Macro Photography Questions

I have alot of pretty naive questions about macro photography. :o I have the Canon 100mm macro lens and that is all I have used up to now. I recently bought a set of Kenko extension tubes and have just taken a few experimental pictures. I was surprised at how much the dof narrows, making me wonder just how to use them successfully! Are they best used for very tiny subjects? How are closeup lenses different from extension tubes - do they produce the same results or are they generally used for different or specific purposes? I know macro photography is a whole field in itself, & I will need to do some reading, but I'm sure this site is a great source of information, so any fairly general information you all could share about it would be appreciated greatly! Thanks!!

These are great questions! I'm right there on board with you waiting for the answers. I can add one about focus rails - ??? I've seen them mentioned in macro setup descriptions.... Is this a setup with a bellows that the people are using?

Thanks for starting the questions going, Anita!!

Amy D.

You're more than welcome, Amy, & thanks for chiming in with more questions!

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Originally Posted by Amy DeStefanis

These are great questions! I'm right there on board with you waiting for the answers. I can add one about focus rails - ??? I've seen them mentioned in macro setup descriptions.... Is this a setup with a bellows that the people are using?

Thanks for starting the questions going, Anita!!

Amy D.

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Amy, a focusing rail mounts to a tripod with the camera or lens collar mounted on top, the one that I use has "X and Y" axis movement of about three inches. So, when you have a macro subject in the viewfinder and you want to adjust the composition a bit or the area of critical focus, all you have to do is turn the knobs and you don't have to move the tripod. This is very nice especially at high magnifications.

I don't have a bellows, but I know that a bellows is sort of an adjustable extension tube that looks like an accordian. Your lens (I think you need a special lens?) attaches to the front with the camera attached to the back. You can crank the bellows in and out, changing the extension between the camera and lens. Some bellows are capable of "tilt and shift", so you can put the area of critical focus sort of where you what it. I don't know if you can get a bellows that is capable of automatic aperture, metering, etc. I will end this description here due to reaching the end of my knowledge on this topic.

Dan Brown

Hi Anita. Here's some info IMO! I am no expert, but I have played with macro photography for years.
Dan Brown. http://naturestoc.smugmug.com/


I have alot of pretty naive questions about macro photography. :o I have the Canon 100mm macro lens and that is all I have used up to now. I recently bought a set of Kenko extension tubes and have just taken a few experimental pictures. I was surprised at how much the dof narrows, making me wonder just how to use them successfully!

Use your DOF preview button, preview the smaller apertures and pick the one that allows for coverage of the most impacting parts of your subject. If you use available light, a very solid tripod is a must plus mirror lockup and a cable release or self timer.

Flash is much easier, but sometimes not as pleasing results. TTL flash makes it really easy but you will still need to DOF preview. Get the flash off of the camera with a sync cable and some kind of flash bracket of holder. You can actually just hold the flash in one hand and the camera in the other, crop the subject, focus, then move the camera in and out and when you see your subject come into focus, shoot. For some 1 to 1 macro, I use this hand held technique, keeping one finger on the flash holding hand in contact with the lens barrel, so I know where the flash is at all times during the shot.


Are they best used for very tiny subjects?

Not neseccarily, you can use your 100mm for scenery, portraits and any subject that you like. Macro lenses are thought to be some of the sharpest lenses available.

How are closeup lenses different from extension tubes - do they produce the same results or are they generally used for different or specific purposes?

Closeup lenses or "diopters" fit on the front of you prime lens. IMO, they aren't quite as good as tubes because you are adding "so so" glass to your great macro lens and probably will suffer a bit in quality. I use some of the Nikon diopters (3T and 4T) that seem to work very good. You don't loose much light with a diopter.

Extension tubes do not add glass to the equation, so you don't loose any image quality. The tube moves the lens away from the sensor plane. This changes the focus range of the lens, allowing closer focusing (the more extension, the closer the focus). You loose a bit of light depending on the amount of extension and you also loose the ability to focus to infinity.

I know macro photography is a whole field in itself, & I will need to do some reading, but I'm sure this site is a great source of information, so any fairly general information you all could share about it would be appreciated greatly! Thanks!!

Hope some of this helps, Dan
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Thanks very very much, Dan, your answers & tips DO help. Sounds like mostly I just need to continue to experiment and practice with those extensions & soon enough I'll be familiar with what effect they have indiviidually and in combinations so that I'll know what to use when. The only thing I don't have or haven't been using much, that you mentioned, is the dof preview button, so I'll start trying that to help me see what I'm getting; should help. Again, I really appreciate your time and the site referral too! I'm anxious to spend some time there! :)

Your welcome Anita. My www site is a "work in progress" I hope you like it, let me know what you think!

A trick to preview DOF (in the absence of a preview button) set your aperture at, say, f16 press the button that releases the lens from the camera, start to remove the lens by turning it a little bit, look through the view finder and change your aperture. You will see the view darken and lighten as you move the aperture ring. As it is darkening, the DOF will be increasing, as it lightens, the opposite will happen. As with the DOF button, the view will be dark at the smaller apertures that you need for macro, so let your eye adjust and VIOLA, you are previewing!

Dan Brown

Dan, thanks for the info about previewing dof in the absence of a preview button. Actually, I do have one, didn't make myself very clear....need to start getting friendly with it!