Macro Photography

[Sohaib Siddique]

<p>hi friends<br>

i have nikon D3200 with 50mm F1.8G lens and i want to go for some macro please guide me if required any converter or extension tube please tell me about. <br>

thanks in advance.</p>

[SCL]

<p>Your instruction manual should give you guidance regarding macro accessories for your specific camera. The lens you presently have doesn't have macro capabilities unless it is used with either extension rings or tubes....but most you will find readily available don't have the capability to reduce the diaphragm of your lens, since it a "G" lens which doesn't have an aperture ring. So, the important questions for you, when talking macro are: 1) how close or far away from your subjects do you expect to be (many small animals are spooked by your being too close), and 2) true macro lenses often go to a magnification ratio of 1:1....do you expect to need to go to that ratio (or greater)? An inexpensive alternative to tubes, rings, bellows or purchasing a true macro lens is to use supplementary diopter lenses on the front of your present lens. These are readily available from Nikon or other manufacturers to fit the filter diameter of your present lens. They are often sold in kits consisting of +1, +2 & +3 diopters, and can be combined if desired, although the image quality is reduced and the curvature of the field is often excessive. If you find that you have to get too close to your subjects, and either block the light or spook the subject, you will need to get a longer focal length lens. The learning tab here at PN has a good introductory section on macro photograohy. Good luck and have fun.</p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>If you want to mess around photographing non-moving stuff, I recommend a cheap 55mm f2.8 or f3.5 manual focus lens. one or two hundred bucks...</p>

<p>No, it won't AF with your camera, but you don't need that for real macro anyway.</p>

<p>No, it won't meter, but go into manual mode and if what you're shooting doesn't move, keep adjusting exposure till you get it right. And then, you will learn more about understanding exposure than you could guess you will.</p>

[elliot1]

<p>What is your budget? What will you be doing with the images? Automatic extension tubes are available under $50. New and used macro lenses vary in price but in most cases will be substantially more expensive.</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>A Nikon 55/2.8 AIS Micro-Nikkor is a very good lens, which costs about $100 used. It only focuses as close as 1:2. If you want 1:1, use a Nikon PK-13 extension tube (used for about $35). This is an inexpensive way to get into macro photography, and is also useful for copying documents or shooting stamps, coins and jewelry. The working distance (lens to subject) is a little short for living things.</p>

<p>An ordinary lens can be used with extension tubes, but the image tends to fall apart closer than 1:4. That covers a 4"x 6" area, which is about right for flowers and mushrooms.</p>

[johne37179]

<p>I think it is important to understand the difference between close-up photography and true macro (1:1 ratio or better). Understanding the kind of image you envision and how to achieve it should be your first step. For close up photography I have always preferred a medium telephoto which allowed me to be some distance from the subject. In true macro photography you frequently are less than a foot from the subject and may have issues with casting your own shadow, or reflections on the subject. I would recommend learning more about the subject and what kind of images you are looking to produce before making any investment.</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>"Macro" photography can also mean reproduction or display at life-sized or greater. Using this definition, a 1:4 image printed 8x10" would be twice life size, hence "macro." 1:1 magnification is pretty extreme for closeups in nature. For a long time, anything closer to the subject than 3 feet (maybe 6 feet) was considered a "closeup," and really close meant one foot or so, and was labeled "macro."</p>

[Sohaib Siddique]

<p>guys im little bit confuse in 1:1 and 1:2 ? what is this?<br>

and i wana use existing camera and lens i need extension tube or reverse converter. </p>

[johne37179]

<p>Photographs are made between the ears and not with photographic equipment. Understanding the vision you have of the final image and then selecting the equipment to produce the image is the process you should be going through. Do you want to capture the smile on the face of a ladybug or the ladybug sitting on a leaf? Understanding what it takes to produce the image you envision (Ansel Adams' previsualization) is the starting point. I remember decades ago (more than can be counted on one hand) when I was learning photography I would look at an image and be able to determine the likely focal length of the lease used, the F-stop and probably shutter speed. Once you develop that understanding of photography the selection of the appropriate equipment becomes much easier. Without that understanding the selection of equipment can be very expensive because of the purchase of the wrong stuff.</p>

[michael_bradtke]

<p>1:1 means the image recorded on the film or sensor is the same size as the subject. 1:2 means the image is half as large as the subject. We are talking about the image size on the sensor not after an enlargement for a print.<br>

This might be helpful<br>

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/33434774</p>

[blumesan]

<p>Sohaib-<br>

It would help us a lot if you would explain (approximations will do):<br>

What is the size (inches, millimeters) of the smallest feature you wish to photograph.<br>

How close to the object can you approach with your lens (without disturbing insects or other moving objects)?<br>

How large will you print your image?<br>

And, if you don't own a tripod, that is the first bit of equipment you will need.</p>

[elliot1]

<p><em>"and i wana use existing camera and lens i need extension tube or reverse converter."</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

Either an extension tube set (automatic type) of a reversing ring will work.</p>

[Mary Doo]

<p>Sohaib, here's a video (<a href="

) illustrating how to use a reversing ring with a nikon short lens.</p>

<p>Here's a video (<a href="

) illustrating how to use an extension tube on a lens.</p>

<p>Some people also use a diopter (close-up "lens"), or the cumbersome bellows to extend the distance between lens and camera even further.</p>

<p>Here's a brief video tutorial (<a href="

) on macro photography</p>

<p>Naturally, it is easier to shoot macro with a dedicated macro lens, such as Nikon 105mm and 200mm or some very decent 3rd party macro lenses, such as Tamron and Sigma. Actually you can get some super sharp manual macro lenses from eBay at a very low price, such as a Vivitar 100mm. It is just as sharp as my Nikon micro lenses. It is better to stay away from "macro zooms", unless it's the sought-after Nikon 70-180mm micro zoom lens.</p>

<p>Good luck with your venture into macro photography. It is a lot of fun. There are a number of short-and-sweet macro photography tutorials that you can easily search for on the Internet.</p>

[Matthew Currie]

<p>Remember, though, a reversing ring will not work well with a G lens, because you cannot change the aperture.</p>

[Sohaib Siddique]

<p>i have been gain many more from every comments, thanks all guys </p>