SUPER Macro?

texaslimo

Senior Member
There used to be a fella on here that would post the most gorgeous macro photos. And they would be huge. The critters face would take most of the picture and you could see every single facet of the eye or every hair. I would appreciate any tips or advice that could help me get closer to shooting like this.

I use a D850 with a Nikon 200mm/f4D usually set somewhere around f11 to f16.
 

texaslimo

Senior Member
DSC_1726-Edit.jpg
 

texaslimo

Senior Member
I have experimented with different settings at times. While it is true that I do take most of my macro shot at the above mentioned settings, I have not always.
 

Clovishound

Senior Member
First off, the 200 micro has a magnification ratio of 1:1. That is pretty much standard among most macro lenses. The 200mm is somewhat unique in it's long focal length. That gives you an advantage in working distance, but no advantage in magnification over, say, the more common 105mm micro.

Looking at the data on the image you posted, I see that you focused at .89m. The 200mm has a minimum focus distance of .5m. Focusing at or very near the minimum will give you the maximum magnification. The easiest way to achieve this is to manually focus the lens at minimum focus distance, then move the camera closer to your subject until you are in focus.

You have a D850 and apparently a D7000 as well. With the crop frame sensor on the D7000, the camera only uses about half of the full image and has an apparent magnification of around 1.5:1. You can do the same with the D850 by cropping the image in post. If you crop to around 1.5:1, you will still have around a 24 MB image, whereas the D7000 will be 16MB. I would go with the D850 and crop in post for max magnification. You should be able to push a little beyond half the image in post.

If you want more magnification than this, you can add extension tubes, a bellows, tele converter, or diopters. They all have their pros and cons. Another option is to get a macro lens designed for 2:1 magnification.

Here is an image taken with a Nikon 105mm micro lens. It was shot at near minimum focus distance and cropped from a 45 MP image.

_DSC7256-SharpenAI-Motion.jpg
 

texaslimo

Senior Member
I do like the one above but is doesnt have quite the detail to have to deal with as this next one. Here you can see the detail of the pollen on her back, but the detail of the legs is lost.
 

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Clovishound

Senior Member
Thanks. I use flash for most of my macro shots of insects. It allows you to use smaller apertures which gives greater depth of field. It also allows you to take handheld shots, while minimizing motion blur. There are several types of macro flash diffusers available commercially, or home made that give a softer quality to the light. Flash really makes life easier, especially when shooting insects. It's not right for every situation, but it will greatly increase your percentage of good shots from an outing.
 
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