Macro Help

[Natalie123]

Hello apologies first as Im very new to this site and to photography so Im hoping that I am posting this in the correct place. I have recently purchased a Canon EOS 1000D to develop my passion of photography. I have a 18-55 mm lens that came with this and also a Tamron 55-200mm lens (it says 1:4-5.6 Macro on the side.. Im still very new to this all, not sure if you need to know that bit!) Ive been trying to get some macro shots of some roses this morning. Im still getting to grips with using the camera in manual too so that may well be my downfall however I just couldnt get in really close as Ive seen some of you do. The pictures I was taken in really close were just out of focus and very blurred.
I shot it at f/5.6 and 1/13. Please forgive me if that is so wrong... but Im still getting used to what to use and finding it a bit of a brain drain!
Below should be the best picture I manged to get. Id love some help and tips on what I'm doing so wrong!



Thanks

[Trader]

Hi and welcome to DPS. For your first attempt at a macro you did a decent job. Are you using a tripod? From your camera settings it is very difficult to hand hold and not get any camera shake but I am not seeing any in your image. Your lens will dictate how close you can get in to the subject. It will say the minimum focus distance on it. You could purchase tubes and/or magnifiers which will allow you to get those really tight shots that you are seeing here. Hope that answers your question.

[Natalie123]

Thank you so much for your reply. I was using a tripod for that shot as I realised I really don't have a steady hand and the shakes got the better of me! I think I will look to purchase some extension tubes. Are they quite universal or do you have to get ones specific to your camera model?

[Geodar]

Hi,
I would save my money and go for a dedicated macro lens, 1:1, 50, 60, 90 or 105mm depending on what make and what you want to pay.
Macro, I think is one of the harder shots to get right as a beginer.
Using a tripod, dictates how close you can get to your subject. Fold in the legs so you end up with a pole effect and use it as monopod. Sway to & fro untill the subject is in focus (try not to focus manualy) and fire off a few shots. Using the tipod this way & with a dedicated macro lens will get you closer to acheiving true macro and not just a close-up which is what you have above.
I would put the camera setting to 'P' or 'Av' mode to start with, going to 'M' mode when you have gained enough experience on using the camera and an understanding of the settings.
Hope this is of some help.
Geoff

[paktire]

hi

i tried 1x and 2x macro filters but tell you very frankly it would simply add noise to the digital quality. than i switched to nikkor 105mm dedicated macro lens. results are superb.

imran rashid
pakistan

[flavio]

Please excuse me if I am stating the obvious and my reply is not applicable.
Some times the basic fixes work best. So, let me try.

You mentioned you shoot in M mode and cannot get focused macro pictures.
I wou suggest you try to set the upper dial to the "close up" mode (that is the one represented by the flower). The Canon people at: Canon EOS 1000D
Say that: "You don’t have to be a professional to shoot like one with the EOS 1000D. A variety of preset and custom modes make it a breeze to choose the proper setting no matter what your subject. Six pre-programmed Basic Zone modes can be selected on the large Mode Dial. With the "close up mode you can get in tight for stunningly beautiful close-ups of flowers and other small objects. Results are even more impressive with optional Canon macro lenses.

Hope this helps and I'm sure you will be shooting perfectly sharp images of tiny subjects in a jiffy!

[Alexander]

I agree with the advice of the others and would like to add one thing to try: experiment a little with setting the f-ratio much higher and using flash. The built-in flash on the camera should work ok for this purpose. Flash will allow you to get more depth of field and also let you use faster shutter speeds. You can create photos with a well-lit main subject in front of a darker background.

Also, if you are seriously interested in macro, I second the motions to get a dedicated macro lens. You will be amazed at the quality of photos your camera will provide with the Canon 100 mm macro. Other macro lenses would also be fine, but I love my 100 mm. Even for non-macro shots, its the sharpest lens I own.