Please advise: New to macro lens

[Megadark]

Just bought the raynox DSR250 macro lens and toyed around with it on my S3. I had a really hard time trying to maintain the correct distance and reduce hand shake to get a good picture. So far, the results were not satisfactory. Are there any tips to get a good macro picture? When using a tripod, isn't it cumbersome to move the camera and the tripod a few millimeters to focus properly? The pictures below are some of the better ones. Please advise.

 

[bwilly]

only way is increase your shutter speed, or get higher ISO..
play around with both. check your fish tank all lights are on.

I have a marine tank, n its difficult to get pics of the fishes at time.

 

[zac08]

That's why there is such a thing called focusing rail for the camera to sit on while you mount it on the tripod. You can move it in minute amounts to get the correct focus.

The other way would be to focus the lens and adjust till the correct sharpness.

And you need to stop down the lens more and get more light into play.

 

[Megadark]

only way is increase your shutter speed, or get higher ISO..
play around with both. check your fish tank all lights are on.

I have a marine tank, n its difficult to get pics of the fishes at time.

Yeah will try that. Thanks.

 

[Megadark]

That's why there is such a thing called focusing rail for the camera to sit on while you mount it on the tripod. You can move it in minute amounts to get the correct focus.

The other way would be to focus the lens and adjust till the correct sharpness.

And you need to stop down the lens more and get more light into play.

Is a focusing rail an add on to the tripod, or do I have to buy a new tripod that comes with it? What does "stop down the lens more" mean?

 

[raptor84]

Stop down the lens means to use a smaller apreature Smaller apearature gives you more dopth of field.

If you have trouble understanding this then you shloud borrow some books and read up on exposure basics more.

 

[Megadark]

Stop down the lens means to use a smaller apreature Smaller apearature gives you more dopth of field.

If you have trouble understanding this then you shloud borrow some books and read up on exposure basics more.

Are you sure? F-stop and aperture size are inversely proportional. Thank you for the misinformation and insulting my basic knowledge of photography at the same time.

 

[raptor84]

Yes I am sure that stopping down a lens means to use a smaller apperature because that is one way of achiveing a greater DOF. Wiki Entry here

I apologise if my tone came acorss as insulting. Was just trying to offer help and suggestions.

 

[Megadark]

Apology accepted. I'll try to play around with the F-stop settings. Thanks.

 

[zac08]

Is a focusing rail an add on to the tripod, or do I have to buy a new tripod that comes with it? What does "stop down the lens more" mean?

Some articles which you can find out more :

Geared Focusing Rail for Macro Work

Close-up: Focusing Rails

It's more of an add-on device.

As for stopping down. It's to the increase the DOF by using a smaller aperture. The 2 newer micro lenses from Nikon (for SLR cameras) are f2.8 and if you shoot them at f2.8, you will have very little DOF. So if you stop it down to say f8 or even smaller to f11, you would get more DOF and have a much cleaer subject. Esp if the subject is positioned in a lateral angle instead of perpendicular to the camera.


regards,

 

[megaweb]

Megadark,
What is the settings or EXIF data of your photos?

That's why there is such a thing called focusing rail for the camera to sit on while you mount it on the tripod. You can move it in minute amounts to get the correct focus.

I think focusing rail is good for still life macro photography. See from Megadark's photos, I dun think the object can keep very still.

 

[ExplorerZ]

a monopod might help...

 

[zac08]

Megadark,
What is the settings or EXIF data of your photos?



I think focusing rail is good for still life macro photography. See from Megadark's photos, I dun think the object can keep very still.

Eh... I take aquarium shots too. And sometimes, they do sit still for at least a few seconds. That's the window to take those shots. Not those fast moving fishes of course. But shrimps and snails should be ok.

 

[Artosoft]

That's why there is such a thing called focusing rail for the camera to sit on while you mount it on the tripod. You can move it in minute amounts to get the correct focus.

The other way would be to focus the lens and adjust till the correct sharpness.

And you need to stop down the lens more and get more light into play.

Go to Cathay Photo Peninsula Plaza. They sell focusing rail. Simple one (one direction) is about $80-100 IIRC.

Regards,
Arto.

 

[Megadark]

Megadark,
What is the settings or EXIF data of your photos?



I think focusing rail is good for still life macro photography. See from Megadark's photos, I dun think the object can keep very still.

#1 Exposure Time 1/20 sec, F/3.5, spot metering no flash.
#2 Exposure Time 1/5 sec, F/3.2, spot metering no flash.
#3 Exposure Time 1/13 sec, F/3.5, spot metering no flash.
Please comment. Thanks.

 

[Megadark]

Thank you everyone for the invaluable counsel.

 

[megaweb]

#1 Exposure Time 1/20 sec, F/3.5, spot metering no flash.
#2 Exposure Time 1/5 sec, F/3.2, spot metering no flash.
#3 Exposure Time 1/13 sec, F/3.5, spot metering no flash.
Please comment. Thanks.

I think the shutter speed is too slow which cause the softness of the photos.

 

[hwchoy]

now you're going to run into a major limitation of the S3, it has no hotshoe.

 

[Megadark]

What's the slowest shutter speed for macro photos? Any guidelines?

Yes, I agree that the absence of a hotshoe for an additional flash is a real bummer. Recommendations anyone?

 

[zac08]

What's the slowest shutter speed for macro photos? Any guidelines?

Yes, I agree that the absence of a hotshoe for an additional flash is a real bummer. Recommendations anyone?

Get a new camera? hehehe...