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Macro lenses |
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djp_phillips
Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 180 |
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Posted: 10 May 2006 at 1:29pm |
Hello, I may be as close as ever to getting my dream camera the Canon 350D for my 18th on the 30th of may and I am looking at macro lenses to take insect pictures as well as of corse photos of herptiles in particular small amphibians and portraits, in general photos up close, but I found a lense and another one both macro, and they need at least a 20 cm gap to focus, what use is that?!
On my current camera (Canon powershot A95) I can shoot at about 10 cm on macro, and my mums camera at around 1 to 2 cm, so are the SLR's not really designed to do macro? In which case this verifies my theory of the equipment by a herp photographer of 3 cameras, one SLR to take many quick succesion photos (action photos, like snake bitting, frog jumping, croaking); one like my current camera (for body photos, although this is also can be done with the slr); and one like my mum (macro monster!) and goes underwater! So does anyone know of any better macro lenses to go on a 350d please? Thank you for your answers Edited by djp_phillips |
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Reptiles & Amphibians of France:
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az_2
Member Joined: 10 May 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1 |
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I use a 105mm sigma macro with my 350d. As it's semi-telephoto you can take a full frame macro shot from further away. There is a 150mm macro on the market too but it's more expensive.
I got some shots of a common lizard as the weekend and quite surprised myself! The only tricky thing is getting the right depth of field. |
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Wolfgang Wuster
Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 374 |
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The usefulness of a macro is determined by the relationship between subject size and final image size, which in turn depends on the focal length and the distance from between camera and subject. If you have a longer focal length lens, then you can achieve the same degree of magnification from a longer distance as you would with a shorter focal length lens from a shorter distance.
Most serious 100 mm macro lenses are 1:1, that is to say, used with a 35 mm film SLR, the image on the film will be the same size as the actual subject. In digi-SLRs, it will be larger. As an example, here is a photo of a fly taken with a Canon 300D and a Canon 100 mm macro lens: The image was not cropped, the distance between the front of the lens and the fly would have been ~ 20 cm. You are a lot better off with an SLR and a 100 mm macro, that allow you to keep some distance between your animal and yourself - few animals will tolerate an approach to within a few cm, and photos like this. might be a little uncomfortable for you as well without some distance between yourself and the animal. Cheers, WW Edited by Wolfgang Wuster |
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Wolfgang Wüster
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor http://pages.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |
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-LAF
Senior Member Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 317 |
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with a 35 mm film SLR, the image on the film will be the same size as the actual subject. In digi-SLRs, it will be larger
To be fair, 1:1 is always going to be 1:1. Most DSLRs do indeed have sensors smaller than 35mm film, but the distance from the lens to the film/sensor plane is identical, so the subject reproduction is still 1:1, just you'll only get 21mm of life-size repro on a 300D, while you'll get 35mm of life-size repro on Velvia. The 300D isn't magnifying more, it's just seeing less of what the lens sees than the film would so the final image looks more "zoomed in". Lee. NB: the reason compact digicams can get so close for macro work is that they use tiny sensors that are then mounted physically very close to the lens. As a result, a near focus of 2cm is often many times the distance of the lens to the sensor, so not a big task for the lens. The downside is that almost everything beyond a couple of feet from a compact digi will be at the lenses 'infinity' focal point which, while good for ensuring vaguely sharp pictures while drunk in the nightclub, makes selective depth of field nigh-on impossible. They're very functional but very constraining. Edited by -LAF |
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Lee Fairclough
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Vicar
Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1184 |
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Daniel, Just to add my tuppence....with a 350D and a macro lens of the order of 90mm-105mm, you won't go wrong. Make sure its a macro lens, it should have '1:1' as part of the model name, or specification. To be fair you'll get good results from a macro from 60mm upto 180mm, I just feel the 100mm focal length is about right for reptiles. Obvious makes would be: Canon, Tamron, Sigma, probably in that order for quality. (I can't vouch for other manufacturers, as I've not tried them). |
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djp_phillips
Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 180 |
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ok thanks, with the 350d, the available lenses are:
50 mm 60 mm 65 mm 100 mm 180 mm the first being th echeapest, and last being at ú 1020 ! more then the 350d! |
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Reptiles & Amphibians of France:
www.herpfrance.com European Field Herping Community: www.euroherp.com |
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djp_phillips
Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 180 |
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ok thanks, so how far away from the snake were you when you took this photo? have you cropped it to get this view or is this the raw image no work done?
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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That is a lovely piccy Brett, I must have missed the original post, I was just thinking today that there has been a bit of a lack of adder piccies on RAUK recently. Alas no luck in the Kent murk today with adder for me
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Alan Hyde
Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1437 |
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Gorgeous pics Brett and wolfgang
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Alan Hyde
Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1437 |
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Wonderful shots Brett! Thanks for sharing mate
I've not found a kingfisher that I can get close enough to yet with my sigma 50-500 and bird hide. I know of a pair at Frensham but brambles and the like prevent access to the perching area. Had a very quiet time in Turkey with regards to photography , I just sort of lost interest for a week and spent mopst of my time in the pool with the kids. However, each late afternoon I would climb high into the silent pine clad mountain and sit and watch a pair of eagles soaring around. Their cries in the mountain silence will stay with me for a long time. Keep them coming Brett, All the best, Alan Edited by Alan Hyde |
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