Lack of sharpness/detail of in-focus areas. Please help!
Nov 14, 2018 12:38:50 #
Another hand held macro tip.
Focus on the subject, using the fastest SS you can for the light, pull back a tiny bit until the subject is totally out of focus then press and keep the shutter going on burst while you slowly move back in until the focal point is the other side of the subject.
This does three things:
1. It makes up for not being able to hold rock steady like a tripod, one of them will be focused the way you wanted while on single shot if you aren't rock steady the focus may be in the wrong place.
2. It will give you a selection of images with different focal points, you may like one more than your original idea.
3. It gives you a series to try focus stacking. I have a lot of burst series of things I used burst on because of wind movement of the plant so the bloom, insect etc didn't stay still. (From before I even heard of focus stacking.) I have gone back and tried some of them for focus stacking and in some of them I got good results. Did have to do some PP to get rid of ghost edges etc from the movement.
Focus on the subject, using the fastest SS you can for the light, pull back a tiny bit until the subject is totally out of focus then press and keep the shutter going on burst while you slowly move back in until the focal point is the other side of the subject.
This does three things:
1. It makes up for not being able to hold rock steady like a tripod, one of them will be focused the way you wanted while on single shot if you aren't rock steady the focus may be in the wrong place.
2. It will give you a selection of images with different focal points, you may like one more than your original idea.
3. It gives you a series to try focus stacking. I have a lot of burst series of things I used burst on because of wind movement of the plant so the bloom, insect etc didn't stay still. (From before I even heard of focus stacking.) I have gone back and tried some of them for focus stacking and in some of them I got good results. Did have to do some PP to get rid of ghost edges etc from the movement.
Nov 14, 2018 16:54:44 #
Screamin Scott wrote:
Lenses have it as it is useful when the lens is used for "close up" or other non-macro images. It takes several milliseconds for the vibration control to settle down and if your subject is mobile, it could have moved......
I find that when hand-holding including partially supported, manual focus and moving my body to acquire accurate focus on a moving subject, VR remaining on (shutter half pressed) assists in providing a steadier view in the viewfinder. With this method the VR start up time delay is removed.
Is there a downside to this method?
Nov 14, 2018 19:14:11 #
Anybody serious about macro photography needs to add a flash to their arsenal.. A would suggest visiting YouTube and checking out how motion is frozen using speedlites. I normally shoot macro at 2:1 or greater and my distance to subject from end of lens is about 3 inches. At this distance my flash speed is around 1/16th power. Because my aperture is around F/9 to F/14 and my ISO is around 200 I'm actually illuminating the subject. Without the aid of the flash my subject would be to dark to see any detail. Now at 1/16th power the flash Duration is around 1/20,000th of a second. That's Faster than any shutter speed you can acquire. It's not that the flash is illuminating the subject, it also freezes motion due to the incredible fast, Flash duration. No VR and my Hands are Shaking, but my photos are Tack Sharp....
Nov 17, 2018 12:28:09 #
martinfisherphoto wrote:
Anybody serious about macro photography needs to a... (show quote)
Thank you for this statement, you are a very accomplished macro shooter, I so often see folks who don't really shoot macro try and answer this question and they never get it right. The fact is that flash freezes motion. I generally shoot at 1/200th or below with a fractional flash, it is the single most important thing a macro shooter can do to improve his photography.
Nov 17, 2018 15:11:45 #
Blurryeyed wrote:
Thank you for this statement, you are a very accomplished macro shooter, I so often see folks who don't really shoot macro try and answer this question and they never get it right. The fact is that flash freezes motion. I generally shoot at 1/200th or below with a fractional flash, it is the single most important thing a macro shooter can do to improve his photography.
Standard flash will only produce a clean shot with frozen motion in dim light. Try it out in the sun and you will get ghosts and multiple edges unless the subject was stone cold still. You get the flash image and the natural light image so it is only a clean image if the natural light was very dim.
Now, maybe I have the only camera in the world that will do that. But it means I got 4 of them in a row 6D, 7DII, 5DIV and 80D. Now in bright light High Speed Sync flash will do the job as long as your SS and f-stop are such that natural light will not produce an image strong enough to produce ghosts.
Nov 17, 2018 15:26:29 #
Many of my macro images are done outside in bright light but that said, I’m shooting stopped down with a 1/250th shutter speed and a 1/2 to 1/4 power level selected. If there is any double exposure due to ambient light, I’ll just stop the aperture down further
Nov 17, 2018 17:09:54 #
martinfisherphoto wrote:
Anybody serious about macro photography needs to a... (show quote)
I have been searching for a flash unit but do not know how to go about selecting one for the Nikon D5600. This model has no wireless flash or shutter capabilities and no built in high speed sync. I would like the opportunity to use flash both on and off camera. What unit would allow this for a camera body that has no wireless flash capabilities?
Nov 17, 2018 19:07:23 #
robertjerl wrote:
Standard flash will only produce a clean shot with... (show quote)
I have never had that problem, you are welcome to purse my flickr page to see some of my stuff, the link is below my signature, Martin's work is better than mine and he uses the same method in his macro work.
Nov 17, 2018 21:24:18 #
"Ghosting" with speedlight in full sunlight is a product of improper (too long) shutter duration, NOT because of speedlight. ALL of my hand-held macro-photography is ISO 200, 1/250-sec at f/16. The ONLY variable is speedlight output, depending on color-brightness of subject. Full sunlight, diffused sunlight, shadow, or deep shadow, camera settings never change, only the speedlight output.
Nov 18, 2018 02:43:59 #
Nikonian72 wrote:
"Ghosting" with speedlight in full sunlight is a product of improper (too long) shutter duration, NOT because of speedlight. ALL of my hand-held macro-photography is ISO 200, 1/250-sec at f/16. The ONLY variable is speedlight output, depending on color-brightness of subject. Full sunlight, diffused sunlight, shadow, or deep shadow, camera settings never change, only the speedlight output.
Like I said, I use high speed sync with flash outside when doing high speed subjects like bird/bird wings. I found that I got ghosting and edge blur even with the highest "normal" sync speed on my cameras. And I sometimes use a 180 macro with 1.4x on a crop sensor for an angle of view equal to just over 400 mm. Usually when sitting in a lawn chair near the humming bird feeders or when trying for butterflies and bees on the flowers.
Nov 18, 2018 16:34:12 #
Look into the Yongnuo flash brand. These guys are as good as Nikon Flashes in my opinion for a fraction of the cost. I use the newest version for Nikon, YN568EX This one has high sync speed as well. You can use the lesser models as I did, but this one will fit all of your needs for macro and future needs for other types of photography. For off camera I use the transmitter and receiver for the model flash I use. the Wireless YN-622N receiver and the Wireless YN-622N-TX Flash controller. This controller will operate I believe 4 off camera flashes with separate receivers. Easy to use and top notch.
Levi M. wrote:
I have been searching for a flash unit but do not know how to go about selecting one for the Nikon D5600. This model has no wireless flash or shutter capabilities and no built in high speed sync. I would like the opportunity to use flash both on and off camera. What unit would allow this for a camera body that has no wireless flash capabilities?
Nov 18, 2018 16:39:20 #
I used flash photography as well for hummingbirds and do not have this problem. If your wanting to Freeze motion I will place off camera flash near subject, feeder or flower, adjust your aperture and or ISO too at least 3 stops faster than the ambient light for proper exposure. Now your flash will act as the main light source and not as fill. No need for high speed sync as even shutter speed of 1/200th will freeze the motion { it's really the flash duration and not the shutter speed} If your flash is the main light source......
I'mm looking through my files of shots taken in Costa Rica using flash to freeze motion of hummingbirds, will post them Robert if I can find in these 2tb of photos
I'mm looking through my files of shots taken in Costa Rica using flash to freeze motion of hummingbirds, will post them Robert if I can find in these 2tb of photos
robertjerl wrote:
Like I said, I use high speed sync with flash outside when doing high speed subjects like bird/bird wings. I found that I got ghosting and edge blur even with the highest "normal" sync speed on my cameras. And I sometimes use a 180 macro with 1.4x on a crop sensor for an angle of view equal to just over 400 mm. Usually when sitting in a lawn chair near the humming bird feeders or when trying for butterflies and bees on the flowers.
Nov 18, 2018 22:31:00 #
martinfisherphoto wrote:
I used flash photography as well for hummingbirds ... (show quote)
I use on camera flash, legs etc too cranky to carry around stand for off camera.
I am using the Yongnuo yn600 first model (clone of Canon 600???) and am thinking of buying a set of two of the second model with the radio triggers and use old tripods to set them up around my feeders in the yard.
Nov 19, 2018 06:17:19 #
Yes, the birds don't mind and it could take your photography to the next level. Yongnuo flash controllers and flash triggers work flawlessly and are user friendly. Sounds like you just came up with a project......
P.S. No photos to share, my folder from Monteverde Cost Rica is not in my library. I some how deleted my folder which consisted of two days in that area
P.S. No photos to share, my folder from Monteverde Cost Rica is not in my library. I some how deleted my folder which consisted of two days in that area
robertjerl wrote:
I use on camera flash, legs etc too cranky to carry around stand for off camera.
I am using the Yongnuo yn600 first model (clone of Canon 600???) and am thinking of buying a set of two of the second model with the radio triggers and use old tripods to set them up around my feeders in the yard.
I am using the Yongnuo yn600 first model (clone of Canon 600???) and am thinking of buying a set of two of the second model with the radio triggers and use old tripods to set them up around my feeders in the yard.
Nov 19, 2018 13:22:14 #
martinfisherphoto wrote:
Yes, the birds don't mind and it could take your photography to the next level. Yongnuo flash controllers and flash triggers work flawlessly and are user friendly. Sounds like you just came up with a project......
P.S. No photos to share, my folder from Monteverde Cost Rica is not in my library. I some how deleted my folder which consisted of two days in that area
P.S. No photos to share, my folder from Monteverde Cost Rica is not in my library. I some how deleted my folder which consisted of two days in that area
Sorry about that. I hang on to one set of week old backups plus the current week (whole computer backup) and now that I have a much bigger external backup drive I think I will start keeping an extra backup of just my photos on the old drive and never delete anything from that set. If I add photos every day that I download images that should take care of keeping my photos safe. Ummm! I think Murphy heard me think that, better make a second or even third copy.
Was Murphy part of your group?
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.