How I have more MACRO DOF …

As we know anything >1:1 macro, we have very limit DOF … I had it share before … what we DOF have while we shooting macro e.g. at crop body, F16 at 1:1 .. the dof we have is just ~1mm … so how we have more DOF ?

1. angle is important , if we want the main objects “focus”

e.g.

limit DOF

at certain angle, we have not possible to have both object focus .. e.g. choose one , shoot small to crop , or using stacking method I use (discuss before HERE)

by using the stacking … we can get both beetle focus as below

 

or discuss http://liewwkphoto.com/blog/?p=922

 

of if we do not want to do much on post process… choose the best angle to have both object focus e.g.

 

more beetle collection click HERE

MACRO … soon …..

I had slow down a lot on macro for pass 6 months ….

my previous testing on my lighting …. is mainly for Canon MP-E65 or you may refer here and only once I test my SIGMA150 light HERE

and now …. I am working on my new SIGMA 105 OS … as below .. just a start for how I bring my flash closer …. and making the diffuser in progress …….

macro ... coming
macro .. coming ...

 

and stay tune .. more testing result for 5dm2 + SIGMA150 and 7d + 50mm MACRO

How I shoot Macro – Extension Tubes Magnification

I am not sure how could I missed out this topic in my old and new blog …let me add this back to my share…

#### from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extension_tube

An extension tube is an accessory for cameras with interchangeable lenses, used primarily for macro photography. The tube contains no optical elements; its sole purpose is to move the lens farther from the image plane. The farther away the lens is, the closer the focus, the greater the magnification, and also the greater the loss of light (requiring a longer exposure time). Lenses classically focus closer than infinity by moving all optical elements farther from the film or sensor; an extension tube simply imposes this movement.

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other word, it allow us to shoot object closer (so it is bigger) but it do lost infinity focus (mean cannot shoot far) and some light lost ….

the magnification again simple can get by shooting the ruler to see what magnification you have e.g.

if you have crop body 40d, which mean yours sensor size should be 35mm/1.6=21.8mm

at 1:1 your wide of single frame short should occupy by 21.8mm object ……. so add on with ET if your shot is 10.9mm mean u get

21.8/10.9 = 2x magnification 😀

or we can use formula

X/focal length = magnification

Y = X + ET (in mm added)

e.g.

100mm L

X/100 = 1

so X=100

if we add on 12mm + 20mm Kenko ET s0 we will get Y=X + ET = 100+32=132mm

so new magnification should be 132/100 = 1.32x

… there is another thing we may concern is the MFD (minimum focus distance)

1) M = b/a
2) 1/a + 1/b = 1/f
3) MFD = a + b

where
M: Magnification
a: lens-to-subject distance
b: lens-to-film/sensor distance
f: focal length

 

How I Shoot MACRO – my update lighting/diffuser setup [Jan 2011]

my last update for my MACRO setup was Jul 2010 … which discuss @ http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-i-shoot-macro-new-accessories-and.html

but since then I have put most of my time to landscape … not much thing change but just to share it to my new blog …

my update short focal length full flash setup

some result

some result as below
i. concave, V & Light tent
... a boring Giraffe ? ...

... litttle green bee ...

ii. UV & Light tent
... there is something on my body...Apple , egg ??? ...

my SIGMA150 with Kenko ET, Kenko 1.4TC still my natural light macro setup … while I am still trying to resolved the full flash concern .. my last update @ http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-i-shoot-macro-lighting-result-for.html

some results

possible for MP-E65 and the Background color (F8, 1/160, ISO100)
... full body shot ...

ii. with only ET @full magnification
.... only ET ...

iii.plus 1.4TC
... at ~2:1 ...

iv. full magnification front view
... @2:1 , front shot ...

it look pretty acceptable to me but I still trying to improve it and I will mostly use SIGMA150 for coming weekend outing ….

think now the light tent diffuser started by Stephen is a very good solution for macro .. do not worry on what you have trying to find a good way to DIY your tent/cup diffuser, yours lighting will be almost ready …..

few sample of the simple tent diffuser user

sample result from kit len + raunox202 + lighting diffuser with build in flash …. visit Jeffrey Photostream

if you interested to know more and know how to DIY the lighting for your MACRO setup … you may attend one of my workshop or outing to ask further 😀

http://www.liewwkphoto.com/Macroworkshop.htm

How I shoot MACRO – CROP to change Depth of Field (DOF)

think DOF is one important part we need to understand if we serious in MACRO photography … it is just as important as we need to know about light ….

an Old share How I Shoot MACRO – What Depth of Field (DOF) you have while shooting MACRO (I will migrate it ASAP….)

I am not want to discuss further on what is DOF, what DOF we have while we do MACRO … but I am sharing how do we increase DOF, as below

i. choose best angle to have more visible DOF
ii. using Post Processing – Stack – also discussed previously
iii. shoot smaller magnification and crop (if you want to know how smaller magnification affect the DOF please refer above link)

I have a same spider but slight change of angle but different magnification as shown below

@1:1 magnification

@2:1 magnification



I simply crop the 1:1 picture to magnification close to ~2:1

and let’s me share further magnification and further crop picture below to show what’s the different of DOF

@biggest magnification with full 21 mega pixels.

@crop from ~2:1 picture …lost ~50% of the resolution but check out the DOF it have more than the biggest magnification one

@crop from ~1:1 picture …lost >75% of the resolution but check out the DOF it have more than the biggest magnification one

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so if you do not mind lost the resolution which you may not want to print yours’ picture big …. crop to get bigger magnification also another choice for you .. but if you prefer to have max resolution to have your picture to be print big or sale …. use the stack method … (for the stack … you may also use 3rd party software e.g. CombineZM …..

and for me … I seldom crop my MACRO or Landscape picture >20% … the crop normally is plan while I shoot so it can be off center or not too tight into single frame …..

How I Shoot MACRO (update Jan 2011)

I am migrating most of my sharing from previous blogspot to here …. at the same time also update some of my update …… for how I shoot MACRO, I didn;t change much except lighting, diffuser (which I do keep improving it …..) and time spent on MACRO had been reduce @2010. Hope I can spend more time to MACRO 2011 ….

1. Manual Focus

– this not been change I use manual focus for my MACRO and Landscape shooting … may be that’s why my 5dm2 still serve me well …….
– due to the swallow DOF so it is not easy to get the AF work correctly what you going to focus especially at >1 life times
– so I will fix my magnification, then move myself backward & frontward to get object focus instead of turning the focus ring (do not do this for start) …

2. setting

2.1 ISO

– lowest possible but depend on whether how efficient is yours’ diffuser… if you make one lost too much light and you may need to push higher ISO but this have to be control together with aperture … normally I will suggest reduce one stop from ISO then follow by aperture instead only pushing ISO straight

– this may also depend you want to control yours’ BG or not … more old discussion – How I control Background …. to bring more BG color, we may need to push higher ISO ….

2.2 F number or aperture

– refer to how is Aperture affect MACRO Here

– so minimum F number I use will be
<1:1    F5.6 – F16      —> F8
1:1      F11 – F16      —> F16
2:1      F11 – F14      —> F14
3:1      F8 – F13       —> F11
4:1      F5.6 – F8      —> F8
5:1      F5.6 – F8      —> F7.1 –

I provide the recommended aperture range and F number I use 😀
– you may ask
i. why I reduce the aperture/F number and this eventually reduce my DOF
– yes, it will reduce DOF but i have to maintain the sharpness which impact by Diffraction (higher F number use will make picture softer)

ii. why my pictures DOF look thicker and ~same with 1-4 :1 even smaller aperture/F number use ….
– I focus stack my pictures so DOF in my picture is result of multiple shooting with stacking. what is focus stack ? please refer here

2.3 Shutter speed

– for full flash MACRO, I try to use flash MAX sync speed normally it should be ~1/200-1/250
– for Natural Light/Fill Flash MACRO, use aperture mode and let the body decide for you .. so mostly it may require tripod for slower shutter speed to avoid shake
– for start I will prefer to have minimum 1/125 or above
– what I use –> 1/200… 5d MAX sync speed

3. Flash, Yes or No???
– if we use flash, it will depend full flash or fill flash
– full flash will give flash compesate all the light requirement but fill flash is like Natural/available light macro where most of the light should be ambient light but flash just to try to light up, reduce shadow …..
– this is very subjective question where it depend environment, bug, light condition .. etc ….
– normally while shoot Natural Light (NL) without flash, I will use Aperture priority mode…. F8 then will adjust ISO to get correct aperture

– what I use –> 90% full flash
– while use flash, the flash have to be diffuse. why .. may be I should share more on this .. but simple share 2 pictures below to share different diffuser result …

different with different diffuser

– I will share another topics regard diffuser very soon …

4. diffuse or not ?

– this is most important portion (for me)
– if you din’t get diffuse correct, object details will be loss even you got it focus

my new lighting for both

long focal length full flash macro lighting – SIGMA150mm

shorter focal length full flash macro lighting – Canon MP-E65

*** sorry for most the link still old one.. and I am trying my best to update those link  and migrate over here

5. flash exposure compensation (FEC)
– it is important to control the light require…
– most of the time we need find a standard value for our setting .. for both of my setup I use -1 FEC as dafault
– what/when I change ? I normally plus FEC while I have brighter BG or I need more BG color to be light up…. then if the BG have black or dark BG then I will reduce the FEC ….

ok …. let’s go out and shoot now ….