself. The second reason is that the results are consistently pleasing to the wallet when it comes to shooting items for advertising catalogs. In both incarnations, macro is a technically complex direction of photography, which requires serious equipment costs.
Camera selection
Small depth of field forces you to look for the most convenient angles. Most often, the subject is shot "in profile", placing it parallel to the lens. If you shoot only in profile, the pictures become too similar to each other. There are alternative solutions to provide the required depth of field:
- Shooting with a high-quality pseudo-mirror. Due to the small matrix, the depth of field is much wider than that of DSLRs. A good commercially available candidate is the Fujifilm S9600 Pro.
- Shooting on a SLR camera with aperture closed to maximum values.
- Processing in a graphics editor of several pictures taken with different depth of field.
- Using a gimbal camera with movement. Those who are interested should pay attention to the Rollei X-Act2 monorail camera with electronic control and format up to 6 x 7 cm www.franke-heidecke.ru, as well as gimbal cameras Horseman www.fotoworld.ru and Sinar www.fotoworld.ru. These options have the ability to shoot on film and install digital backs.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
The capabilities of cameras with fixed optics are expanded by macro attachments (Close-UP, Macro Close-UP), which are attached to the thread for light filters. By reducing the minimum focusing distance, the macro attachment allows you to take pictures at a larger scale. The story goes back to the Rolleinar attachments that Franke & Haideke made for bayonet mounts for dual-lens cameras. Macro nozzles from Japanese manufacturers - Hoya, Kenko, Marumi - are popular today.
The simplest, most common version of the macro nozzle is a single convex-concave plus-diopter lens placed in a threaded frame. Such a simple design inevitably leads to a deterioration in the image quality, although in practice it is possible to achieve very decent results with such lenses.
More recently, dual lens attachments with higher performance have become more popular. For cult pseudo-mirrors, their creators themselves offer such "macro lenses" (for example, VCL-M3367 for Sony R1). In terms of price, such accessories are close to the camera itself, and the resulting set is still inferior to a DSLR camera with a special lens.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Lens selection
A macro lens must provide high sharpness and contrast of the resulting image. The main characteristic of a macro lens is the shooting scale (lens magnification), which indicates the ratio of the size of a real object to its image projected onto a film or matrix. When shooting an object with a length of 10 mm, a 1: 1 scale allows you to obtain an image with a length of 10 mm on a matrix or film, a scale of 2: 1 - 20 mm, 1: 2 - 5 mm.
Most macro lenses are capable of shooting at 1: 1 scale at closest focusing distance (MFD). MDF indicates the shortest distance to the subject at which it is possible to get a sharp image. As a rule, the minimum focusing distance depends on the focal length: the longer it is, the greater the MDF.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
It should be borne in mind that the MDF is calculated from the plane of the focused image (matrix, film), and not from the front lens, as in compact cameras. Therefore, the distance from the front lens to the object is always less than that specified in the characteristics of the MDF lens. Let's say a Micro-Nikkor 200 mm f / 4 lens, which has a 50 cm MDF, is capable of shooting an object at a distance of 26 cm from the front lens.
A lens with a focal length of 150-200 mm is considered optimal for photographing small insects, which makes it possible to obtain a normal scale at a distance of about half a meter. Lenses of 50–100 mm have to be brought closer to the subject, but this option is more convenient for photographing static subjects.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Any special lens will do for macro photography. The main qualities of conventional optics - focal length and aperture - are not so important in macro. The distance to the subject can be reduced or increased by achieving the desired scale. At the same time, the focal length affects the nature of the transfer of space: the higher it is, the more “flat” the picture is. This feature is a plus for studio shooting of objects. The long focal length and high aperture allow you to reduce the depth of field, leaving any part of the subject in focus. Along with aperture, the minimum aperture is usually indicated in the characteristics of a macro lens, since for many scenes a critical parameter is depth of field.
The "artistic" properties of a picture are primarily influenced by the optical scheme. Some lenses at any aperture produce a hard image with high detail (among them one of the best and most popular is the Tamron 90 mm f / 2.8). For shooting portraits, as a rule, high-aperture macro-telematics are successfully used. Olympus 50 mm f / 2 and Sigma 150 mm f / 2.8 are considered excellent images of "portrait" macro optics. These lenses work much softer at open apertures.
Click, to increase
| MDF | Increase | Design | Dimensions (edit) | Filters | Notes (edit) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EF-S 60 mm f / 2.8 Macro USM | 0.2 m | 1x | 12 lenses in 8 groups | 73 x 70 mm, 335 g | 52 mm | for digital cameras (crop 1.6x) |
| Canon EF 100 mm f / 2.8 | 0.31 m | 1x | 12 lenses in 8 groups | 79 x 119 mm, 600 g | 58 mm | ultrasonic motor (USM) |
| Canon EF 180 mm f / 3.5 L Macro USM | 0.48 m | 1x | 14 lenses in 12 groups | 82.5 x 186.5 mm, 1100 g | 72 mm | one of the best in the Canon line |
| 60 mm f / 2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor | 0.22 m | 1x | 8 lenses in 7 groups | 70 x 74.5 mm, 440 g | 62 mm | very sharp |
| 105 mm f / 2.8G AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor | 0.31 m | 1x | 14 lenses in 12 groups | 83 x 116 mm, 720 g | 62 mm | built-in stabilizer (VR) |
| 200 mm f / 4D ED-IF AF Micro-Nikkor | 0.50 m | 1x | 13 lenses in 8 groups | 76 x 104.5, 1190 g | 62 mm | for shooting small animals |
| Olympus Zuiko Digital 35 mm f / 3.5 | 0.15 m | 1x | 6 lenses in 6 groups | 71 x 53 mm, 165 g | 52 mm | sharp, cheap, compact |
| Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50 mm f / 2 | 0.24 m | 0.52x | 11 lenses in 10 groups | 71 x 61.5 mm, 300 g | 52 mm | beautiful drawing |
| Pentax D FA Macro 50 mm f / 2.8 | 0.2 m | 1x | 8 lenses in 7 groups | 67.5 x 60mm, 265g | 49 mm | rare lens |
| Pentax D FA Macro 100 mm f / 2.8 | 0.3 m | 1x | 9 lenses in 8 groups | 67.5 x 80.5mm, 345g | 49 mm | analogue of Tokina 100 mm |
| SAL-50M28 50 mm f / 2.8 | 0.2 m | 1x | 7 lenses in 6 groups | 71.5 x 60mm, 295g | 55 mm | difficult to find on sale |
| SAL-100M28 100 mm f / 2.8 | 0.35 m | 1x | 8 lenses in 8 groups | 75 x 98.5 mm, 505 g | 55 mm | dear, sharp |
| Sigma Macro 50 mm F2.8 EX DG | 0.19 m | 1x | 10 lenses in 9 groups | 71.5 x 66.5 mm, 315 g | 55 mm | inexpensive but high quality |
| Sigma Macro 105 mm f / 2.8 EX DG | 0.31 m | 1x | 11 lenses in 10 groups | 55.2 x 102.9mm, 470g | 58 mm | nice drawing |
| Sigma APO Macro 150 mm f / 2.8 EX DG HSM | 0.38 m | 1x | 16 lenses in 12 groups | 80.5 x 142.4 mm, 920 g | 72 mm | beautiful drawing |
| Tamron AF SP 90 mm f / 2.8 Di Macro | 0.29 m | 1x | 10 lenses in 9 groups | 71.5 x 97 mm, 405 g | 55 mm | sharp and inexpensive |
| Tokina ATX PRO D AF 100 mm f / 2.8 Macro | 0.3 m | 1x | 9 lenses in 8 groups | 73 x 95 mm, 540 g | 55 mm | sharp, solid |
Alternative options
Modern autofocus macro optics with a fixed focal length are the most expensive and serious tool that can provide the best quality and scale of shooting. However, there are several alternative, more affordable options for DSLR cameras:
Versatile autofocus macro zoom lenses. Conventional zoom lenses capable of shooting at close distances. One lens is used for completely different tasks. The most economical and convenient option, but inferior in terms of results and capabilities to special optics. Popular members of the family are Sigma 17–70 f / 2.8–5.5 DC Macro, Tamron AF 18–250 mm f / 3.5–6.3 Di-II Macro.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Wide angle lenses. The wider the angle, the less MDF. On DSLRs with a crop factor, moderate wide-angle lenses can be used as standard optics. For example, the fast Sigma AF 20 mm F1.8 EX DG lens allows you to shoot at a distance of 6.5 cm from the front lens (MDF 20 cm). This option is not suitable for shooting small objects (for example, insects), as it does not provide a sufficient scale for taking close-up photos of them. Strong geometric distortion at the edges of the frame.
Fixed focus lens with adapter ring. The rings increase the distance from the tail lens to the plane of the film / sensor, allowing you to bring the focus point closer to the front lens and zoom in on the picture. Multiple rings can be used together to enhance the effect. The inexpensive Kenko Extension Tube (12.20 and 36 mm) is popular. When using them, the autofocus function is retained, but manual focusing is recommended since AF is not always possible. More often you have to focus simply by changing the distance between the camera and the subject. The greatest effect is achieved if you have a sharp fifty or a 35mm lens at your disposal. The rings can be used with all lenses - even in combination with special macro lenses to change their specifications. But owners of Canon DSLRs with a 1.6x crop factor should take into account that Kenko rings cannot be used with EF-S lenses: the rings have a "regular" EF mount. For such an occasion, Canon branded rings are suitable.
Click to enlarge
Manual focusing options are usually purchased from the used market for reasons of economy (autofocus in macro is not always necessary). Or these are modern lenses of the highest quality (for example, the new Zeiss Macro Planar 100/2). Achieve great results when shooting static scenes. Creative monocle lenses (see www.lensbabies.ru) and shooting small objects using macro fur can also be classified in this category. The owners of Canon and Pentax DSLRs are in demand for Soviet macro fur with M42 thread, used together with an adapter for the camera mount and an inverted standard lens from Zenit.
Lighting equipment
Unlike artistic types of photography, in macro drawing of light and shadow much less attention is paid. Nevertheless, it is the light that is the main thing in the macro.
There is a separate class of off-camera flashes that allow you to obtain uniform shadow-free illumination. TO hot shoe only the controller is connected, which is responsible for the operation of the flash. The ring-shaped emitter is attached directly to the lens thread - like a hood. Hence the name - ring flash(Ring Flash). The emitter is connected to the controller using a wire (less often - an IR synchronizer). The thread usually fits most macro lenses - 55mm. If the threads of the flash and the lens do not match, you can use an adapter (they are sold, for example, by “Photo Workshops RSU” - www.camera.ru). Note that using a step down adapter (eg 55mm to 49mm) can lead to vignetting.
Click to enlarge
Due to uniform bright illumination of the object ring flash allows you to achieve maximum image sharpness. The flip side of the coin is the loss of image volume, a "flat" picture (this effect further increases the large depth of field and high focal length). The "artistic" feature of such a flash is the halo effect around the object with glare on the volumetric shapes. Due to the specific "glossy" design, ring flashes are traditionally used not only in macro, but also in fashion photography. David LaChapelle, the author of famous portraits of Hollywood stars, achieved impressive results using his models when shooting ring flash and a wide angle lens.
The choice of ring flashes is varied: Canon MR-14EX, Olympus SRF-11, Sony HVL-RLAM, inexpensive compatible ring flashes for Canon and Nikon - Bower SFDRL14, Dot Line DL-DRF14, Sigma EM-140 DG, Phoenix RL-59N, Sunpack Dmacro. We have indicated only the most interesting consumer-oriented models of compatible ring flashes produced for Canon and Nikon DSLRs. The undoubted leader among them in Russia is the Sigma EM-140 DG (due to the presence of this outbreak in stores). There are also attachments for conventional on-camera flashes that allow you to turn them into a kind of ring flash.
Click to enlarge
For compact digital cameras, you can purchase a slave ring flash, which is triggered by the main one - for example, Digi-slave L-Ring Ultra II LED. Due to the great depth of field typical of digital compacts and the enviable uniformity of illumination, the "primitive" system based on ring flash and "digital cameras" will allow you to achieve very good results. An interesting low-power ring LED illuminator of constant light AcmePower RL-1200, which can operate on batteries or mains.
Recently, an intermediate option between ring and conventional flash - Twin Flash - has become more and more popular. This is a design based on two flashes fixed with a ring on the lens at an equal distance from each other. This design provides uniform brightness of the picture, while maintaining the volume of the image (due to the formed shadows), and has a higher power than the annular one. Such flashes have replaced ring flashes in the lines of leading manufacturers: Canon MT-24EX, Nikon R1C1, Olympus STF-22. The guide number is 22 meters for Canon and Olympus, 20 meters for Nikon. Nikon and Olympus DSLR owners can purchase these flashes separately from the commander.
 daylight and incandescent lamps. For shooting on film, it is worth purchasing a set of special halogen lamps. For example, the Rekam Light Kit - three 250W lamps on racks, complete with reflectors. Such a set costs from 6 thousand rubles, but only three light sources may not be enough for our tasks. A more serious option is a powerful halogen source on a stand, complete with a soft box. The soft, diffused light produced by the soft box is effective when photographing subjects. Another option is a shadeless tent (Light Cube). This is the "tent" in which the object is placed. It is made of translucent thin matte plastic and, as a rule, is illuminated by an external source. The cost of such a product starts from 3 thousand rubles. Often used is a stage for subject shooting with a set of low-power halogen lamps. The table is a flexible, but quite solid white plastic background, fixed on a metal frame. It can be illuminated frontally (with the help of lamps fixed along the perimeter of the table) or through the light, in the latter case, working on a light table (Light Table). Simple mid-sized tables from manufacturers such as Rekam or Falcon Eyes will cost from 3.5 to 5 thousand rubles. There are more complex, flexible, expensive solutions - for example, Cubelite Light Table www.lastolite.com. Sinar f3 |
