distance for 1:1

[Macro Beauty]

Thanks again to everybody for their comments.

Tom, you were scaring me there for a moment with all the good things about the Tamron, because I had placed my order last night before you posted, and had ordered the Canon. So I am glad that you are using the Canon now. I will probably have to use flash as well, as I like to take a lot of pictures in the woods & don't like a fast film as I want to keep the finest grain possible. I was a little worried about the weight of the Canon lens, as the EOS 3 is heavy enough as it is. Sometimes I have to hold a certain position for quite a while before I am ready to take the picture. I already have the Tamron 28-300 and it is light enough. The Canon 100mm is 7 ounces heavier, I think. Oh well, with everything there are pros and cons. Since I can afford to buy one lens, I wanted to get the best one for what I needed it for.

Ken, I had to look up myxomycetes on Wikipedia. They are very beautiful when under a microscope, but I don't think I will be taking any pictures of them at normal size.

[Ken Ramos]

Macro Beauty:

You would be greatly surprised at how well that 100mm Canon Macro will photograph myxomycetes, though myxo's are usually around 5 mm on average.

[MacroLuv]

Hi folks!
After reading this topic must say I'm a little bit confused.
I'm not sure what you consider as magnification at all?
Am I dealing with some philosophical approach?

[rjlittlefield]

I'm not sure what you consider as magnification at all?
Am I dealing with some philosophical approach?

Some physics, some philosophy.

"Total magnification" means display image size divided by subject size. 20 mm subject displayed 200 mm long is Mtot = 200/20 = 10.

"Lens magnification" means sensor image size divided by subject size. 20mm subject projected to 10 mm on sensor is Mlens = 10/20 = 0.5 . Lens magnification is also called "camera magnification", Mcamera = Mlens.

"Enlarging magnification" means display image size divided by sensor image size. With the above numbers, Menl = 200/10 = 20 = Mtot/Mlens.

Total magnification is critical, because Mtot and required sharpness determine the maximum possible DOF in a single exposure. See this article by Ted Clarke for discussion and formulas. Enlarging magnification also appears in those formulas -- it affects what nominal f/stop you have to set, to achieve the maximum DOF. Those formulas could also be written in terms of Mlens, without affecting the result.

Lens magnification by itself makes a great topic for philosophical debate but has little effect on pictures when it is matched to the sensor size.

--Rik

[MacroLuv]

Thanks Rik! I understand that... well I think so... But... if I get smaller subject (or its portion) fits into same frame I consider it as magnification. Previous discussion sugest that 1:1 magnification is same magnification regardless of sensor size... i.e. 1:1 with 35 mm sensor and whole insect inside the frame is same 1:1 magnification with 22 mm sensor and portion of the insect. My comprehension of frame of digital photograph is amount of pixels, not dimension of sensor. So in case we have 10 megapixel 35 mm sensor and 10 megapixel 22 mm sensor I think I get more magnification with second one, regardless of same proportion (1:1).
Seems we must be accurate about "kind of magnification" we are debating.

[DaveW]

Macro Beauty

"I was a little worried about the weight of the Canon lens, as the EOS 3 is heavy enough as it is. "

You will soon build your muscles up! My Nikon D200 with the 70-180 micro nikkor on it weighs 4lb 10 oz. Using that you would soon have biceps like Popeye!

DaveW

[MacroLuv]

I'm worrying too. If I buy dSLR there is no chance to make photographs like this, holding camera with one extended hand.



On this photograph I've caught metallic black-blue bumblebee, shadow of my extended hand holding camera and my leg in moccasin.

[DaveW]

I am not being funny, but use two cameras! Keep your present one for one hand use and the heavier DSLR for other times.

Anyway, the cameras you previously listed were on the light side compared to the higher end and professional DSLR's which have everything but the "kitchen sink" built into them, so adding weight.

If you keep it simple and do not go in for heavy long range zooms (which the 70-180 micro nikkor is for a true macro lens) you will keep the weight down. Being in the building trade I am used to holding heavier weights than a camera at arms length. Depends what you do for a living so how developed your muscles are I expect. Try the camera with the lens before you buy and see if you can live with the combination.

DaveW

[DaveW]

An interesting link posted on another site for comparing cameras and lenses is:-

http://www.pixel-peeper.com/

DaveW

[Mike B in OKlahoma]

You'll learn to live with a heavier camera and lens, just takes time. I started serious shooting with a Canon Pro90IS, an early digital point-and-shoot which I thought was a gigantic monster at the time. When I got an SLR, I gave the Pro90 to a friend in exchange for a bunch of computer and car help he'd given me over the years. So I didn't see the Pro90 for about a year.

Eventually I was visiting his house, and he had left the Pro90 out on a table. My impulse was "Wow, it's like a camera, only very small!" My views of what was large had changed a lot in a year!

[MacroLuv]

I am not being funny, but use two cameras! Keep your present one for one hand use and the heavier DSLR for other times.

...

DaveW

That's just what I intend to do.
There are some places that only my little camera and hand could reach.
I'm pretty hardy guy. I fill my rucksack with up to 10 kg of stuff for hiking.
Thanks Mike, all is about practice.

[MacroLuv]

I am not being funny, but use two cameras! Keep your present one for one hand use and the heavier DSLR for other times.

...

DaveW

That's just what I intend to do.
There are some places that only my little camera and hand could reach.
I'm pretty hardy guy. I fill my rucksack with up to 10 kg of stuff for hiking.
And thanks for nice link.
Thanks Mike, all is about practice.