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cindylou62
PeaAddict
PeaNut 251,766
March 2006
Posts: 1,631
Layouts: 189
Loc: minnesota-brrrrrr
 |  Posted: 12/27/2012 7:23:42 PM
I have secretly been wanting one for a couple of years, they cost alot and are a bit of a "toy" so I never could justify buying one.
Well my husband must have been listening as I would talk about the beautiful Macro photos I would see. I lost my mom a few months ago and he said he thought it would help keep my mind "busy". I hugged him big time!
I practiced today for the first time and as I had read, the depth of field is just soooo slim, amazingly slim, I had to clost down my aperature so much, then I needed more light, oy, it sure will keep my mind busy!
So if anyone has any tip or tricks or knows of a good book or website to help me learn, I would love to hear it. I will post a couple of my first attempts, and I also realize now I should practice on still objects first.   | |
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heartcat
International Association of Epic Length Posters
PeaNut 51,429
October 2002
Posts: 39,651
Layouts: 237
Loc: Where dreams come true
 | Posted: 12/27/2012 7:36:37 PM
Congratulations on your new lens! What a lovely gift, that is sweet of your dh. I am sure you will have a lot of fun experimenting with and learning to use it.
A tripod can often come in handy when doing macro shots. Because the subject is so enlarged, even a minimal amount of camera shake, that might not be noticeable in a non-macro shot, can cause the image to blur.
Many people also use manual focus for macro shots.
Enjoy! |
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Continuing to learn about dSLR photography!
Canon 50D with BG-E2N grip; Jupiter-37A 135mm 3.5; Carl Zeiss Jena 135mm 3.5; Jupiter-11A 135mm 4; Pentacon 135mm 2.8; Nikkor-P 105mm 2.5; RMC Tokina 80-200mm 4.5; Helios 44-2 58mm 2; Super Takumar 55mm 1.8; Vivitar 35mm 2.8; RMC Tokina 28mm 2.8; RMC Tokina 35-70mm 3.5; Panagor 90mm 2.8 macro; and a couple of modern AF Canon lenses that rarely see the light of day.
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bendedroad
Nicki
PeaNut 405,632
January 2009
Posts: 6,713
Layouts: 111
Loc: West Virginia
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lori_z
BucketHead
PeaNut 473,910
July 2010
Posts: 529
Layouts: 3
 | Posted: 12/28/2012 9:02:50 AM
I love my macro lens, I use it all the time. I love shooting wide open, but that does take practice. So, my best advice is just that, practice, practice and practice. Start around f5 or so and work from there, you'll get the hang of it in no time. |
The Blog
Canon 5dMark II, T2i, XS, 18-55mm IS, 50mm 1.8, 75-300mm 4-5.6 | |
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gardencat
PeaAddict
PeaNut 495,307
January 2011
Posts: 1,405
Layouts: 135
| Posted: 12/28/2012 9:10:20 AM
My advice is have fun and don't sweat the bad shot. Take advantage of the digital age and don't worry about deleting the oopsies. Just try to remember what you did that made it not work so you can improve as you go alone.
After using your macro for a while you tend to begin seeing things differently and figuring out what would make an interesting shot up close. | |
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cindylou62
PeaAddict
PeaNut 251,766
March 2006
Posts: 1,631
Layouts: 189
Loc: minnesota-brrrrrr
| Posted: 12/28/2012 5:48:59 PM
Thanks for the replys, I am anxious to practice again, but I have to wait until the weekend when I am home in the daylight!
I really did learn alot about the aperature and needing it to be in the F5-F10+ range, when I figured that out I was losing daylight and was shooting using only natural light so that cut my practice short. I tryed my flash, but knew that was another lesson I needed to read up on as that didn't go so well.
We had the prettiest snowflakes too, but it was 4 pm, and not enough light to catch any. | |
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KerryP
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 343,224
October 2007
Posts: 5,910
Layouts: 115
Loc: Sometimes GA, sometimes NC, Wyoming whenever possible!
 | Posted: 12/28/2012 6:26:45 PM
Congratulations on your new lens! Watch out though--macro shooting can become addictive.  |
Kerry
1 DH, 1 DD, 1 DSIL, 1 DS and 1 Beagle
Nikon D7000 | 18-270mm VR | 70-300mm VRII | 105mm VR micro
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. Will Rogers
Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for. Will Rogers
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dee54
BucketHead
PeaNut 472,839
June 2010
Posts: 716
Layouts: 0
Loc: Mn.
| Posted: 12/28/2012 8:39:42 PM
I have a macro lens and love it.Practice is a good thing. I see that I think you live in Mn. and if so the conservatory at Como Zoo is a great place to go for flowers in the winter. If you live close enough to it. And yes it is addictive.
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Canon 60d 100 2.8L 50mm 1.8 85mm 1.8 18-55mm Tamron 90mm 2.8 Macro
Tamron 70-300mm VC Lensbaby 3G Composer pse8
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just*tracie
Thinking Hap-Pea Thoughts
PeaNut 63,394
January 2003
Posts: 8,890
Layouts: 92
Loc: Pacific Northwest
| Posted: 12/31/2012 1:24:06 PM
Oooooooh, congratulations!! What a great gift
So sorry to hear about your mom I lost mine last year and I understand how hard it is... big hugs to you ((((cindylou62)))) |
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tifftiff2
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 283,357
November 2006
Posts: 2,293
Layouts: 6
Loc: Idaho, USA
 | Posted: 1/2/2013 8:33:06 PM
Yay for macro lenses! I love mine! I need to use it more though. haha!
I also recommend shooting at a narrow aperture when using a macro lens. Typically I shoot between f/9 and f/11 as long as I have enough light available. When shooting small things that close, your depth of field becomes rrrreeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy narrow.
Keep up the great work and share with us often! |
~Tiffany
5D Mark II
50mm 1.2L | 100mm 2.8 | 135mm 2.0L
AB800 | Pocketwizard Plus | LumoPro LP160 | iMac | CS5 | |
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memories5
PeaAddict
PeaNut 272,462
August 2006
Posts: 1,832
Layouts: 348
Loc: Indiana
| Posted: 1/23/2013 10:02:24 AM
I guess everyone is different because I got mine out of the box sat it on a tripod and used 2.8 asap... I took a water droplet then a pine cone and i was amazed!!! maybe because I normally shoot at F 2.8 most of the time.... idk... I LOVE my 105 mm F 2.8 lens it is the bomb!!! |
Photography by Jennifer
NIKON D 600
Nikon 28 mm F2.8
Nikon 50mm F 1.4
Nikon 85mm F 1.8
NIkon 105 mm F 2.8
Nikon 70-300 F 4.5
It is my desire to learn more about photography everyday.
I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it. | |
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