[Closed] Macro photography.

Cheapest way is to get a canon 35-80 and take the front element out, which this was taken with.
[url= http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6230/6266851055_53d65c66a5_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6230/6266851055_53d65c66a5_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/22191676@N00/6266851055/ ]Spider[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/22191676@N00/ ]The charge of the light brigade[/url], on Flickr

I've been researching macro lenses for a while - keep meaning to get round to actually buying one!

One that seems to keep cropping up in terms of image quality & general performance is the tamron 90mm macro. I think that's the one I am going for...

You can get adapters for old manual lenses for a few quid. I use an old Olympus OM-fit Tamron SP90 lens which cost me about 40 quid. You can get this close with a set up like that:

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5392347895_8ed700d6d9_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5392347895_8ed700d6d9_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_farrell/5392347895/ ]Lone moss[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/mark_farrell/ ]Mark-Farrell[/url], on Flickr

For real close ups, an adaptation as nmdbase suggests, or get a reverser ring to mount a prime lens the wrong way round, which can be used to do this:

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3815988920_bdcbd69be0_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3815988920_bdcbd69be0_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_farrell/3815988920/ ]Close feeding[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/mark_farrell/ ]Mark-Farrell[/url], on Flickr

I've been thinking of picking up some [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Polaroid-Focus-Extension-Digital-Cameras/dp/B004VNBAT2 ]extension tubes[/url] for a while, maybe paired with a set of [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/7pc-58mm-Filter-Kit-Polarizing/dp/B003FO23I0 ]diopters[/url]. I reckon that's the most cost effective way of doing it.

The problem with reversing the lens or using non auto tubes is that stopped down the viewfinder is really dark.

[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-EF-35-80mm-III-Lens-fits-EOS-20D-40D-350D-400D-450D-500D-550D-1000D-1100D-/180749620993?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item2a15845701#ht_1080wt_1344 ]Heres one[/url]

I found a reversing ring, extender tubes and an old 50mm lens provided the best cheapness/quality compromise.

It's not as easy as using a proper lens but you do get to find out if you want to take it any further. Cost me about 15 quid in total I think. Ebay is your friend.

Examples...
[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3659769594_c72ab39d07_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3659769594_c72ab39d07_z.jp g"/> ?zz=1[/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/53067724@N00/3659769594/ ]What you look'in at?[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/53067724@N00/ ]Jon Wyatt[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3688282840_7bb9c42fd3_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3688282840_7bb9c42fd3_z.jp g"/> ?zz=1[/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/53067724@N00/3688282840/ ]spidey[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/53067724@N00/ ]Jon Wyatt[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3648798356_f07b515983_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3648798356_f07b515983_z.jp g"/> ?zz=1[/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/53067724@N00/3648798356/ ]Waiting[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/53067724@N00/ ]Jon Wyatt[/url], on Flickr

Some great equipment ideas, and some great examples. Keep them coming.

Ian

These are taken with a Sony a300 using a Sigma 50mm EX-DG f2.8 lens. Not the cheapest option but very sharp (if correctly focused!)

http://www.digitalrev.com/en/sigma-50mm-f2-dot-8-ex-dg-macro-lens-1031.html

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4290059827_4c588ba8b6_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4290059827_4c588ba8b6_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4290059827/ ]20/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4379218853_4c80211425_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4379218853_4c80211425_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4379218853/ ]53/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4500742161_dba2968366_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4500742161_dba2968366_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4500742161/ ]97/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/4561598480_e3d50017d9_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/4561598480_e3d50017d9_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4561598480/ ]118/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4571588881_a24d41056b_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4571588881_a24d41056b_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4571588881/ ]122/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3344/4624774915_ab82cd338a_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3344/4624774915_ab82cd338a_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4624774915/ ]140/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4632927782_d3842a505b_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4632927782_d3842a505b_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4632927782/ ]143/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5072472472_8d9114209a_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5072472472_8d9114209a_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/5072472472/ ]284/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr

[img]http://<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2236/1543897479_e6c5d5f96c.jpg" width="500" height="450" alt="dragonfly">[/img]

[img] ?zz=1[/img]

this was taken with a tamrom 90 mm

Mav12, was that a 90mm Tamron on a full frame body or a crop sensor?

Mav12, was that a 90mm Tamron on a full frame body or a crop sensor?

I don't know about Mav's, but mine were on a FF body. If you're going down the old lens route, I think Tamron did two SP90 lenses: a rare 1:1 f/2.8 and a 1:2 f/2.5 (the one I use). I'm led to believe the 1:2 is sharper, but obviously you can get closer with the 1:1 (if you can find one).

I believe they now do modern autofocus versions of the same, but I've never played with one myself

EDIT: Indeed they do - not seen any reviews though

http://www.onestop-digital.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=33826

Stuartie - loving your work. I <3 the dice in particular.

crop sensor canon

That's what [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/robd12/1543897479/meta/ ]EXIF data[/url] is for.

Taken with an old bridge compact:

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5101499369_98a2676526_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5101499369_98a2676526_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/11569254@N06/5101499369/ ]P7190026[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/11569254@N06/ ]molgrips[/url], on Flickr

And from my Olympus E-600 and the ace 35mm macro that was £160 here is a 100% crop of a toy - check the sharpz

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/5384940785_912efa8613.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/5384940785_912efa8613.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/11569254@N06/5384940785/ ]Kitty crop 1[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/11569254@N06/ ]molgrips[/url], on Flickr

Full picture, hand-held hence the fuzzyness

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5027/5577871992_4e379749a5_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5027/5577871992_4e379749a5_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/11569254@N06/5577871992/ ]_0223383[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/11569254@N06/ ]molgrips[/url], on Flickr

The wasp one I took isn't online.

Have a look at Raynox macro adapters as well.

Thanks Cougar.