Any good sites discussing how to use a macro (micro) lens?

[river251]

Thanks to help received here, I just purchased a 55mm f/2.8 AIS Micro Nikkor lens. My D7000 manual doesn't really cover using it. If anybody has a link to a good discussion of using macro (micro) lenses, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Jim

 

[slimandy]

If you search on macro photography you'll find plenty of info. Read the book (remember those?) 'Closeups In Nature' by John Shaw.

Bear in mind it is a learning curve but the results can be very satisfying so stick with it. You'll soon realise DOF is razor thin so you need to stop the lens down and pay close attention to where you focus. Use MF for accuracy, and use a tripod if you can.

You might decide you need a longer lens depending on your subject. It's more to do with working distance than focal length with macro.

Come back and ask questions, even ones that may seem silly. There are plenty of people that can help.

 

[mironv]

river251 wrote:

Thanks to help received here, I just purchased a 55mm f/2.8 AIS Micro Nikkor lens. My D7000 manual doesn't really cover using it. If anybody has a link to a good discussion of using macro (micro) lenses, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Jim

 

[river251]

slimandy wrote:

If you search on macro photography you'll find plenty of info. Read the book (remember those?) 'Closeups In Nature' by John Shaw.

Bear in mind it is a learning curve but the results can be very satisfying so stick with it. You'll soon realise DOF is razor thin so you need to stop the lens down and pay close attention to where you focus. Use MF for accuracy, and use a tripod if you can.

You might decide you need a longer lens depending on your subject. It's more to do with working distance than focal length with macro.

Come back and ask questions, even ones that may seem silly. There are plenty of people that can help.

 

[river251]

Thanks Mironv. I plan to do that. I was just hoping for something that could explain all the numbers, rings, etc. on my 55 2.8, and how to make use of them for macro/micro shooting, for some immediate shots I want to take. Maybe I just need to find info on the markings on lenses in general.

Thanks

Jim

 

[mironv]

river251 wrote:

Thanks Mironv. I plan to do that. I was just hoping for something that could explain all the numbers, rings, etc. on my 55 2.8, and how to make use of them for macro/micro shooting, for some immediate shots I want to take. Maybe I just need to find info on the markings on lenses in general.

Thanks

Jim

 

[Leonard Migliore]

river251 wrote:

Thanks Andrew. If I had a longer micro lense, like the 105 Nikkor, could I take a picture of say a flower that would look the same size in the image, but from farther away than with my 55?

Sure. That's what a telephoto does. I have the 55 and things do get close when you focus it down.

The other thing you have to remember with a longer focal length is that your background is going to look different because of the tighter angle.

 

[Leonard Migliore]

river251 wrote:

Thanks Mironv. I plan to do that. I was just hoping for something that could explain all the numbers, rings, etc. on my 55 2.8, and how to make use of them for macro/micro shooting, for some immediate shots I want to take. Maybe I just need to find info on the markings on lenses in general.

Do you have any other AI lenses? If this is your first AI lens, you may not know that you have to register it in the camera's memory. That should be in your manual. Otherwise, the camera has no way to know that you have a 55mm f/2.8 on there. Once that's set, the camera will meter in aperture mode and report the f/stop in the viewfinder.

As far as the numbers and rings, like any other AI lens you have to set the f/stop on the lens. That takes care of that ring. The other ring is the focusing ring, and you just turn it until the picture's sharp. There are lots of numbers on there because the lens only goes to a magnification of 1:2. To get 1:1, you need to add an extension ring. So there's one set of orange magnification numbers for the lens itself and another set for the lens with the extension ring. I never look at these numbers.

One of the benefits of using an AI lens for macro is that you can change the f/stop in live view (you can't do this with any AF lenses). I generally focus at f/4 and then stop down to my taking aperture.

 

[mironv]

Leonard Migliore wrote:

river251 wrote:

Thanks Mironv. I plan to do that. I was just hoping for something that could explain all the numbers, rings, etc. on my 55 2.8, and how to make use of them for macro/micro shooting, for some immediate shots I want to take. Maybe I just need to find info on the markings on lenses in general.

Do you have any other AI lenses? If this is your first AI lens, you may not know that you have to register it in the camera's memory. That should be in your manual. Otherwise, the camera has no way to know that you have a 55mm f/2.8 on there. Once that's set, the camera will meter in aperture mode and report the f/stop in the viewfinder.

As far as the numbers and rings, like any other AI lens you have to set the f/stop on the lens. That takes care of that ring. The other ring is the focusing ring, and you just turn it until the picture's sharp. There are lots of numbers on there because the lens only goes to a magnification of 1:2. To get 1:1, you need to add an extension ring. So there's one set of orange magnification numbers for the lens itself and another set for the lens with the extension ring. I never look at these numbers.

One of the benefits of using an AI lens for macro is that you can change the f/stop in live view (you can't do this with any AF lenses). I generally focus at f/4 and then stop down to my taking aperture.

 

[river251]

Leonard Migliore wrote:

river251 wrote:

Thanks Mironv. I plan to do that. I was just hoping for something that could explain all the numbers, rings, etc. on my 55 2.8, and how to make use of them for macro/micro shooting, for some immediate shots I want to take. Maybe I just need to find info on the markings on lenses in general.

Do you have any other AI lenses? If this is your first AI lens, you may not know that you have to register it in the camera's memory. That should be in your manual. Otherwise, the camera has no way to know that you have a 55mm f/2.8 on there. Once that's set, the camera will meter in aperture mode and report the f/stop in the viewfinder.

As far as the numbers and rings, like any other AI lens you have to set the f/stop on the lens. That takes care of that ring. The other ring is the focusing ring, and you just turn it until the picture's sharp. There are lots of numbers on there because the lens only goes to a magnification of 1:2. To get 1:1, you need to add an extension ring. So there's one set of orange magnification numbers for the lens itself and another set for the lens with the extension ring. I never look at these numbers.

One of the benefits of using an AI lens for macro is that you can change the f/stop in live view (you can't do this with any AF lenses). I generally focus at f/4 and then stop down to my taking aperture.

 

[river251]

mironv wrote:

Leonard Migliore wrote:

river251 wrote:

Thanks Mironv. I plan to do that. I was just hoping for something that could explain all the numbers, rings, etc. on my 55 2.8, and how to make use of them for macro/micro shooting, for some immediate shots I want to take. Maybe I just need to find info on the markings on lenses in general.

Do you have any other AI lenses? If this is your first AI lens, you may not know that you have to register it in the camera's memory. That should be in your manual. Otherwise, the camera has no way to know that you have a 55mm f/2.8 on there. Once that's set, the camera will meter in aperture mode and report the f/stop in the viewfinder.

As far as the numbers and rings, like any other AI lens you have to set the f/stop on the lens. That takes care of that ring. The other ring is the focusing ring, and you just turn it until the picture's sharp. There are lots of numbers on there because the lens only goes to a magnification of 1:2. To get 1:1, you need to add an extension ring. So there's one set of orange magnification numbers for the lens itself and another set for the lens with the extension ring. I never look at these numbers.

One of the benefits of using an AI lens for macro is that you can change the f/stop in live view (you can't do this with any AF lenses). I generally focus at f/4 and then stop down to my taking aperture.

 

[slimandy]

river251 wrote:

slimandy wrote:

If you search on macro photography you'll find plenty of info. Read the book (remember those?) 'Closeups In Nature' by John Shaw.

Bear in mind it is a learning curve but the results can be very satisfying so stick with it. You'll soon realise DOF is razor thin so you need to stop the lens down and pay close attention to where you focus. Use MF for accuracy, and use a tripod if you can.

You might decide you need a longer lens depending on your subject. It's more to do with working distance than focal length with macro.

Come back and ask questions, even ones that may seem silly. There are plenty of people that can help.

 

[wapsijim]

Try this forum:

Manual Focus Nikon Glass - Nikon-mount SLRs - Photography - FM Forums

Join the Nikon-mount SLRs photography discussion: [b]This thread is devoted to those photographers who have a deep affection for manual focus Nikon lenses, specifically those lenses with either Nikkor or Series

www.fredmiranda.com

and the "Macro World" forum on the same site. You may have to register, but it's free.

--
wapsijim

 

[Ray Soares]

[No message]

 

[cory a]

mironv wrote:

Leonard Migliore wrote:

river251 wrote:

Thanks Mironv. I plan to do that. I was just hoping for something that could explain all the numbers, rings, etc. on my 55 2.8, and how to make use of them for macro/micro shooting, for some immediate shots I want to take. Maybe I just need to find info on the markings on lenses in general.

Do you have any other AI lenses? If this is your first AI lens, you may not know that you have to register it in the camera's memory. That should be in your manual. Otherwise, the camera has no way to know that you have a 55mm f/2.8 on there. Once that's set, the camera will meter in aperture mode and report the f/stop in the viewfinder.

As far as the numbers and rings, like any other AI lens you have to set the f/stop on the lens. That takes care of that ring. The other ring is the focusing ring, and you just turn it until the picture's sharp. There are lots of numbers on there because the lens only goes to a magnification of 1:2. To get 1:1, you need to add an extension ring. So there's one set of orange magnification numbers for the lens itself and another set for the lens with the extension ring. I never look at these numbers.

One of the benefits of using an AI lens for macro is that you can change the f/stop in live view (you can't do this with any AF lenses). I generally focus at f/4 and then stop down to my taking aperture.

 

[RSchussel]

try this link at Nikonians.ORG

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=169

 

[Leonard Migliore]

river251 wrote:

Thanks, but it seems like some of the shots people take in macro (should I be saying micro mode in a Nikon forum?) would be hard to frame in the viewfinder, that's why I think live view would be useful.

I use live view for almost all my macro shots, certainly all the macros that are done on a tripod. It's much easier to frame and focus (you can magnify the image quite a bit for focusing). If you're chasing bugs around, you would typically use the viewfinder because live view is pretty clumsy on a Nikon.

With respect to the terms "macro" and "micro", "macro" is the commonly used term for small object photography. "micro" is Nikon's somewhat pedantic reference to the fact that none of their lenses exceeds unit magnification without accessory devices like an extension tube or teleconverter. Since, by many definitions, photomacrography or "macro" begins at 1:1 magnification, they're not macro lenses. But since they focus pretty close, they should say something. So they say "micro".

 

[mironv]

Leonard Migliore wrote:

river251 wrote:

Thanks, but it seems like some of the shots people take in macro (should I be saying micro mode in a Nikon forum?) would be hard to frame in the viewfinder, that's why I think live view would be useful.

I use live view for almost all my macro shots, certainly all the macros that are done on a tripod. It's much easier to frame and focus (you can magnify the image quite a bit for focusing). If you're chasing bugs around, you would typically use the viewfinder because live view is pretty clumsy on a Nikon.

With respect to the terms "macro" and "micro", "macro" is the commonly used term for small object photography. "micro" is Nikon's somewhat pedantic reference to the fact that none of their lenses exceeds unit magnification without accessory devices like an extension tube or teleconverter. Since, by many definitions, photomacrography or "macro" begins at 1:1 magnification, they're not macro lenses. But since they focus pretty close, they should say something. So they say "micro".

 

[river251]

slimandy wrote:
You could take it from further away and the main advantages of that are the narrower field of view will eliminate more of the BG and give you more BG blur. This will help your flower to stand out. I would use a longer lens for flowers even if it wasn't a question of not being able to get close.

 

[river251]

RSchussel wrote:

try this link at Nikonians.ORG

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=169

Cool, thanks. Nice forum!

Jim