Thanks to everyone for the various tips you have provided. I haven't yet got the opportunity to put them in practice (work, work ...) but I will definitely do it this weekend and post the results here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnsohk
I am using the Nikon105 mm Macro VR and I use it in manual focus mode...with flash!
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I don't have an external flash at the moment and I guess the built-in flash is not good for macro work as the lens barrel itself gets in the way of the light. I don't want to invest in a separate flash unit until I get everything else working to my satisfaction, because I feel that just adding equipment will not help me take good photos although they will certainly make the job easier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhotoNewt
At any given aperture, the closer you get to the subject the greater the magnification and the smaller the DoF. Using apertures f/16 and above becomes important to get more of the subject your focus.
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I did experiment with apertures of f/16 or higher but doing this with natural light has been the drawback. The photos tend to turn out darker than expected and editing the images do not always work out very well. But I agree that f/16 or higher is the way to go if I want greater DoF.
Quote:
Originally Posted by janef
It wasn't until I was chatting to someone who suggested using my standard lens, in this case a Canon EF 17-40mm zoom to take the shot.
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Here is one (cropped and resized for Flickr) I took with the 18-135mm AF lens, with auto-focus and not manual:
It is reasonably OK, so as you say the standard zoom lens do work but they lack the effect of a close up shot of a true macro lens. This was with f/7.1, 1/800 sec at ISO-400, everything set by the camera in "P" mode.