My macro shooting on budget setup

[otc]

good affordable setup, witness this setup today and I was wow.....

I do have vivitar macro converter that converts 50 mm lens to 1:1 mag. and I do have M 50 1.7 and m 50 1.4 pentax.

Yes, for macro subjects, with the macro converter, and 50 m lens, the image wise is not as sharp as a dedicated macro lens. Yes it produces 1:1 mag for this set-up. So I advocate extension tube, rather than glass to magnify the image. Just my imho..... I do have panagor converter too that converts normal lens to macro 1:1 mag. I am just trying and its fun to me.

theoritically if you have 50 mm tubes and 50 mm lens, you have 1:1 mag. Yes, its a fact, you have a macro shot and image enlarged. With the vivitar macro converter, you can have various mag too like 1:1 or1;2 or 1;5 as the vivitar converter can be adjusted. I am saying about the finer part of image quality with and without the macro converter.

marcus

 

[oceanpriest]

For extension tube, I think I need to find the one with aperture coupling, so can use it with green button, otherwise viewfinder becomes very dark and difficult to focus

*start searching on ebay :bsmilie:

 

[otc]

Dun spend money on aperture coupling. china made one is 10 over dollars. CAn try that first, low cost. The other one is hard to come by. Ihave one Jessop pka and does not meters but viewfinder is bright. Kenko pka is hard to come by. We macro shooter should email kenko to manufacture PKA mount:bsmilie:

Use the stop down approach or , use m mode and varies different aperture and shutter speed and Iso, after some time can work:bsmilie:

I have both:bsmilie:

marcus

 

[detritus]

You got 10 fingers, allocate 2 fingers to carry mah.:bsmilie::bsmilie:

marcus

ok... let me break down for you... backpack on my back, tripod bag slung over left shoulder, left hand holding water bottle, right hand holding on to the hand rail on bus / mrt...

moral of the story: i don't drive and no, i can't spare 2 fingers. solution: i should buy a bigger bag :bsmilie:

 

[oceanpriest]

Dun spend money on aperture coupling. china made one is 10 over dollars. CAn try that first, low cost.

I tried this before, I need to set the aperture wide open to focus, then step down and press green button before pressing the shutter. I found this one painful for me :bsmilie:

 

[oceanpriest]

I tried to compare the results with Raynox DCR-250 this afternoon, borrowed from a friend :bsmilie:

I used Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO DG, the lens itself has 1:2 macro magnification. At 300mm with 1:2 magnification, the distance between lens and object is around 50cm, but with the raynox mounted, it becomes 5-6cm only.

From what I observed, the images taken with vivitar 2x MFTC and 50mm f1.7 are sharper than Raynox and Sigma 70-300, but I'm not too sure, since at 300mm the dof is very shallow and the sigma lens is zoom lens indeed. Any suggestion?

 

[oceanpriest]

for the ant pictures, I already use aperture f29, but the dof is very shallow, any suggestion how to make the dof wider?

 

[speedfactory]

My gears

Pentax K-x + Vivitar 2x Macro Focusing Teleconverter (bought it for 40 USD from ebay) + Pentax SMC M 50mm f1.7 (around 100 SGD) + DIY soft box/diffuser (10 to 20 SGD)

anyone know where to get the 2x marco focusing teleconverter in singapore?

 

[detritus]

anyone know where to get the 2x marco focusing teleconverter in singapore?

ebay's your best bet. its not available in local stores.

 

[seefei]

I tried to compare the results with Raynox DCR-250 this afternoon, borrowed from a friend :bsmilie:

I used Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO DG, the lens itself has 1:2 macro magnification. At 300mm with 1:2 magnification, the distance between lens and object is around 50cm, but with the raynox mounted, it becomes 5-6cm only.

From what I observed, the images taken with vivitar 2x MFTC and 50mm f1.7 are sharper than Raynox and Sigma 70-300, but I'm not too sure, since at 300mm the dof is very shallow and the sigma lens is zoom lens indeed. Any suggestion?

cant really compare the raynox mounted on different lenses esp a zoom and a prime lens. you may get more accurate results just trying on one prime lens. zoom lenses in general having more moving elements will be less sharp, relatively, compare to prime lenses.

the ants photo are out of focus in general. there is nothing wrong with the dof. you can stack focus if you want more dof. can check out evolutioner fruit fly in the tech discussion for effects of stack focusing.

hope the above helps. shoot more post more

 

[oceanpriest]

anyone know where to get the 2x marco focusing teleconverter in singapore?

I saw few people are selling the PKA version on pentaxforum marketplace. Mine is PK version.

the ants photo are out of focus in general. there is nothing wrong with the dof. you can stack focus if you want more dof. can check out evolutioner fruit fly in the tech discussion for effects of stack focusing.

hope the above helps. shoot more post more

Its first time I heard about focus stacking :bsmilie:

btw do I need to use flash bracket for my external flash?

 

[snapnut]

I use this setup before (with PM 1.7). The DOF is really difficult to control.
I also have problems manually adjusting the flash.
After a while I gave up... never achieve what you did :thumbsup:

Recently.. I realize that my vivitar macro 2X is PKA...
I recently got my hands on a PA 1.7. You have inspire me to give it another go ;p

 

[flowerpot]

Use the Raynox250 on 100mm-150mm max... 300mm is too much... alternatively use the raynox150, its more managable on APC dslr...

for extreme close up, better to have the light source as close to the subject... for bigger subjects, a normal diffuser is enough... lighting is all relative to the subject size and distance...

 

[oceanpriest]

I use this setup before (with PM 1.7). The DOF is really difficult to control.
I also have problems manually adjusting the flash.
After a while I gave up... never achieve what you did :thumbsup:

Recently.. I realize that my vivitar macro 2X is PKA...
I recently got my hands on a PA 1.7. You have inspire me to give it another go ;p

2X PKA + PA1.7 + PTTL = make life easier :bsmilie:

Use the Raynox250 on 100mm-150mm max... 300mm is too much... alternatively use the raynox150, its more managable on APC dslr...

for extreme close up, better to have the light source as close to the subject... for bigger subjects, a normal diffuser is enough... lighting is all relative to the subject size and distance...

Thanks for your suggestion, will try it again soon

 

[oceanpriest]

Tried to modify the previous DIY softbox

Some shots taken using the setup

any idea how to remove the shadow here?

 

[seefei]

Tried to modify the previous DIY softbox

any idea how to remove the shadow here?

the magnification is quite good. there is a few methods to remove the shadow.

1. pp it away
2. lower flash power
3. better diffuser

notice your diy flash gun barrel is very long. you will need a lot of flash power to run through that barrel, hence the need for more power. can try bringing the flash near to the subject with the use of a bracket.

 

[flowerpot]

first of all, the shadow will not be 100% eliminated...its just simple physics... light from the top down... the light source will not be able to 100% "wrap" around the subject...

the diffuser is ok... its already very very big wrt the JS... low power will not remove shadow... just need to be closer... and i mean very close...

its all about relative to the subject... flash size and distance wise... wrt to the subject...

if u understand this point... u can even use bare flash...

This is the best write up on what im trying to say
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/07/lighting-102-unit-21-apparent-light.html

that is if you are restricted to single flash...

alternatively u can find ways to fill in the shadow... anything reflective or another way is multiple flash to fill in the shadow... but the subject so small not easy to use reflective method...

 

[Moonlightsg]

Ring flash can help you???

just guess...

thanks for your colgate idea...
i have make a 黑人牙膏 one and working fine!
will try to upload some pic tonight...

 

[snapnut]

What lovely eyes
Nice results from your DIY setup... :thumbsup:

 

[oceanpriest]

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=772944

the diffuser on this thread looks good