Re: I need help (my macro lens and flash)
dscottsatx wrote:
ken_in_nh wrote:
John K and I don't always agree on things, but in this case, IMHO, he's spot on. Shootin macro is a skill that takes time to learn. For instance, folks like John K have taken the time to understand their subjects - where to find them, how to shoot them. I don't shoot bugs (except accidently on other subjects...) partly because I've never taken the time to learn where and how to find them.
Any skill takes time to learn. And if you spend 15 years doing anything, without a doubt, you should be better at it. No one is disputing that.
But the fact is, you have a longer working distance with a longer lens. The working distance of a AF-S Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G is 6 inches. The working distance of a 200mm Micro-NIKKOR is 1.5 ft.
Interesting that the working distance is that large. For the past year I've been mainly using a 400mm setup and at 1:1 the working distance is around 14 inches (around 35/36 cm).
The difference between 6 inches and 3x that is huge when it comes to approaching a wild animal that can see you as a threat and flee. For a new photographer, that extra distance can make the difference between no shots and multiple shots.
For some insects it doesn't matter--bees, for example don't startle much, you can poke them with your finger. Try doing that with a tiger beetle. It isn't going to happen.
Having a longer working distance with wild animals who are free to leave gives you more options and more chances for success.
One downside I find with a longer focal length is that the longer working distances make it increasingly difficult to get enough flash illumination as I drop below 1:1. The working distance is around 29 inches (around 74cm) at 1:2 for example. Most of what I'm doing is beyond 1:1 so it isn't too serious, and apart from that issue I do like having a longer working distance. For example I get a working distance of around 72mm at 8:1 compared to around 40mm with the MPE-65 at 5:1.
That said, I generally don't find getting close to a subject is the issue. Rather, with my subjects at least, it is casting a shadow on them that seems to be most likely to scare them off. Having a larger working distance can help with that sometimes, depending on the angles involved.