An image and many questions...
Feb 13, 2015 16:04:30 #
I do Avionics. This is a picture of a failure that an airline customer's repair shop couldn't find in a control panel (those boxes with dials and knobs in the aisle stand between the pilot and co-pilot). The chip on the left had an internal failure. The internal heat generated sprayed ceramic epoxy (white stuff)onto the yellow capacitor, solder onto the chip lead to the right and overheated the board (black goo around the pin).The spacing between the board holes is .1" so this would be a true macro, correct? D5200, tripod, 18-55 kit lens, 12, 20, and 36 ext tubes. Lighting was a 100w incandescent bench lamp with a piece of vellum taped over it. Aperture priority, f/13, 1.3 sec, ISO 100 40mm.
How can I get more DOF? Would less tube give more DOF? and then crop to this size? I've read all the FAQ until my eyes crossed and my head hurt... How do the tubes affect the lens focal length and DOF? Would a real macro lens do this better?
And I applaud you guys that can do this with moving targets.
Hope this makes sense and thanks for any advice and direction.
How can I get more DOF? Would less tube give more DOF? and then crop to this size? I've read all the FAQ until my eyes crossed and my head hurt... How do the tubes affect the lens focal length and DOF? Would a real macro lens do this better?
And I applaud you guys that can do this with moving targets.
Hope this makes sense and thanks for any advice and direction.
Feb 13, 2015 16:31:25 #
The extension tubes let you get 'closer' but DOF is minimal throughout. even F29 if your camera recognizes that. Bellows are no different as its the same principle of moving the lens away from the body.
I have a sigma 70 - 300 with macro setting on the lens. Again DOF is limited but at the distances differences in your subject would have given a better look. Never used a dedicated macro lens. The other thing to learn is the Hypofocal length of your particular lens. that tells you a range of milimetres that your subject or focal point has to sit in. (more reading!)
Crop works especially if you have a well blurred background to start off with - so a long lens stopped well down is probably better than a short lens to save your feet.
If this is the sort of subject that you are looking at as your main photo work would a small compact or point and shoot give you a much closer focal point without tubes. The image is then big enough to crop without serious problem. (sometimes a step sideways gets the job done)
I use a point and shoot to get into awkward nooks and crannies just so that I can see where components fit ! (they are smaller than a touch screen phone and easier to press the right buttons).
You will get more and better advice but thats my bit.
Hope it gives you something to think about whilst you await the experts
I have a sigma 70 - 300 with macro setting on the lens. Again DOF is limited but at the distances differences in your subject would have given a better look. Never used a dedicated macro lens. The other thing to learn is the Hypofocal length of your particular lens. that tells you a range of milimetres that your subject or focal point has to sit in. (more reading!)
Crop works especially if you have a well blurred background to start off with - so a long lens stopped well down is probably better than a short lens to save your feet.
If this is the sort of subject that you are looking at as your main photo work would a small compact or point and shoot give you a much closer focal point without tubes. The image is then big enough to crop without serious problem. (sometimes a step sideways gets the job done)
I use a point and shoot to get into awkward nooks and crannies just so that I can see where components fit ! (they are smaller than a touch screen phone and easier to press the right buttons).
You will get more and better advice but thats my bit.
Hope it gives you something to think about whilst you await the experts
Feb 13, 2015 16:44:06 #
You're right, I can probably get adequate images with my Nikon pocket phaser. But I've only had the D5200 for less than a year and I'm trying to push it and myself in the process. Thanks.
Feb 13, 2015 17:23:04 #
Is your interest in macro for this specific instance or do you have long term macro photography goals?
Feb 13, 2015 18:05:50 #
This is probably my immediate interest in that it's a captive audience... That's probably the fourth pic I've taken with the tubes. I'm sure it's a lot easier to explore with a static subject. A lot of the pictures I see here are mind blowing!
My next purchase will either be an external flash or a 35mm prime. I'm actually kind of all over the map. I do HDR real estate work, and tonite I'm going to a Royce Bair astrophotography seminar in Tacoma.
My next purchase will either be an external flash or a 35mm prime. I'm actually kind of all over the map. I do HDR real estate work, and tonite I'm going to a Royce Bair astrophotography seminar in Tacoma.
Feb 13, 2015 18:14:44 #
Reason I asked is if you are just doing this one photo for documentation then focus stacking with your existing lens on tubes is going to be the quickest and easiest way to get more DoF for that purpose. If you are looking to shoot macro as a sustained hobby then the equipment list gets a bit longer. You're fine using your existing lens on tubes. You may find the rig limiting or perhaps IQ not quite what you want, then it would be time to invest in a macro lens. For now, if it was me I'd invest in a good speedlight. Doing so will allow you to do field macro and not be limited to ambient light. Most of the field shooters here use diffused flash for macro. Big advantage is being able to stop down aperture for greater DoF and the quick burst of flash freezes subject movement.
Feb 14, 2015 04:36:17 #
I agree with William, who has earned a well-respected reputation on this forum. He shares both instruction and digital examples. Feel free to directly ask him any question concerning equipment or technique, especially about focus-stacking.
I use a Nikkor 105G macro lens on my Nikon D5200. With a full set of auto-extension tubes (12mm + 20mm + 36mm), I can acheive 2:1 magnification, and crop from there. One advantage of a true macro lens over standard prime or zoom lens is a flat-field of capture, which can be important with a narrow DoF associated with very close Working Distance.
I use a Nikkor 105G macro lens on my Nikon D5200. With a full set of auto-extension tubes (12mm + 20mm + 36mm), I can acheive 2:1 magnification, and crop from there. One advantage of a true macro lens over standard prime or zoom lens is a flat-field of capture, which can be important with a narrow DoF associated with very close Working Distance.
Curved-field vs Flat field
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