Progress ??

Just bought that first macro lens? Post here to get helpful feedback and answers to any questions you might have.

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bilgola
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Progress ??

Post by bilgola »

Its been a while since I have posted but I think I have made progress and in the process have come to realise just how difficult Macro can be, especially when working with creatures that have so very fast.

Its clearly the wrong time of the year (here in Australia) for small critters but summer is coming. Recently I did find some very busy Bee's who were active...very active.

The attached shot was with Canon 7d and Sigma 105mm 2.8 and this image was shot at 1020/sec @ f/10 on high speed shutter...so for every good shot there were a great many that were rubbish.

I worked out that if I pre-focussed
on the Bee's target food they would at least be in a focal plane similar to the incoming Bees...then it was a matter moving the focus to the bee and refining it...very quickly.

The exercise was shot hand held and autofocus.

Below is one of the good ones I would be interested in any comments.

Image

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

It's a fine shot, nicely composed :)
Chris R

fbuitrag
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Post by fbuitrag »

This is a dumb question (I dont yet own a macro lens) is this a macro or a telephoto picture? I am asking because you captured the flying bee and in pretty good focus

Thanks

Chris S.
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Post by Chris S. »

fbuitrag wrote:. . . is this a macro or a telephoto picture?
Both. Bilgola said he used a Canon 7d camera body and a Sigma 105mm f/2.8 lens. Sigma describes this lens as a "medium telephoto macro lens." A macro lens of about 105mm focal length is very versatile, by the way.

--Chris S.

bilgola
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Post by bilgola »

I can confirm what Chris wrote and also add that the Sigma 105mm is my first macro lens and i haven't been disappointed. I have only been shooting macro for a a few months so its all new to me. I wanted to buy the Canon 100mm but it was way more expensive than the Sigma...I haven't been disappointed with my purchase

Mike

oldsalt
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Post by oldsalt »

Good shot,
bees in flight are very hard to "capture"...I know from experience ... I've taken hundreds of shots - got a few nice keepers... practise makes perfect...
I look forward to seeing more of your work. I'm just resizing a lot of my shots so I can post on here, put a couple up earlier in "macro in nature" section...

cheers

bilgola
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Post by bilgola »

Thanks oldsalt, You are not wrong about the bees...tricky and fast. My sister-in-law keeps bees and when I am there at the right time of year when its sunny and the bees are out and busy I sit low down on an upturned bucket right among them. At first they seem totally unpredictable. But I find if I settle focus on what seems a popular flower they are predictable but if erratic. I shoot the bees hand held and manual focus and find that works for me. The 7d is quite fast so I shoot at high speed 8fps, @ f8 or better and as low as I can go with ISO. It is a case of lots of shots and a few keepers. Plus a lot of luck. If its windy I find it almost impossible to get good results. I am very new to macro and I think it is a really difficult department of photography...the most difficult probably but its very enjoyable and I don't have to travel for miles and carry tons of equipment so I am enjoying it a lot.

Regards, Mike

Ken Ramos
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Post by Ken Ramos »

A nice shot with the Sigma 105 mm, an outstanding lens! 8) I have the old 105 mm from Sigma, external focusing instead in internal and I have enjoyed its service for a good many years now. Macro is not all that difficult, you may find as time goes by that you will develop a passion for it and you may just shed that auto focus feature for a good flash and manual focusing and manual settings. A good manual setting for your current rig would be 1/200 sec. @ f/18 ISO 200 with a Canon 430EX II ETTL set @ -2/3 stop or a flash set up of equivalence. Most of my macro work is done with an EOS 7D and a Sigma 105mm with a Canon 430EXII speedlite. :)

Getting-Old
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Post by Getting-Old »

The Sigma 105 was my first macro lens as well, well done!

MarkSturtevant
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Post by MarkSturtevant »

Very good. The one aspect here that surprised me a bit is that you were able to use autofocus under these conditions. I have taken pictures of bees in flight and found that autofocus would more likely lock onto the wrong thing in close up photography. So I just went manual, leaning in and out. Hundreds of pix, and a few keepers.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

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