My Macro setup

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 9:03 am

Just thought some of you might be wondering how I get my simple shots and may be curious about the lighting arrangements.
Well....

Sometimess I may drape a thin tissue over the phone to diffuse the light a little but it does knock a lot of the light out!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 9:51 am

Well, I have wondered a little bit about that technique of "using a cell phone as a light".

This makes it quite clear --- assuming of course that the yellow block with the light coming out of it is a cell phone!

--Rik

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:13 am

Hmm. A practical use for a cell phone at last!

Harold

elf · Post by **elf** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:28 pm

Have you considered replacing your cell phone with a snoot? You would have a lot more control over the light.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:29 am

rjlittlefield wrote:Well, I have wondered a little bit about that technique of "using a cell phone as a light".

This makes it quite clear --- assuming of course that the yellow block with the light coming out of it is a cell phone!

--Rik

Indeed it is. This is the phone in question,a Sony Ericsson W800i. It no longer gets used as a phone as the joy nub is fudged,a weakness with Sony Ericsson phones. They always wear out. But its had a good run! The camera still works on it tho and is still the best camera I've found on a phone. Its the one I used for those pics taken down my microscope.

DaveW · Post by **DaveW** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 10:54 am

Tell you what Cyclops, you keep the cellphone and I'll have the Astrophytum asterias as I lost mine a year ago!

DaveW

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:33 pm

DaveW wrote:Tell you what Cyclops, you keep the cellphone and I'll have the Astrophytum asterias as I lost mine a year ago!

DaveW

Oh no,its my baby! Tell you what tho if it ever pups I'll send you one!

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:34 pm

elf wrote:Have you considered replacing your cell phone with a snoot? You would have a lot more control over the light.

Do you mean attach a snoot to the phone somehow? Don't they just produce a narrow beam of light tho?

elf · Post by **elf** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:58 pm

Cyclops wrote: Do you mean attach a snoot to the phone somehow?

That would be cute, but I think it would work better on the 10D

You can pipe the light from the pop-up flash to the end of the Vivitar macro lens with no problem.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:47 am

elf wrote:
Cyclops wrote: Do you mean attach a snoot to the phone somehow?
That would be cute, but I think it would work better on the 10D You can pipe the light from the pop-up flash to the end of the Vivitar macro lens with no problem.

Hmmm not sure how I'd do that. I'm not very handy if you know what i mean

elf · Post by **elf** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:35 pm

I made mine with foam core lined with aluminum foil and a piece of plastic from a milk jug. Masking tape was used to hold it together and a rubber band to hold it on the flash. If you use white foam core the aluminum foil isn't necessary.

It only costs a few pennies (or other very small currency) to make, so you can easily experiment with different shapes.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:15 pm

elf wrote:I made mine with foam core lined with aluminum foil and a piece of plastic from a milk jug. Masking tape was used to hold it together and a rubber band to hold it on the flash. If you use white foam core the aluminum foil isn't necessary.

It only costs a few pennies (or other very small currency) to make, so you can easily experiment with different shapes.

Thats neat. Is the big white panel the piece of the jug?

elf · Post by **elf** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:50 pm

Yes, but you could also use tissue paper.

Cyberspider · Post by **Cyberspider** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:33 am

If I have to use a light I'm using one or two LED flashlights (like a maglite not for the camera!) like this:

flashlight left and right of the mushroom

... if I use a camera flash I take the 430EX indirectly over a silver reflector and shut the camera via IR shutter release...