UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

I wish that I could claim credit for it, but thanks.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

You are too kind, Stan.

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

Most recommend manually focusing but nearly all my macro shots are auto focused. I trust the camera more than I trust my eyesight.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks. I applied ORPilot's guidance and it worked. I will post results tomorrow.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

I would suggest your problem here was 'lack of light'.

The image was taken at 1/160 sec, f/22, ISO 100 and from the Exif it shows that the exposure was increased by +5 in post processing, resulting in the considerable noise in the image.

It's unlikely for AF to work in such low light.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

I use manual focus and lean forward and back once I attain near focus. Auto focus will be an issue without a tripod, I fear. Good luck.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Macro= Use a tripod and manual focus!!!!

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

Manual focus, self timer, ISO 100, and a tripod.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

What ISO were these shot at Mike?

Red6

Recently took a class in macro at the local university and here are several things I picked up.

Camera mode - Most of your work will be in manual mode. Program or Auto can be used sometimes in ideal conditions, but manual gives you the maximum flexibility.

Light - unless you are shooting outdoors in the daytime, you usually need extra light. Flash can be used but it can be tricky at those close distances. LED lighting works great and is easier to use in most situations. Just set it up on a mini tripod and turn it on. Many have adjustable intensity and color temp and can purchased at reasonable prices. In our class, most of our work was done under some type of lighting. Also, having good lighting allows you to shoot at lower ISO's, which will reduce the noise in your images.

Focusing - Usually manual works best, but auto focus will work if you are on a tripod and have good light. Many cameras today have manual focusing aids such as magnification or color indicators around the subject when it is in focus.

Depth of field (DOF) - this can be the tough one to manage. When doing macro, especially with macro lenses or extenders, the DOF can be razor thin. The closer you get, the thinner the DOF can become. For example; I was taking some photos of some small ants recently and focused in on a single ant's head. I was able to get the head of the ant in good focus, but the rest of the body, just a millimeter away was out of focus. These were small ants so the whole ant was probably 3 millimeters or less in length. This is where focus stacking, an advanced technique, comes into play. This involves taking multiple shots (dozens to hundreds) and then merging them in post-processing software.

Tripod - almost a necessity unless you are shooting outside in bright light. Using a tripod will allow you to lower the ISO, lower the shutter speed and allow higher aperture settings. Using lower aperture settings such as f/1.8, f/2.0 again narrows the DOF. Shooting at higher aperture settings (f/4 to f/8) opens up the DOF, allowing more of the subject to be in view. It becomes a balancing act between the settings for the best shot. I generally anchor the ISO setting, work with aperture for best DOF and last set the shutter for proper exposure. If you are on a tripod then the shutter can go fairly slow if you are working with non-moving subjects.

Remote shutter release - Use a remote shutter release. Tripping the shutter manually can introduce shake and vibration, adding blur to your images.

Macro is one of the most interesting areas of photography. Have fun!

Canisdirus

You used extenders...shot at f/22 and iso 100...and AF.
What could go wrong?!

agillot

nothing wrong with manual focus , i dont do auto focus on anything .manual focus give you a chance to see what you are doing .

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Others have noted f/22. I see a relatively 'flat' subject where f/22 would add little to the composition. I see ISO-100 that may be a 'low noise' ISO, but not if you create a overly dark and underexposed image. Finally, I see 1/160 for a static subject with an 85mm focal length. Your Sony provides excellent IBIS allowing easy hand-help down to 1/50 or slower for this lens.

All the data above was available as you composed the image and developed the exposure, as well as when the image was available for review. Analyzing your results and developing and making the appropriate corrective action(s) is the most effective way to improve your photography. Recognizing and correcting these issues in the field is the desired ability. At the minimum, recognizing and developing corrective actions at home on the computer is required.

Use of an extender has no direct impact on the success / failure of this image. Rather, the exposure settings you developed are at fault.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Switch to manual focus for close-up and macro photography.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Turn off "continuous autofocus".