BrentSchumer
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With NYC's lockdown squeezing the life out of this vibrant city I've picked up a few hobbies in 2020. One of them has been delving into the world of the small - macro photography!
It can be surprisingly affordable to get into the hobby if you already have a body. I added the 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro ($150), Godox TT350s ($85), and a light softbox/diffuser ($13). I also picked up a macro mount for my tripod but found that still life macro boring compared to the vibrant natural world around us.
This combination is quite challenging to use. The 7Artisans lens is fully manual without AF and especially without stabilization. This means that minute hand-movement can be the difference between catching the fraction of a human hair that you want in focus and a discarded picture. I find that most of my shots are slightly out of focus, and I'm eyeing a stabilized macro lens to further explore the discipline. Unfortunately, the cheapest stabilized Sony macro lens is $1,100, but a used Sigma 105mm macro paired with my MC-11 seems to be a viable upgrade path.
Still, when I get focus this lens is very impressive for the price. Here are some recent photos:
It can be surprisingly affordable to get into the hobby if you already have a body. I added the 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro ($150), Godox TT350s ($85), and a light softbox/diffuser ($13). I also picked up a macro mount for my tripod but found that still life macro boring compared to the vibrant natural world around us.
This combination is quite challenging to use. The 7Artisans lens is fully manual without AF and especially without stabilization. This means that minute hand-movement can be the difference between catching the fraction of a human hair that you want in focus and a discarded picture. I find that most of my shots are slightly out of focus, and I'm eyeing a stabilized macro lens to further explore the discipline. Unfortunately, the cheapest stabilized Sony macro lens is $1,100, but a used Sigma 105mm macro paired with my MC-11 seems to be a viable upgrade path.
Still, when I get focus this lens is very impressive for the price. Here are some recent photos:
