Macro vs Tele Lens

kenghor · 29th February 2004

What is your preferred lens for butt?

The 180 macro is really sharp but need to get in pretty close.
The tele lens, especially those with IS, is wonderful to handhold without tripod and gives longer working distant. But not as sharp....

Sigma 180 Macro

300 IS to 1.4TC

BobCheong · 29th February 2004

I dont have a macro lens, so I use 75-300 USM IS with 25mm extension tube.
It is a little soft at max range, but satisfactory at closer range.

1/20 sec, F11, 110mm, ISO 100 hand held.
One good thing is that I don't have to switch lens to shoot this:

Denosha · 29th February 2004

Sorry, OT abit. I'm still a newbie to macro photography. I recently got an 25mm extension tube to improve the minimum focus dist of my lens. Do close-up filters magnify the image such that you get bigger images from the same distance? If yes, what would the effect of close-up filters + extension tube be like?

Jeff · 29th February 2004

Originally Posted by kenghor

What is your preferred lens for butt?

The 180 macro is really sharp but need to get in pretty close.
The tele lens, especially those with IS, is wonderful to handhold without tripod and gives longer working distant. But not as sharp....
300 IS to 1.4TC

The second pix is a little dull. Did you use flash? Prefer the 1st one of course.

kenghor · 29th February 2004

Originally Posted by BobCheong

One good thing is that I don't have to switch lens to shoot this:

Yeah! This is another advantage of a tele-lens compared to the macro.

kenghor · 29th February 2004

Originally Posted by Jeff

The second pix is a little dull. Did you use flash? Prefer the 1st one of course.

NO flash was used..... should have used it to brighten up

Sgt. Pepper · 29th February 2004

Kenghor,
The first photo is really sharp. But the 300 f4L IS + extension tube I can say will be even sharper. IS plays important role for handholding giving you the mobility for butt shooting, it will allow you to shoot at slower shutter speed compare to you 180mm macro. Background coverage will be lesser as well giving you the flexibilty to choose background appearance. Although it's not flexible enough to shoot smaller subject.

Originally Posted by Denosha

Sorry, OT abit. I'm still a newbie to macro photography. I recently got an 25mm extension tube to improve the minimum focus dist of my lens. Do close-up filters magnify the image such that you get bigger images from the same distance? If yes, what would the effect of close-up filters + extension tube be like?

Hi Denosha, The effect of close-up filter plus extension tube combo would be higher magnification.
Although they say that any lens of different focal length will focus at the same distance if you put Closeup filter on it e.g. 50mm and 200mm lenses will be able to focus at 1/2 meter if you put +2 closeup filter on it. I can say that somehow the min focusing distance of the lens has an effect to the min focusing distance that the closeup filter gives.

To make it simplier, your lens can focus at a min distance of 1/2 meter if you put +2 closeup filter on it, but you will be able to focus closer if you add an extension tube. Thus, it will give higher magnification.

Hope it clarifies the enigma on using these combo..

BobCheong · 29th February 2004

Sgt. Pepper, saw 4 tigers under the PLebar MRT track this morning. I watch them for 1/2 hour but non landed long enough for a shot

Sgt. Pepper · 29th February 2004

Originally Posted by BobCheong

Sgt. Pepper, saw 4 tigers under the PLebar MRT track this morning. I watch them for 1/2 hour but non landed long enough for a shot

Really? I had visited that place last week (without my cam) just to look around. It's just like an open field, not very sure how it attracts Butts, could be due to some touch-me-not growing around the place.

I think those lantana are located along PLebar road which is far from the MRT track..

BobCheong · 29th February 2004

Originally Posted by Sgt. Pepper

Really? I had visited that place last week (without my cam) just to look around. It's just like an open field, not very sure how it attracts Butts, could be due to some touch-me-not growing around the place.

I think those lantana are located along PLebar road which is far from the MRT track..

The albatross feed on tiny white flowers that grow on the ground near the Singpost wall. Dunno what attracted the tigers though, they just seems to be flitting around.

Papilio · 29th February 2004

Originally Posted by kenghor

What is your preferred lens for butt?

The 180 macro is really sharp but need to get in pretty close.
The tele lens, especially those with IS, is wonderful to handhold without tripod and gives longer working distant. But not as sharp....

Excellent shot of the Common Five-Ring, Keng Hor.

You're getting the hang of shooting butts these days with the 180mm eh?

kenghor · 29th February 2004

Originally Posted by Papilio

Excellent shot of the Common Five-Ring, Keng Hor. You're getting the hang of shooting butts these days with the 180mm eh?

I'm just lucky... was at SBG shooting something else when I saw this guy. Managed to burst a few shots before it flew away. Shot at f5.6 to eliminate the distracting background and am suprised that almost the whole butt is sharp!

megaweb · 1st March 2004

very nice shots esp the 1st one

both setup can be used for different purposes. as for butterfly photography, it is easier to use a telezoom lens with ext tube or closeup filter. using ext tube or closeup filter , your DOF is shallow and background will look nicer and cleaner. for zoom range , you can control the magnification and perspective angle of the shot.

I guess you are the guy I saw at AH last sat

Garion · 1st March 2004

kenghor,

Your first shot is great! Sharp and detailed and good composition/background. Good capture.

Was it taken handheld?

2nd shot: ALthough its well composed, it could use some fill flash to brighten up the pic and to enhance the vibrant colours of the Plain Tiger.

Keep shooting...

kenghor · 1st March 2004

Originally Posted by megaweb

very nice shots esp the 1st one

both setup can be used for different purposes. as for butterfly photography, it is easier to use a telezoom lens with ext tube or closeup filter. using ext tube or closeup filter , your DOF is shallow and background will look nicer and cleaner. for zoom range , you can control the magnification and perspective angle of the shot.

I guess you are the guy I saw at AH last sat

which sat? 28 Feb? I wasn't there.
But was there the previous sat..... did I tok to u?

29th February 2004	#1
kenghor Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 715	Macro vs Tele Lens What is your preferred lens for butt? The 180 macro is really sharp but need to get in pretty close. The tele lens, especially those with IS, is wonderful to handhold without tripod and gives longer working distant. But not as sharp.... Sigma 180 Macro 300 IS to 1.4TC

29th February 2004	#2
BobCheong Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 665	I dont have a macro lens, so I use 75-300 USM IS with 25mm extension tube. It is a little soft at max range, but satisfactory at closer range. 1/20 sec, F11, 110mm, ISO 100 hand held. One good thing is that I don't have to switch lens to shoot this: Last edited by BobCheong; 29th February 2004 at 08:12 AM.

1st March 2004	#13
megaweb Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: East Posts: 8,106	very nice shots esp the 1st one both setup can be used for different purposes. as for butterfly photography, it is easier to use a telezoom lens with ext tube or closeup filter. using ext tube or closeup filter , your DOF is shallow and background will look nicer and cleaner. for zoom range , you can control the magnification and perspective angle of the shot. I guess you are the guy I saw at AH last sat __________________ See my Photo Gallery at the Clubsnap \| Pbase

1st March 2004	#14
Garion Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: West side of S'pore Posts: 5,512	kenghor, Your first shot is great! Sharp and detailed and good composition/background. Good capture. Was it taken handheld? 2nd shot: ALthough its well composed, it could use some fill flash to brighten up the pic and to enhance the vibrant colours of the Plain Tiger. Keep shooting... __________________ [ deviantart selections \| Photoblog ]

29th February 2004	#3
Denosha Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Bukit Timah Posts: 1,298	Sorry, OT abit. I'm still a newbie to macro photography. I recently got an 25mm extension tube to improve the minimum focus dist of my lens. Do close-up filters magnify the image such that you get bigger images from the same distance? If yes, what would the effect of close-up filters + extension tube be like?