Ok, my GAS got the best of me.

[flamin lib]

GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)

Just got my 60mm 2.8 Macro.

Aphids on a cactus leaf, 1:1.

[img]?1[/img]

[Beartracks]

1. Aren't aphids usually about the size of those cactus dots in your image?

Wow.

===============

[flamin lib]

3. The big red one is about 1 mm long and the

smaller ones half that.

[Sherman A1]

2. Picked up a Sigma 105mm Macro

a few weeks ago. It will take me a long time to get anything good with it.

[Major Nikon]

7. Here's the best way to learn to use a macro

Step 1: Turn off autofocus!

What's hard to grasp about close up photography is focus does not work the way you are used to it working. With the close up lens the focus sets your magnification ratio. So you adjust your focus to get the size of the image in the frame and you leave it alone. If the subject is moving, simply handhold the camera and move the camera in and out until the subject comes into focus. If the subject doesn't move, put the camera on a tripod and move the subject back and forth to achieve focus and make very minor adjustments to the focus ring to get it perfect or even better get a focusing rail.

F/11 and F/16 are the apertures you will use the most. Wider than this and optical aberrations will affect sharpness. Narrower and depth of field becomes a problem.

[Sherman A1]

8. Thanks for the tips

I watched a few YouTube videos and came away more confused than when I started. The local camera store had a Tamron rep do a macro class online and it was like watching a teenage kid with all the giggling.

[Major Nikon]

10. Your Sigma will do a 1:1 magnification ratio

What this means is if your camera is "full frame" your sensor size is around 36mm x 24mm and a subject that size or smaller will fit in the frame at the minimum focusing distance.

So let's say you are taking a picture of something small and you know it's smaller than 36mm x 24mm or whatever size your sensor is. Simply set your lens to manual focus and run the focus ring to the minimum stop, set the camera to aperture priority and f/16 or f/11, move the camera in until the subject is in focus, and take a picture. It's that simple. For larger subjects you will set the focusing distance to something less than minimum, but still to the size you want it in the frame.

What you will quickly learn as you practice is shooting f/16 or f/11 with a low ISO and a relatively high shutter speed requires a lot of light. So best to practice outside on a sunny day unless you want to use artificial lighting, or use a tripod with longer shutter openings.

[Sherman A1]

11. Thanks again! My T2i is a crop sensor

But I understand somewhat of what you are discussing. Just after it arrived I tried to get some flowers outside but the slightest breeze blew that idea away with the wind. Depending upon how the weather looks today (we are forecast for several rainy days) I will give it another whirl. Maybe a break in the clouds might give me some sunshine.

[Major Nikon]

13. Wind will be a problem

You really want to use the lowest ISO you can so using the sunny 16 rule, ISO 100 @ f/16 = 1/100 shutter speed. However, even if you have full sun at around noon on a sunny day, hard shadows become a problem. Then you start looking for less than direct sunlight and one of those things will need to be adjusted. The solution is to use a tripod and use a slower shutter speed, but even the slightest wind will give you fits when it comes to flowers.

Once you start getting some practice with the basics if you want to expand your skills, I recommend reading John Shaw's Closeups in Nature. It's a bit dated because it was written back in the days when everyone was using film, but the tips and techniques described apply to any camera.

[Sherman A1]

14. Thanks I will check out his book

and see what I can come up with.

[alfredo]

4. I'd love to buy one of those but I can't justify the cost

[Major Nikon]

6. I use my Nikon 55/2.8 AIS macro about as often as any other lens

I've owned it for well over 20 years and it's manual everything, including the aperture. On my latest Nikon body it will not meter as it's an AIS lens, so I have to use the histogram either in live view or after I take a test shot to check exposure. Still I find it quite a useful lens. No lens I own is sharper and naturally nothing else focuses as close. Amazingly the lens was first introduced back in the 80's and Nikon still sells it today.

I suppose it depends on what kind of photography you like to do. If you find yourself in situations where your normal lenses won't focus close enough, then a short macro might make sense. I don't do nature photography all that often with it, but for photographing small things, it's hard to beat.

[alfredo]

9. I'm going over to eBay ro see if they have a reasonably priced lens

[Sherman A1]

12. I would also check some of the online stores for equipment

Such as Adorama, Beach and Roberts ( they have used lenses) as well.

[alfredo]

15. I have the Yashinon DX 50mm 1.7 I use with extension tubes

I have diopter that comes in handy

Thanks for the suggestions.

[think4yourself]

5. Amazing

We had one on our kitchen wall last night. I had no idea this is what they really looked like!