How often do you crop your macro shots?

[Shawn7656]

I know I don't have an expensive lens by any means, and I know it's just a 1:2, but I've found myself cropping almost ALL of my pictures, and to quite a significant amount. At the closest focal point, a housefly takes up a little less than a tenth of the shot (a rough guestimate).

I assume that the extreme macro shots are done with a lens capable of magnifications greater than 1:1, and maybe even extensions or bellows or another trick on top.
Are there any (cheap, non-destructive) ways for me to get closer? I have a set of Cokin slide magnifying filters (+2 and +3) so I can get a bit closer, but I can only use them if I can use external lighting (External lighting for me consists of the sun, an LED keychain, and a desk lamp with an un-coated bulb). But even with adequate lighting, it doesn't add much

EDIT: My lens is a Sigma 28-80mm Macro lens. Bought it for $65 new, because the price was right

[JFSanders]

Nope, true macro photography is outside your grasp at this juncture in life. Time to man up and get that second job and stick to the budget until you have saved enough to pay cash for the real thing. AND if you do like I suggest it will give you the most wonderful feeling outside of sex and love that it will translate into success in other parts of your life. But sadly, you probably will ignore this and go find some bank to give you a credit card and you can have that real deal today. Never mind that it is really going to cost you more than three times what it would have cost you had you waited and paid in cash, but even more insidious than that is the money pimp now has him a new girl...

Jim (Doan be a credit ho, workin fo da big man)

[Tzetsin]

I pretty much crop all my shots. I mean every kind, macro, fill the frame, night shots, portraits, wide, telephoto you name it, its probably been cropped.

Cropping isnt a bad thing at all, and only a fool wouldnt crop if the image would be enhanced by doing so.

True macro photography is 1:1. That said... who cares? I have a true macro lens, its not very often that i'll actually shoot macro style shots at 1:1. If the image's composition demands more, then give it more. Just because you cant shoot the rosebud on a dragonfly's ass doesn't mean you cant enjoy close up photography, which is what you are doing.

All the DSLRs that I know of today are pretty big MP, with that large size comes nice crops. Your fly might only take up a tenth of a shot, but crop that in half, and now its a 5th, now compose that fly in an environment, and you have a picture of a fly DOING something... instead of just a plain ol fly and its still at a good printable resolution.

Push your equipment as hard as you can, do everything you can with what you have and while you're doing it you'll learn what you REALLY like to do. After you've mastered what you have, you'll have a very good idea what you want to spend your next purchase on. In photography, your purchases are not at all cheap. You dont want to buy a 900 dollar macro lens, only to have it sit in the bag while you struggle to shoot something else that you actually find more interesting.

My first lens purchase was a 1:1 macro lens. It cost me 900 bucks. At the time, I was working at home and didnt feel that I'd be getting out of the house enough to be able to shoot much so I was going to delve into the macro world of which there was alot to enjoy. After shooting that for a while, i found i really couldnt get into it. At that point I actually got off my ass and went for walks around town, and found that I really enjoyed portraiture and landscape photography much more.

At the time of my macro lens purchase i hadn't had my camera very long, and certainly hadn't used what I had enough to have any kind of mastery of the equipment that I had. Now... I dont regret my macro purchase, there has been times when it was invaluable. But the money definitely would have been better spent on a wide angle prime.

All that said my friend, photography is an ART. In art ALL things are possible. If you need to crop, crop. If you need to clone out a pimple, clone it. Whatever you have to do to make the image superior. DO IT.

[i speak in math]

Ignoring the camera body, I got my macro rig for around $100. I picked up a cheap manual 50mm f/1.4 and some extension tubes from KEH.com. I used the pop-up flash for a long time, and still do in some situations. I made a diffuser for it so I got nice soft light. I get more than 1:1 magnification using this setup. Its not pretty and has very little subject to lens distance, but it works and is rewarding.

Macro doesn't have to be expensive. Some of the best photography came out of people trying new things and techniques that weren't invented yet. You make due with what is out there, use existing products and modify them to meet your needs. That extra work feels good, it makes you know you accomplished something.

[Shawn7656]

@JFSanders: Even if it wasn't your intention, your post had me laughing. Thanks for that. I definitely won't be buying anything on credit though. For now, as Tzetsin mentioned, I'm starting small because I'm not sure what I want to do. I LOVE taking pictures of wildlife, flowers, and bugs, but in a few years or even months from now I may find portrait photography more rewarding (and if I make a career out of photography, it would definitely be easier to get a job doing portrait).

@I Speak in Math: That sounds pretty awesome. I have a Sony camera so my macro lens options are a little lower than those with Canons or Nikons, but I've been trying to find a cheap set-up like you have. 1:2 was of course the cheapest, and since I've only had my camera since 5 months ago, I didn't really want to splurge at all. I'm on a tight budget right now (barely making money, locked in a cellphone contract) so the cheapest is the best
I'll look into finding a lens like you're talking about though. I use manual focus all the time anyways for macro
EDIT: forgot to mention, great pics

[mmcoffee]

In regards to your Sony camera and I Speak in Math's set up... (if you have an Alpha) Sony Alphas are compatible with the Minolta lenses. You can get a used/in good condition 50mm Minolta auto OR manual focus f1.7 (I Speak in Math indicated his is 50mm - f1.4) on various bid sites for 'around' $100 final price and then add extensions to it and have yourself a lens set up that is 'similar'.

Just letting you know that by looking into other compatable lenses you can get a good lens set up at a decent price - and also opens up different ranges of lenses since you may not get the same stats out of the Alpha lens or the Sigma lens etc...know your options before you buy, that way, you buy best for your needs

[ishootRAW]

Originally Posted by JFSanders

it will give you the most wonderful feeling outside of sex and love that it will translate into success in other parts of your life.

While I'm 14(and therefor have not participated in the former) it is truly amazing. The first time you throw all the tubes on is exhilarating. In all seriousness, it does really make you look at the world different.

When it's just the bare lens yes I crop. When I have the extention tubes on, not a lot.

[AaronJRidley]

I have to agree with the others that say extension tubes are the way to go. I got a set of 3 tubes (10mm, 25mm and 35mm) for around $65, and they are fantastic. I use them on every lens that I have (from my 10-28, my fixed 50 and my 70-200). It all depends on how close you can (or want to) get. Tubes are an extremely cheap way of getting into macro photography.