macro photography

[erichJB]

third time right, tried to get this posted but no joy!!!?

Hi,

Wanting to know how to get into macro photography, what equipment for a newbie to both macro and general photography with zero, 0, zilch, prior knowledge!!


eric

[MikeBinOKlahoma]

You need to make some decisions....

Do you want to use a single lens reflex camera, where you can change lenses? This gives a lot of flexibility and great image quality, but can be a money pit. Or would you prefer to use a point-and-shoot camera with one fixed lens? Smaller, cheaper, lighter.

Do you want to shoot digital or film?

What subjects do you want to photograph? This applies both to macro and to general photography. For instance, on macro, do you want to photograph non-living subjects such as stamps or rocks? Or do you want to do things like insects. For more general photography, do you want to do family shots mainly? Artistic abstract shots? Nature? These will influence what sort of lenses you need.

As you can tell, this can be a pretty complicated set of questions to answer! But there are people here who can give you some advice to get started at the least, once you clarify what you want.

[equant]

I didn't ask the initial question, but I'd like to get some advice as well.

I want SLR. I want digital. I want to photograph insects. I want to be able to use it for photomicroscopy as well.

Does anyone here use a digital Nikon SLR? It seems that most people are going with the Cannon line. Is the Nikon D70 (or other digital SLRs by Nikon) defficient, or is it mostly cost that has people using Cannon?

Thanks,
Nathan

[erichJB]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply, many fear replying to a novice, may get caught up in time consuming explanations, but hey u r brave, thanx!

I think I want SLR digital, but price I suppose will tell. Currently fascinated by textures and colours in nature, from sandgrains and patterns on the beach to mosses and such.

Would u recommend good 2 nd hand, and how does one know?

Which lenses to start with to have a reasonable start, are there institutions that offer tuition on the web?

Ta,

Eric

[MikeBinOKlahoma]

Erich, you might want to start with some reading. Ordering Larry West's book on insect photography from Amazon.com would be a good start. It can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

Most of John Shaw's books are excellent, his overall nature photography book (I forget the title now--Nature Photography Field Guide, maybe) is quite good. He wrote a book on closeup nature photography that is very dated now (the flash advice in particular is behind the times) but is still a good read to find out what you can do.

Arthur Morris wrote a book called "The Art of Bird Photography" which is very very good, even if birds aren't your primary interest. In particular, he has the least incomprehensible explanation of exposure I've seen.

There are some good tutorials and basic information to be found at the website www.photo.net Some of those start from "ground zero" in explaining very basic stuff (which is good). At www.luminous-landscape.com there are also some good tutorials, though they tend to assume knowledge of the basic stuff, and to assume a large credit card is freely available!

Finding my comments in several forum posts to Gunn on equipment may be helpful. Here's a link to one (Gunn doesn't seem too unhappy with the results of my advice, so I guess it was okay!):

http://www.photomacrography1.net/forum/ ... php?t=1861

There are a couple of other places where I pontificated in answer to Gunn's questions scattered around that you'll probably have to do a forum search to find.

I'm a Canon user, but Nikon produces fine equipment and you can take great photos with either (and with other major camera brands, for that matter--But with fewer equipment choices). Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

A good start for bug photography would be a DSLR of your choice plus a 100mm macro lens. A flash and a tripod with some sort of head would be helpful, but not absolutely essential. You'll be limited to shooting in fairly bright light if you don't have at least either a flash OR a tripod. You could go with a 180/200mm macro lens to start if you preferred, but then you'd definitely want a tripod. All the major brands of 100/180 macro lenses are good, and even the Vivitar 100mm macro is quite good, and a heck of a buy (it was my macro first lens, so I'm prejudiced in favor of it I admit).

Nathan, the comment about brands above was also directed to you. I don't have a clue about photomicroscopy, however. But others around here do!

[MikeBinOKlahoma]

Incidentally, someone asked about second hand. I've had good luck buying used equipment over the internet from B&H photo and from KEH.com in the USA, and saved a few dollars doing so. At a somewhat higher level of risk (unless you know very well the person you're dealing with) you can buy from individual photographers. I bought from a person I know one time, and concluded I won't do it again, however. Damage to a relationship after a (possibly previously unkown) problem with the equipment surfaced wasn't worth saving a few bucks.

Ebay is available, but there I fear to tread!

[erichJB]

Hi Mike,

I loose more messages than I manage to send!!

Any indication re prices for specified?

Any insitutions/courses you can recommend?

I will follow links suggested and read books, of course life goes on and one somehow needs to eat, which means work, which means,... sure you understand.

Thanks for your assistance thus far,

Regards and keep in touch if you have any info please feel free to e-mail private as well,


Eric

[nzmacro]

I grew up on both Nikon and Canon macro systems and to be honest, one is not particularly better than the other. I would imagine the Dslr's to be the same. What would pull me toward Canon for macro, is the Canon MP-E 65 mm lens. it gets expensive though when we get that serious about it. I also like the cmos chip. So I would probably be a Canon fan now days. If you are planing on the ranges of 50mm - 200mm macro lenses, then it wouldn't worry me at all what system I used.

There are always other ways around macro with the smaller digital cameras and they also make fine everyday cameras. In some regards they are far more versatile for macro and every day use. The only problem I see is noise above iso 100. Thats really where the Dslr's come into their own. At the moment for macro with added 35mm slr lenses attached to a prosumer camera, I would head for the Nikon 8800. That is one impressive camera with what I've seen from full sized images. Resolution is remarkable and the noise is low IMHO.

Anyway, all the best and good luck no matter which way you head

Danny.

[equant]

Thanks Mike and Danny. That gives me enough to feel comfortable moving forward. Those links are very useful.

Thanks again,
Nathan