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What do I need for Macro Pictures?

E

Eltano1

Golden Member
I have a D40x, with the 2 kit lenses, plus a Sigma 70-300 Macro, Nikon 50 1.8, Nikon 35-70, plus an inverter.

Ordered extended tubes, but now I will like to know how do I put them together to start practicing Macro photography.

Any help is really appreciate.

Regards

Eltano
 
Supposedly the Nikon D40x plus the macro lens should work.

I use a Nikon D40 with the Nikon 60mm f/2.8 macro lens. Sample picture

I'm not entirely sure how to do those inverters/extending tubes. Are those for super duper macro shots?
 
For the highest magnification with your current setup, put on all the extension tubes and then put on the lens (the 70-300 at 300mm will give you the highest magnification). All the extension tubes really do is allow you focus closer, which in turn ups the magnification.
 
Originally posted by: blued888
Won't the extension tubes affect image quality somehow?
Click to expand...

In my experience there is a slight effect on image quality. When I use the tubes with my 100mm macro lens, for example, the results are better than if I used a 2x teleconverter with the 100mm macro.
 
Originally posted by: Eltano1
I have a D40x, with the 2 kit lenses, plus a Sigma 70-300 Macro, Nikon 50 1.8, Nikon 35-70, plus an inverter.

Ordered extended tubes, but now I will like to know how do I put them together to start practicing Macro photography.

Any help is really appreciate.

Regards

Eltano
Click to expand...

It's going to be difficult to use extension tubes with your Sigma because the Sigma does not have an aperture ring.

Unless you purchased expensive auto extension tubes ($100+) that couple the metering and aperture mechanisms to the camera, you'll have to focus and shoot completely manually, using stop down metering and manual (M) exposure mode.

As a result, it might be easier if you put a full set of tubes on the 50mm f/1.8 instead of on your Sigma, since the 50mm has an aperture ring. The Sigma does do 1:2 macro without any tubes, which is pretty good and will let you get started with macro. However, because the Sigma is a cheap telephoto zoom to begin with and does not have a floating focusing system, image quality will suffer greatly at 300mm, which is what you need to achieve 1:2 magnification.

Either way, be sure to get a tripod because using manual extension tubes without one is extremely difficult, and most of your shots will come out blurry.
 
Originally posted by: blued888
Won't the extension tubes affect image quality somehow?
Click to expand...

Not anywhere near as much as using teleconverters or closeup filters. You'll get a bit of light loss.
 
what type of macro? What are your subjects, where will you be shooting.. depending on your answers a ring flash may be something worth getting.
 
If you're planning to photograph insect, extra light would really help. I don't have a ring flash, but I have a DIY foam thing that works pretty well for my purposes. Unfortunately, my backyard isn't very diverse with insects, but I used the DIY foam thing to take this shot:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh...XPgqEQ?feat=directlink

I've used reverse mount lenses, auto extension tubes (not manual tubes) and the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. Regardless of what you use, realize that macro bug photography needs a lot of patience.
 
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