peteto Loc: Las Vegas

Hello all,
As I am new to UHH as well am now getting back into photography and like to ask about macro photography. I understand that it is extremely close and as I understand it, making the image seem bigger than it actually is. I have a Canon 60D with a Sigma 18-250mm macro lens.
Is this really a macro lens? And does anyone know how to use this lens for macro shots? I have attached a photo that I took with this lens and is this a macro shot or just a close up?
Any help, tips, advice and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Wayne

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

No and the photo is a close up not macro.

True macro lenses are 1-1 or better

Hope this link helps

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/macro-photography-intro.htm

I either use Canons 12 and 25mm extension tubes or a Canon 100mm macro lens

A sample macro of a 1/4" microchip

http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad121/jser1/ma2-1.jpg

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

Hi and a warm welcome

Look at the search tab above and search for macro photography

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/search.jsp?q=macro+photography&u=&s=0

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

It is a close-up shot, real macro requires at least 1:1 and your lens is not capable of doing that, so it is not a macro lens. I don't know how far your lens goes, but Sigma labels a lot of their zooms macro, and some of them do 1:2, but I think that the most (best) they will do, none of them is a real macro. For that you'll need to get a dedicated macro lens or one of the many other possible accessories to get you there.

Sheila Loc: Arizona or New York

As was mentioned a true macro has 1:1 reproduction. The Sigma lens you have does not but may be 1:3 or close to it. That means that the reproduction is 1/3 the size of the original. You are getting closeups which offer some of the same problems as macro photography when you are fairly close. There is a separate part of the forum for macro photography. There you will find extensive information, discussion and photos of macro photography.

peteto Loc: Las Vegas

Thanks to all, your knowledge has got me on the right track.
Wayne

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

I am not positive that the previous posters have truly defined macro for you.
When they say 1:1 - they mean that the image is rendered as big on the sensor as it is in real life.
So a 25mm bug takes up 25mm of the sensor.
An APSC sensor is approximately 25mm x 16.3mm.
Therefore if you take a 1:1 macro shot with a camera with this size sensor and blow the photo up to 12x8" - that little 1" bug will be 12" long in the photo.

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

Your lens is not a macro, it simply has been designed to allow you to get closer than is normal for a zoom lens. A macro lens gives you life sized images.

Yes macro requires that you get pretty close to your subject. However how close depends on the lens you're using. If you use a fifty mm macro lens you can expect to be two or three inches away from a bug sometimes. If you're using a 105 mm macro lens you can be back a foot and get the same life sized image. If you're using a 200 mm macro lens you can get back 18 inches or more.

So if you're interested in macro and want to get a lens, look at the long side not the short side in terms of focal length.

What's also handy is an image stabilizer because you do really get close sometimes and often you're also in an awkward position which makes holding the camera steady a real challenge. Autofocus is useful too but in macro I find I spend a lot of time doing manual focusing depending on the situation.

It's also not necessary to get a macro lens right away if your budget doesn't allow it. You can get a set of close up lenses for your current lens which allow you to get closer and thus approach life size in some cases. They look like filters that you screw on the front of the lens. They cost you though, your images will not tend to be really crisp but they are a poor man's solution to macro.

You can also get extension tubes. I sometimes use Kenko tubes myself. They are fully automated so that the camera retains electrical connections with the lens. They go between your lens and your camera body. The theory there is that the more you extend your lens beyond the camera body the closer you can get to your subject and the more you approach life size.

But extension tubes cost you too. There is a rapid light loss as you extend the lens ever further and this necessitates ever slower shutter speeds while trying to retain a closed down lens. A flash helps but it still costs you. On the positive side you can get crisp lovely images using the tubes.

When you shoot macro your biggest challenge is depth of field, that quickly disappears as your magnification goes up. A macro lens helps since it tends to close down a lot further than regular lenses. Mine closes to f40. A tripod is helpful for those days when you really can't hold the camera steady. A flash is useful because often you're in poor light and slow exposures.

As to how to use your current lens, there's really nothing else to learn, you've already figured it out. Go as close as you can to your subject while still retaining focus and take your picture. That's all you need to know.

The only other tip you need is to turn on your spot meter when you do macro so that you can get a proper exposure and focus on your subject alone.

I hope this helps a little.

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

I didn't see it mentioned above, but a critical characteristic of true macro lenses is that they have a flat plane of focus, similar to enlarging lenses, whereas regular lenses have a curved plane of focus. Makes a big difference in actual use.

tita1948 Loc: North Idaho

Welcome to UHH. Great place to get answers.