Focusing in macro photography

BBbuilder467 wrote:

Gilbert1 wrote:

I've only just started with macro photography, and what's bothering me is the following.

When I try to focus manually, especially when I'm close to the ground, I look to the LCD screen because looking through the viewfinder is sometimes difficult, especially because I wear glasses.

Even then, and using a macro rail, I sometimes struggle to get the subject in its sharpest focus. It sometimes seems as if there is a margin. How can I focus in the best way? I'd love to hear tips. I read about focus peaking. To what extent is this a good tool and what are your experiences?

What procedure do you use?

The most common method is manually focus for the image size, then move the camera itself for precise focus. I don't manual focus like I would for a portrait. Moving a millimeter or two can bring your subject in and out of focus.

You can only see the narrow dof before the auto stop down on capture.

Is that what you're struggling with?

Thank. I hope I'm telling you right, and maybe I'm doing something wrong, but now if I want to take a macro photo, for example 1:1, then I position the camera on the tripod so that I feel that the subject is sharp and where I look at the fold-out screen. When I look at it, and I move the macro rail, it seems that a millimeter more or less does not matter. The difference may be there, but I can't see it with the naked eye. Well at several millimeters, then I can clearly see the difference between sharp and out of focus. So I would like to know exactly when I have set it correctly, but that may be difficult to determine with the naked eye.

What exactly do you mean by 'auto stop down on capture'?