first macro post

[jax314]

This is my first macro shot to share. I am not sure what it takes to make a truly GREAT shot...I see some that are SO crisp. For this, I used an 85mm macro, but to get it to take up most of the frame I had to crop quite a bit. This was shot as JPEG and I realize RAW would have been better, but please let me know what is good and what could use some work for next time. I appreciate it very much!

Camera Nikon D5000
Exposure 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture f/11.0
Focal Length 85 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash On, Return detected

[Thunder_o_b]

You did good in getting the eyes in focus, that is the primary objective in insects.

The red seems a bit off, but as there are variations I don't know.

[jax314]

The red is off...good observation! I was experimenting with lightroom....it was actually a nasty orange color and I wanted it to be more reddish like a ladybug.....

Thanks for the reply. BTW, do most people have to crop significantly in order to get a good bug "face" shot??

Thanks!

[Thunder_o_b]

Originally Posted by jax314

The red is off...good observation! I was experimenting with lightroom....it was actually a nasty orange color and I wanted it to be more reddish like a ladybug.....

Thanks for the reply. BTW, do most people have to crop significantly in order to get a good bug "face" shot??

Thanks!

Ahhhhhh, I see, that is one of the orange harlequin lady bugs. They invaded us here in N.E Ohio several years ago, and now they are mostly all I see.

At 1:1 a ladybugs face will still be quite small. I use the MP-E65 for greater than 1:1, it goes to 5:1 but is a Canon lens. I do not believe that Nikon makes an equivalent. You could use a set of extension tubes. Being a Nikon user you can go with the plain tubes that have no electronics as you can set the f stop manually on the lens. I have to ust the pricer ones. This is what I have, they do not get much use these days because of the MP-E65.
Kenko Auto Extension Tube Set DG for Canon EOS Lens AEXTUBEDGC

This is a relative of your subject. It is an older shot from last year. Looking at the focus band and the size of the file, I believe it is a slight crop from a 3:1 or 4:1 shot with the MP-E65.
Canon 50D, f11, 1/250 sec, 580EX II flash diffused in a rig, handheld.

[chicagojohn]

Originally Posted by jax314

This is my first macro shot to share.

Unfortunately, Thunder doesn't tell us what his aperture was.

Well, here is my thought, for what it's worth.... You were at f/11, and the "experts" will tell you not to go too high in f/number because of the dreaded diffraction.

I think that is B.S.

Go as high in aperture as you possibly can on a shot like this to get the greatest possible depth of field. If you could have gone to f/32, for example, you could have probably picked up another 4 mm. That would have made a huge difference.

Now, about the "softening"?? Just apply a moderage level of sharpening in PSE. That way you can bring it back to f/8.

Max out the aperture and fix it in PS. That's my advice. But I really don't know what the heck I'm doing... yet.

[Jo.T]

from what i have read and seen in magazines up to about f16 is accepted but Imho it depends more on the lense and working out what it can do. I know some one with a 100mm canon macro lense and can only use it about f20 due to defraction at higher f stops, i have a tamron 90mm macro and can shoot up to about f30 but it has a sweetspot at f13 so use that a lot. quick tip in very bright sun light see how high the fstop will go and try not to shoot any higher than half of that. Just play with your lense and see what it can do and gives you the best results

[Thunder_o_b]

Originally Posted by chicagojohn

Unfortunately, Thunder doesn't tell us what his aperture was.

Yes I did, in the very last line in the post "Canon 50D, f11, 1/250 sec, 580EX II flash diffused in a rig, handheld."

[chicagojohn]

Originally Posted by Jo.T

from what i have read and seen in magazines up to about f16 is accepted but Imho it depends more on the lense and working out what it can do. I know some one with a 100mm canon macro lense and can only use it about f20 due to defraction at higher f stops, i have a tamron 90mm macro and can shoot up to about f30 but it has a sweetspot at f13 so use that a lot. quick tip in very bright sun light see how high the fstop will go and try not to shoot any higher than half of that. Just play with your lense and see what it can do and gives you the best results

Hi Jo T. I have the same lens you do and I've found that I can shoot at f/32 and then just do about a 40% sharpen in PSE, and I cannot tell any difference in sharpness from an f/8. Take it for what it's worth...

[chicagojohn]

Originally Posted by Thunder_o_b

Yes I did, in the very last line in the post "Canon 50D, f11, 1/250 sec, 580EX II flash diffused in a rig, handheld."

OK, Thunder; I went back and searched for it, and now I see it; and why I probably missed it. It says "f11", not "f/11"

My question to you, then, is why the DoF appears so much wider in your photo of the same bug???

Or am I misperceiving that? HELP, Thunder!!! This is really BUGGING me !!!

[Thunder_o_b]

Originally Posted by chicagojohn

OK, Thunder; I went back and searched for it, and now I see it; and why I probably missed it. It says "f11", not "f/11"

My question to you, then, is why the DoF appears so much wider in your photo of the same bug???

Or am I misperceiving that? HELP, Thunder!!! This is really BUGGING me !!!

I'm thinking it appears that way because mine is a side shot. *shrug*