RX100M2 Macro with Raynox DCR-250

EvilKarma · Sep 29, 2013

Hey guys. So I just picked up my Raynox DCR-250 macro lens from Amazon and went to the grocery store to shoot some flowers. I like the working distance from camera to subject as I hated pointing my camera right up at the subject without the lens. The adapter that comes with the lens is ridiculous so I ordered a 49mm to 43mm step down ring and if anyone is interested in getting the Raynox I suggest you do the same at the same time as you order the lens.

I hand held shot all of the photos below so there are a couple with some blur. But all in all I think it does a pretty good job if you keep steady and burst shoot or just take 10 photos of every shot. You're bound to get one good one =P

elliottnewcomb · Sep 29, 2013

I like your compositions a lot.

I am still practicing, but I think you will get even better results using DMF or Manual focus with both camera close and wide shots and with your macro lens up lens, and it seems you can combine continuous with manual focus, which means, if you move a speck in or out, one might be sharpest where you wanted upon review. especially for round shapes.

quickie Manual focus test, just close up, no macro lens, one focused on screen, one focused on pull at end of string. lousy lighting, should have used flash perhaps, anyway, I am using it more than autofocus.

exciting shots huh!

Elliott

EvilKarma · Sep 29, 2013

Thanks!

I use DMF (I believe lol). Because I want to hear the beep telling me my subject is in focus. If it doesn't beep I adjust back bit by bit until it beeps again. If I use manual focus sometimes you can't tell if what you're trying to shoot is optimally focused. I do wish I could get the entire subject in focus though.

EvilKarma · Sep 29, 2013

oh and actually I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on using flash with macro shots? I heard there are tricks for doing so. I'm still learning.

elliottnewcomb · Sep 29, 2013

EvilKarma said:
EvilKarma wrote:

Thanks!

I use DMF (I believe lol). Because I want to hear the beep telling me my subject is in focus. If it doesn't beep I adjust back bit by bit until it beeps again. If I use manual focus sometimes you can't tell if what you're trying to shoot is optimally focused. I do wish I could get the entire subject in focus though.

what do you mean beep when focused? never heard of that. wife stands behind you making noises? that would be DWMF I suppose. Seriously, am I missing a feature or joke?

my set up:

menu, gear, pg 1, peaking level 'low', peaking color 'yellow'

menu, gear, page 3, MF assist on, focus magnif time 'no limit'. gives you lots of time to make your focus, then you can move camera in/out a tiny speck to refine where it focuses, then shoot.

drive mode: single, but, with macro you can use any shooting mode, continuous, exposure bracketing, self timer. you need to give it time to record from buffer to card if using continuous.

focus method: manual. with manual you do not need to hold the shutter button half way down while focusing, like you do for DMF, which I find hard to do.

metering area, didn't think to change it from center, anyone think spot is best?

flash: just took a 'camera lens close while f1.8 full wide' shot (not macro lens), manual focus, forced flash. good thing wife not looking at the dirt close up, remember, now retired, I am the maid, she needs new glasses and doesn't know how close to retirement from that job I am.

Also, the flash strength is adjustable, menu, camera, pg 3. I find it surprisingly strong and use it cut back often for regular shooting, no experience with macro with flash yet. Flash needs time to recharge, otherwise, it is not consistent shot to shot. This was full strength, a quickie, forgot to think about it.

As for macro, there is the rx100 tips and tricks thread, and there are several recent macro threads. On Sony forum page, top right box , 'search this forum' enter 'macro' or 'rx100 macro'. lots will show up. best not to be too specific when searching I find.

Elliott

Lynxo · Sep 29, 2013

Curious, is it legal to bring your camera and shoot items in a store? I have thought about shooting flowers at the local nursery but afraid to get into trouble. I'm such an introvert I don't even feel comfortable doing street photography so missing out on the fun of shooting.

The raynix is cool, have one of those and will try. The 49-43 is much better than the quick adaptor for sure.

The sony filter adaptor adhesive is holding pretty well? That raynox is quite heavy.

Sean Nelson · Sep 29, 2013

Lynxo said:
Lynxo wrote:

Curious, is it legal to bring your camera and shoot items in a store? I have thought about shooting flowers at the local nursery but afraid to get into trouble.

I've shot pictures of flowers at a nursery, but just the occasional individual one or two. Nobody's ever said anything, but I do try to be discrete. I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting a whole series without asking someone.

But it's no big deal to ask, just go to a sales clerk and say "these flowers are so beautiful, would if be OK if a take a few pictures of them?". I'd be surprised if they didn't say "sure". The very worst that can happen is that they say "no", in which case you're no worse off than you are now.

Trafford · Sep 29, 2013

Sean Nelson said:
Sean Nelson wrote:

Sean Nelson said:

Lynxo wrote:

Curious, is it legal to bring your camera and shoot items in a store? I have thought about shooting flowers at the local nursery but afraid to get into trouble.

Click to expand...

I've shot pictures of flowers at a nursery, but just the occasional individual one or two. Nobody's ever said anything, but I do try to be discrete. I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting a whole series without asking someone.

But it's no big deal to ask, just go to a sales clerk and say "these flowers are so beautiful, would if be OK if a take a few pictures of them?". I'd be surprised if they didn't say "sure". The very worst that can happen is that they say "no", in which case you're no worse off than you are now.

I have shot details of items, including price tags, in which I am interested.

elliottnewcomb · Sep 29, 2013

EvilKarma said:
EvilKarma wrote:

Thanks!

I do wish I could get the entire subject in focus though.

Someone intelligent ought to stop me:

I am just learning too, seems the range of focus depth is inter-related to the mag power/focal length of the macro lens. More power, less focus depth. That is why the kits of +1, +2, +4, exist, so you choose and combine them as needed. Canon and Raynox are 'real' shaped and coated lenses.

Canon and Raynox don't specify mag power, (no one has answered what it is when I ask), I found out they are 250mm (10") focal length, so unlike close, wide, f1.8 with camera prime lens, using 250mm macro lens, you back up at least 10" and zoom for focus depth.

I bought a bowers +10, (only $12) to learn some with before spending more money on a good macro lens. thinking it would be MORE macro (yippie!). Knowing nothing, I used it close and wide, the depth of focus was incredibly shallow. small plastic compass, one focused on plastic face, one focused on orange lines below needle

This one rx100 full optical zoom 100mm, bowers +10, focused on the dust, cannot remember how far away it was, I suspect as close as I could stay at 100mm and get it to focus.

Next I found an old Kodak guide with some macro focus depth facts, I posted that in this thread

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/52158699

Now I need to try shooting that compass with the +10 from further away and zoomed to see how much focus depth I am able to get. More depth of focus resulted from having prime lens zoomed to 100mm. Notice, all 3 shots f4.9, so aperture does not tell the whole story.

Elliott

EvilKarma · Sep 29, 2013

elliottnewcomb said:
elliottnewcomb wrote:

elliottnewcomb said:

EvilKarma wrote:

Thanks!

I use DMF (I believe lol). Because I want to hear the beep telling me my subject is in focus. If it doesn't beep I adjust back bit by bit until it beeps again. If I use manual focus sometimes you can't tell if what you're trying to shoot is optimally focused. I do wish I could get the entire subject in focus though.

Click to expand...

what do you mean beep when focused? never heard of that. wife stands behind you making noises? that would be DWMF I suppose. Seriously, am I missing a feature or joke?

You know when you press down the shutter half way and it beeps? That's telling you the focus is ready. I find in macro it's good (at least for me) to get that confirmation that my subject is in complete focus from the beep. you go too close it won't make the sound which is telling you to back up until its in focus. Maybe nobody else uses it I dunno I always found it helpful.

EvilKarma · Sep 29, 2013

Lynxo said:
Lynxo wrote:

Curious, is it legal to bring your camera and shoot items in a store? I have thought about shooting flowers at the local nursery but afraid to get into trouble. I'm such an introvert I don't even feel comfortable doing street photography so missing out on the fun of shooting.

The raynix is cool, have one of those and will try. The 49-43 is much better than the quick adaptor for sure.

The sony filter adaptor adhesive is holding pretty well? That raynox is quite heavy.

In Canada you can take pictures of anything legally. Not sure about wherever you're from.

Yeah the Raynox is heavy. I'm actually paranoid the Sony adapter will fall off and I drop my lens lol

Sean Nelson · Sep 29, 2013

EvilKarma said:
EvilKarma wrote:

In Canada you can take pictures of anything legally. Not sure about wherever you're from.

I believe if you're on private property then the property owner (or his representative, including security guards, store clerks) can effectively control what you're allowed to do by asking you to leave.

Sean Nelson · Sep 29, 2013

Trafford said:
Trafford wrote:

Trafford said:

Sean Nelson wrote:

Trafford said:

Lynxo wrote:

Curious, is it legal to bring your camera and shoot items in a store? I have thought about shooting flowers at the local nursery but afraid to get into trouble.

Click to expand...

I've shot pictures of flowers at a nursery, but just the occasional individual one or two. Nobody's ever said anything, but I do try to be discrete. I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting a whole series without asking someone.

But it's no big deal to ask, just go to a sales clerk and say "these flowers are so beautiful, would if be OK if a take a few pictures of them?". I'd be surprised if they didn't say "sure". The very worst that can happen is that they say "no", in which case you're no worse off than you are now.

Click to expand...

I have shot details of items, including price tags, in which I am interested.

I do that a fair bit. I'll see something in the store and think to myself "I ought to find out some more about this thing" and I'll snap a picture in order to (a) capture the product name or model number, and (b) remind myself to look it up when I get home.

elliottnewcomb · Sep 29, 2013

EvilKarma said:
EvilKarma wrote:

EvilKarma said:

elliottnewcomb wrote:

what do you mean beep when focused? never heard of that. wife stands behind you making noises? that would be DWMF I suppose. Seriously, am I missing a feature or joke?

Click to expand...

You know when you press down the shutter half way and it beeps? That's telling you the focus is ready. I find in macro it's good (at least for me) to get that confirmation that my subject is in complete focus from the beep. you go too close it won't make the sound which is telling you to back up until its in focus. Maybe nobody else uses it I dunno I always found it helpful.

I repeat, your original images are very nice.

I responded because you mentioned your method of burst shooting or 10 individual shots, finding one later. That is a lot more memory card/battery/editing time consuming than taking the time to use Manual Focus and get exactly what you want in one or two shots.

I am talking about using DMF and I prefer MF to very specifically refine your focus, like a spider web thread, the exact part of a bugs wing, specific portion of the flowers you just shot.

I never use sound, so it was off. I turned it on, found level 0, raised it, and:

in MF, no beep. In DMF (and AF-S, etc) there is a beep as you say

but

it is simply telling you it has found 'something' to focus on, not necessarily what you want specifically, not the specific part you want of a round shaped flower.

watch the lcd for the green boxes that appear on the lcd. those areas are what it will use/average to focus. often not necessarily what you want exactly.

focus peaking shows you the edges of exactly where it will focus before you press the shutter. it is very easy to see the specifics of focus in DMF and MF when you use the combination of focus magnif and focus peaking. I could see clearly, and it showed yellow on the edges on the cord, or the edges of the screen grid when I focused those two shots.

check out danielle's awesome flower shot. my current screensaver.

my lucky spider shot

--
Elliott

EvilKarma · Sep 29, 2013

I know lol that's why I spot focus sometimes to lock on my subject and then deal with focusing.

Marti58 · Sep 29, 2013

and yes the Raynox closeup lenses are liked by many people for years.

your compos are nice indeed, welldone and keep them coming

rgds Marti

elliottnewcomb · Sep 29, 2013

Lynxo said:
Lynxo wrote:

Curious, is it legal to bring your camera and shoot items in a store? I have thought about shooting flowers at the local nursery but afraid to get into trouble. I'm such an introvert I don't even feel comfortable doing street photography so missing out on the fun of shooting.

You only go around once, you are denying yourself some 'no cost' fun.

I read and try to remember this: If you do not ask, (for anything in life), who said no? You did.

Slow change is good. Why not try asking in a few situations, that takes a bit of getting used to in itself.

Elliott

V l a d · Sep 29, 2013

elliottnewcomb said:
elliottnewcomb wrote:.

Canon and Raynox don't specify mag power, (no one has answered what it is when I ask)

Not exactly

I answered you in this thread:

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

"Canon 250D is +4"

elliottnewcomb · Sep 29, 2013

V l a d said:
V l a d wrote:

V l a d said:

elliottnewcomb wrote:.

Canon and Raynox don't specify mag power, (no one has answered what it is when I ask)

Click to expand...

Not exactly

I answered you in this thread:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/52105271
"Canon 250D is +4"

Thank you, I somehow missed the answer, good to know.

EvilKarma · Sep 29, 2013

Member said:
Marti58 wrote:

and yes the Raynox closeup lenses are liked by many people for years.

your compos are nice indeed, welldone and keep them coming

rgds Marti

RX100M2 Macro with Raynox DCR-250

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