Scott Murray
Senior Member
Poor bee
Macro help with focus and DoF
- Thread starter Lawrence
- Start date
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
Scott Murray
Senior Member
yes it is, but better handheld
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
Yep. And bees are tough. I have never been able to get one still enough to get a macro on it. It took me 20 shots to get this one the other day. They were never still
Just-Clayton
Senior Member
I have tried many ways to get a sharp macro shot Lawrence. But, using a tripod was my least favorite. I myself like free hand and using the "kiss" effect. I lean my body toward the subject and I watch the focus as I approach. When I get in focus, say on a bees eye I shoot. I also breath out slowly when I do. This way I'm not bobbing as much. I will sometimes use my mono pod.
Lawrence, I think your bee shot is blurred because of camera movement or because it was too windy, but you are on the right track. A bit of perseverance and you will be punching out good shots in no time.
I was shooting bees a few days ago. On the first day, I was shooting them the same as I do my spiders, that is , lens focused almost right in, and flash and diffuser.
I got a few good shots but they were difficult to get.
Here is one from that day...
The next chance I got to try again was 2 days later, this time I didn't use the flash, I adjusted the focus a bit further away to give a bit more room ( maybe 300mm between lens and bee ), and I set my camera on CH.
When I was getting close enough that the bee was just starting to come into focus I would hold the shutter down and keep moving the camera slowly towards the bee taking about 4-5 shots.
I just selected the best shot out of each burst and deleted the rest. I had to crop these a bit more to suit what I wanted, but I found this way was a bit less stressful to get the shot than the way I was doing it the first day.
I was shooting bees a few days ago. On the first day, I was shooting them the same as I do my spiders, that is , lens focused almost right in, and flash and diffuser.
I got a few good shots but they were difficult to get.
Here is one from that day...
The next chance I got to try again was 2 days later, this time I didn't use the flash, I adjusted the focus a bit further away to give a bit more room ( maybe 300mm between lens and bee ), and I set my camera on CH.
When I was getting close enough that the bee was just starting to come into focus I would hold the shutter down and keep moving the camera slowly towards the bee taking about 4-5 shots.
I just selected the best shot out of each burst and deleted the rest. I had to crop these a bit more to suit what I wanted, but I found this way was a bit less stressful to get the shot than the way I was doing it the first day.
Vixen
Senior Member
I tend to hold my breath. Sometimes it takes me so long to get the focus (because I tend to sway just a tiny bit. Standing dead still is impossible for me) that I end up dizzy
Vixen
Senior Member
It's been a while since I last shot macro but while I preferred to get as close as possible when I started, by the end of the season, I rather took a bit of distance and went for a lower magnification. DoF is so thin at 1:1 (or more) that it's very hard to place it correctly.
I also used the focus ring itself as little as possible. I set it to what I wanted and then moved in and out myself to get sharp focus. That way it is easier to stabilize the lens and all I need to do to adjust focus is lean a bit in or out.
It worked for me.
I also used the focus ring itself as little as possible. I set it to what I wanted and then moved in and out myself to get sharp focus. That way it is easier to stabilize the lens and all I need to do to adjust focus is lean a bit in or out.
It worked for me.
I'm kind of surprised that breath holding is not more commonplace, but each of us have different backgrounds. Mine is with military weapons so breath-holding was trained and a natural photography assumption for accuracy.
For those that want to try it, it takes practice for it to become natural and done without thought - or passing out LOL.
First technique is two exaggerated long breaths (not hyperventilating rapidness) followed by an exhale emptying the lungs. In this natural lull is where you would take your shot. However, you don't want to hold your breath so long that discomfort is created or you won't be 100% focused. With practice, this natural lull becomes... natural... and you can pause longer. This method is the more accurate method but requires that the situation allows a bit of time. Were not talking a long time, but two relaxed exaggerated breathes with sighting in does take time.
Second method is to simply pause your breathing for a moment prior to your shot and just long enough for your body to settle. This method is for those quick spur of the moment shots where accuracy is needed.
Anyway, these methods are used for accurate long range shooting and completely cross-over to macro photography where accuracy is so thin.
Hope this helps someone.
For those that want to try it, it takes practice for it to become natural and done without thought - or passing out LOL.
First technique is two exaggerated long breaths (not hyperventilating rapidness) followed by an exhale emptying the lungs. In this natural lull is where you would take your shot. However, you don't want to hold your breath so long that discomfort is created or you won't be 100% focused. With practice, this natural lull becomes... natural... and you can pause longer. This method is the more accurate method but requires that the situation allows a bit of time. Were not talking a long time, but two relaxed exaggerated breathes with sighting in does take time.
Second method is to simply pause your breathing for a moment prior to your shot and just long enough for your body to settle. This method is for those quick spur of the moment shots where accuracy is needed.
Anyway, these methods are used for accurate long range shooting and completely cross-over to macro photography where accuracy is so thin.
Hope this helps someone.
[MENTION=31330]J-see[/MENTION] you beat me to it!
I was about to post the same thing.
Yes, the lens will focus but (and its a big BUT) the DOF is virtually zero when you get too close.
Try holding the camera bit further away follow all the other suggestions here and then crop in post, you have lots of pixels to play with.
Yeah, the gain in DoF by closing the lens down is nothing compared to taking a step back. I got better results when doing that and cropping, and if needed doubling it up again in PS, than by closing down until insanity and still have a DoF thin as a razor.
This has become apparent to me with all my testing but still not sure that cropping will produce results (read as detail) similar to what I see on here.
That probably comes down to tack sharp focusing in the first instance and possibly sensor capabilities.
Note that I blame the photographer before the equipment
I've shot most my macros with the D3300 and they need to be sharp but there's some room for error when you know how to cheat in post. I usually shot bursts at an as high shutter as possible and at rather wide apertures for what is common in macro. If you close too far, things get fuzzy too. I tested it with my D3300 months ago and somewhere between f/8 and f/11 diffraction becomes visible. I shot text while closing down which makes it easier to notice than during normal shots.
I used the lens at its sharpest aperture and that was it. If the shot is sharp, crop is an option and you can double those pixels in PS without too much difference.
If you shoot bursts, you can take parts of the one to blend into the other and people will think you're good at macro while you're actually better at cheating.
I've shot most my macros with the D3300 and they need to be sharp but there's some room for error when you know how to cheat in post. I usually shot bursts at an as high shutter as possible and at rather wide apertures for what is common in macro. If you close too far, things get fuzzy too. I tested it with my D3300 months ago and somewhere between f/8 and f/11 diffraction becomes visible. I shot text while closing down which makes it easier to notice than during normal shots.
I used the lens at its sharpest aperture and that was it. If the shot is sharp, crop is an option and you can double those pixels in PS without too much difference.
If you shoot bursts, you can take parts of the one to blend into the other and people will think you're good at macro while you're actually better at cheating.
LOL I think I could easily and very comfortably master cheating.
So far my lens' soft spot is proving to be f 11.0
LOL I think I could easily and very comfortably master cheating.
So far my lens' soft spot is proving to be f 11.0
You should try if around f/8 isn't doing an as well job. I usually shoot mine between 7 and 11 but I did open up wider too. f/11 is flirting with diffraction and if f/8 does as well, you can put that stop into shutter.
If the weather picks up and the bugs come out, I'll know how the new cam will do. The bugs for certain won't be as big in the shots as the D3300 delivered.
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Some more about the advantage of not shooting as close as possible.
At 1x with my current cam I'll have a DoF of about 0.5mm (a guess) around f/8. That ain't much. If I close down to f/32, I have some 2mm. That still ain't much if you look at the size of an average bee.
Now instead of closing down and neurotically trying to get into the end-zone of my magnification, I shuffle slightly back and shoot at 0.5x. At f/8 now my DoF is also 2mm but if during the first I was shooting at let's say 1/250s shutter, by now shooting slightly further, I can use the 4 aperture stops required for f/32 and invest those in shutter. Now I can take the same shots, albeit half the magnification, and shoot at 1/4000s.
I can shoot a sharp shot at 1/4000s when drunk. And while tumbling down the stairs.
Head first.
At 1x with my current cam I'll have a DoF of about 0.5mm (a guess) around f/8. That ain't much. If I close down to f/32, I have some 2mm. That still ain't much if you look at the size of an average bee.
Now instead of closing down and neurotically trying to get into the end-zone of my magnification, I shuffle slightly back and shoot at 0.5x. At f/8 now my DoF is also 2mm but if during the first I was shooting at let's say 1/250s shutter, by now shooting slightly further, I can use the 4 aperture stops required for f/32 and invest those in shutter. Now I can take the same shots, albeit half the magnification, and shoot at 1/4000s.
I can shoot a sharp shot at 1/4000s when drunk. And while tumbling down the stairs.
Head first.