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 #1454 2 Jan 2012 at 7.40pm | |   |
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In reply to Post #1452
dp whoops
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#1453 2 Jan 2012 at 7.40pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1452
stunning shots, was wondering where do you guys buy your equipment from???
jessops?
warehouse express?
any others??
do you try and support local business or just buy of the net?
reason for asking is am in the market for a new camera d300s/ d7000, macro flash kit and a tele lens, 120-400 or 150-500, wondering how you go about getting the best deals 
cheers in advance
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#1452 2 Jan 2012 at 12.30pm | | |
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This is harder than I thought
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#1451 31 Dec 2011 at 4.27pm | | |
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This is an updated update, if that makes sense. The project was to get a foothold in Macro photography without breaking the bank. Against a backdrop of spending some £700 on the Canon 100mm f4 macro or some £380 or there about on either a Sigma or Tamron lens a cunning plan took shape.
The least cost option was to buy a 28mm or 50mm manual lens, preferably old German glass and reverse it using a reversing ring. This approach was abandoned for another day as a suitable lens was not forthcoming. Check out www.thomasshahan.com for some mind blowing work using this method.
The availability of Canon FD lenses looked attractive so I went down that route but it turned into a blind alley. There are a number of Canon FD lenses which have the word Macro in the model description; this is also true of other makes. If you take the meaning of Macro to describe a lens which produces 1-1 images and has upgraded optics then none of these lenses fit the bill. They mean close focusing which is not the same by a long way. Canon list three true Macro lenses in the FD range.
The Canon FD fitting lenses require an adaptor to fit onto the autofocus EOS cameras. The web is awash with them, they mostly have one thing in common and that is that they are rubbish. Plastic lenses, poor build quality and mainly do not focus on infinity. Fortunately I managed to get a bespoke adaptor from the Lens Doctor company, which has hand ground Hoya lenses in it, these can be removed for true Macro work. The adaptor has a chip inside which allows the focus confirmed feature to operate on the EOS camera. Frankly the only adaptor worth considering.
On the lens front I successfully bid on a Vivitar 90mm f2.8 Macro lens in Canon FD fit which does 1-1 and was in amazing condition. If i did not know how old it was I would have thought it had come out of a box yesterday.
I am still getting to know the lens but early results are looking good. Apart from focusing and depth of field issues which are the tricky part of Macro photography and getting the subject to stay still and in one place how the subject is illuminated plays a big part in getting the image you are looking for.
I started off with an object in a light tent lit with 2 mini photofloods but the images lacked bite so I resorted to electronic flash and results improved. The best results came from using the Canon 430x flashgun fitted with an inverted dome diffuser. The flashgun was set to deliver 1/16 full power with an aperture of f16. The high shutter speed allowed hand held shots at distances approaching 1-1.
This is a shot taken last year with the standard lens
This shot was taken from a comfortable distance some way short of 1-1 using the flash set up.
This shows the potential but does suffer with some focusing issues and lighting problems. Hand held 1-1 is not easy.
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#1450 31 Dec 2011 at 4.16pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1449
Lovely capture Keebs 
Heres some shots i took yesterday on the Bure in Wroxham
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#1449 30 Dec 2011 at 2.56pm | | |
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I think these are Welcome Swallow fledglings being fed. Taken in a park in Sydney.
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#1448 22 Dec 2011 at 9.02pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1447
Such obliging bugs in your neck of the woods, love it
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#1447 22 Dec 2011 at 7.54pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1446
Messing about with my 105, Caught this Lacewing sneaking a peek through my double glazing 
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#1446 18 Dec 2011 at 7.24pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1445
Thanks pal. I like your thinking, I'll look in to those 
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#1445 18 Dec 2011 at 7.15pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1444
This is hard but:
1 Reflections
3 Energy
5 Rebirth
6 Question
7 Tranquility
10 Slower pace.
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#1444 18 Dec 2011 at 5.34pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1443
Evening all.
I have a photography C&G college submission due in February and Ive got the 10 images required but need names for them, Ive come with a few but would love some ideas from you guys.
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All feedback gratefully received, positive and constructive negatives! 
Thanks in advance
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#1443 14 Dec 2011 at 11.28pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1442
All you need to know and then some. Very lucky to have found that site. Looks as if a reverse lens on the EOS is not a proposition. With the lens on you can select an aperture Take the lens off and reverse it the aperture setting is applied but you can’t alter it. You are able to change shutter speed which in theory should get a result but I have yet to test this out in a real situation.
Should have the FD/EOS adaptor in the morning so for now it looks like the big cost saving on the FD lens adapted to EF. According to the technician you have to focus manually, which I do on close up, so not a problem. Due to the chip in the adaptor the camera thinks you have an EF lens attached switched to manual focusing so the rest should work OK, fingers crossed.
When I was looking at this guys site Lens Doctor I came across a 50mm f1.4 lens which was an option on a camera sold by Dixons who were daft enough to employ me as a branch manager back in the day.
He had refurbished it and converted it to a Canon fit, and gave it top marks as a brilliant standard lens which was reflected in the very high cost and I am talking large. The thing is I am sure that I sold a relative of mine a camera with this lens attached. I know that it is in a draw gathering dust so perhaps a deal can be done.
UPDATE
Just noticed that a Vivitar 90mm F2.8 Macro (1/1) went for £99 this evening on the bay Canon FD fit, just looked at an independant review which says that it is better than the Canon 100mm F4
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#1442 14 Dec 2011 at 6.48pm | | |
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#1441 14 Dec 2011 at 0.06am | | |
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Some very useful information on this site check it out
http://macrophotographyforbeginners.blogspot.com/
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#1440 12 Dec 2011 at 12.21pm | | |
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In reply to Post #1439
Reversed lens update
Canon strike again. It appears that the FD range of lenses are required to be attached to the Camera before manual aperture settings can be set.
The very old lenses have a fixing which allows this, the hunt is on. The lens does not have to be Canon as the adaptor has to be a canon fit but the other end is a screw fit so as long as the lens does not need to be attached directly to the camera in conventional mode to be able to manually adjust the aperture and the filter size is available you should be in business.
On the good side I have found a brilliant lens adaptor for FD to EOS. When fitted it fools the system into thinking it has a EF lens attached and you have selected manual focusing. On the exposure front you can still use some of the auto functions and of course manual.
The lens is Hoya optical glass for infinity correction and can be removed for true macro work thus using a uncorrected lens.
Made by an ex Canon technician at £60+ it is streets ahead of the Plastic/rubbish glass lenses found in overseas offerings and does not fall to bits.
Will give a report when it arrives
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