Equipment for extreme macro

ThrillaMozilla wrote:

ZilverHaylide wrote:

But I doubt that you'd gain a solution to that issue by a switch to Canon,

Damsel flies

Not extreme macro, but I'm extremely impressed.

Maybe not a reason to switch, but certainly something to be aware of.

at least not for extreme macro, where depth-of-field is extremely thin, and any built-in focus bracketing has probably not been designed for that, that is, probably doesn't have fine-enough steps either.

I wouldn't make that assumption. I've never tried extreme macro, but do you think 999 steps is enough?

Not even sure what built-in focus bracketing is available in Canon. I think that some, but not all, Canon mirrorless bodies have it

Yes, indeed, the M6 II, the RP, the R5, the R6 the R7, and probably some others have it.

; be aware that even when the body has it, it only works with certain lenses -- I remember someone complaining in a DPReview post that info about it not being possible with that lens was only found in some obscure place in the lens' user manual.

It works with plenty of lenses, and Google is your friend.

Don't know whether any Canon DSLRs have it.

Oh, yes.

Canon does have the supposedly fairly-good 65mm 1-5x macro lens for DSLRs but I believe that's manual focus, so built-in focus bracketing is irrelevant for that.

It is manual focus, but it isn't "fairly good". It's great. However, I could be mistaken, but I'm not aware of any major manufacturers that support autofocusing at magnifications >2. But you could try Googling it.

I do not know about auto-focusing per se where it grabs the first focus...however, I created a way 4 years ago to use the MC-20 teleconverter with the Olympus 60mm macro lens.  You use a 16mm extension tube either by Kenko or Pixco depending on how you want to do it - but that makes the lens 2.4x magnification as the Kenko or Pixco tube allow the teleconverter to work with the macro lens and add a bit of tube between the two.  When used with the Raynox 250 I get 5.5x magnification with full ability to focus bracket up to 999 images if need be.  When using the Raynox 202 I get 7.5x magnification and when using the Raynox 505 I get 9x.  It works flawlessly in the field for focus bracketing as I use it for snowflake photography as well.

I just did this shot today of insect eggs on a blade of wild grass.  I did do this one in my office to avoid wind as it was a windy day, but I will post shots done outside as well.  This was 265 shots stacked in Helicon, Method C