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Macheath
What are some good equipment/techniques for getting good shots of insects?

I took this today; had to settle for an ass shot of the bee since it was so hard to keep it in the frame.
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
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>> Teus !QbSstcPD6U
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macro lenses all the way

this was taken with a micro-nikkor 55mm f/3.5, the older model, manual focus. its at it's closest focusing now I think, 1:2. with a 50mm extension tube it does 1:1, but DOF gets hair-thin and sharpness decreases. at anything a few metres away until 30cm away, it's so sharp it bites

exposure/WB have to be good, as usual. prepare to spend a lot of time hunting and approaching them. frame well. focusing is hard, but when photos work out well... it's really great and fun

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>> Macheath
I don't even own a macro lens :( Hopefully I can get a job over the summer to fund this hobby.

How close do you have to stand to take a good picture?
>> Anonymous
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>>44688
For macro it's usually better to have a good motion friendly tripod (ball joint heads ftw!). You don't need a decent macro lens for macro shots, get a good portrait lens and a set of achromatic macro+ filters and you are pretty much fine for the while, quality isn't superb but cost is worth every penny.

Although I have a LOT of good macro lenses (mostly yashica/contax/komine/etc via a electric cy - canon) I bought a set of rolev macro 58mm filters (range from +1 to +4) as well as a simple +2 achromatic of unfamiliar origins for the original cannon 18-55 that comes stock.

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>> Anonymouse
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A dandy~

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>> Anonymous
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Beats mine all to heck.

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>> Anonymous
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Still, I'm fast becoming a devotee of Large Format.

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>> Anonymouse
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I'm having trouble with this cheap camera.
Figure that one out. I've tried a few different techniques with lighting and whatnot for close~ups, but I can't get it to focus more than 85% or so. Not quite what I want.

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>> Anonymouse
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Just another picture of my Shisa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shisa
Flourescent lighting sucks for macros.
Oh yeah, I lost some of my EXIF data by resizing it, too :P

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>> Anonymous
>>44698
>>44719
>>44720
>>44725
>>44732

HOLY THREAD HIJACK BATMAN!

OP focus looks a bit soft.
>> Anonymouse
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>>44737
Silly rabbit. I gave plenty of minutes between postings. :3
Besides, to me... that plant looks more of a roto~rater than a lily to me!
I swear that there was a bug in that dandelion picture somewhere... *stares at it, hoping to find an inadvertant insect*
Oh well. No bug. Hijack, yes. Bug, no.
At least I think I found a picture with a decent focus...

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