Close-up shots with D7000

[Camnu]

I have hard time to take the close-up pictures of my newborn. I have no macro lens; I simply use the 18-105mm and 50mm f1.4 lenses.

Most of my close-up pictures are quite blurred. The focus seems off. The auto-focus don't work well. Sometimes, the camera even refuses to take picture. When I change to manual focus, the pictures are ok, but not as sharp as I wish.

Please advise me. What should I do to improve the macro shots ?

 

[Foto Freak]

Did you get a confirmation light before you pressed the shutter?

 

[jam91]

it's possible that you are too close and exceeding the minimum focusing distance for the lenses you're using. if the camera is refusing to take the picture in auto-focus mode, more than likely it's because the camera physically can't focus at that close of a distance. try backing up and then cropping your photos to a desired point of view.

you won't be able to get true macro shots without a dedicated macro lens.

 

[silent tim]

Manual focus, set to minimum focus (or whatever works)

Use live view, magnify at least once, and move the camera slightly forward or back until picture is sharp

Take the shot!

 

[jimbo68]

For starters, check the minimum focus distance for your lenses. For the 18-105 it is 1.4 feet. If you are inside the minimum focus distance your shot will not be in focus. Second, insure your shutter is fast enough for a hand held picture. The more light the better.

 

[TFergus]

Some in this very forum would say "those are tack sharp!"
(I've seen them do it before)

But I have to agree with those that said you were simply too close.

The reason the camera doesn't like to let you take the shot is because it knows it hasn't found a focus point yet. Pull back a little and try again.
You can't do proper macro without a good close-focusing (macro) lens.

Good luck.

 

[Camnu]

Thank you very much for your input.

I'm sorry that I forgot to mention another important point: the problem seems to arise when the the picture is mostly filled with uniform color, eg: the face, hand fills in the whole screen.

Next times, I'll ensure that I don't shoot too close. But I've already tried to shoot a bit further, with the lens zoom-in, and I have no success neither. I simply can't take a decent picture of a hand, a foot, or a navel of my newborn.

Other aspects:

• Light environment is fine. Without the close-up shots, I can take great pictures at ISO 400.
• The shutter speed is never slower than 1/60th second.
• I've tried all apertures from f1.4 to f11.

 

[megthebest]

you need a tripod to achieve the best results in macro shots.

Is better that you use 50 1.4 at the minimum focus distance to have a good detail and good bokeh

Cheers
Max
--
D7000 + 18-105 VR + 50mm 1.8G + 70-300 VR + Raynox DCR-250

 

[DanCart]

To get good close-ups from the lenses you have , firstly I would recommend you use the zoom one, make sure you are at the minimum focusing distance for that lens then zoom in on your subject afterwards focus and hey presto! you will get nice close ups !. For the 50mm your best bet would be to buy some cheap extension tubes

 

[fotolopithecus]

I'm sorry, I just can't take any more of this kind of nonsense. Why do people who don't know one end of a camera from the other insist on buying gear like D7000. Its not a beginners camera.

 

[Camnu]

I'm sorry, I just can't take any more of this kind of nonsense. Why do people who don't know one end of a camera from the other insist on buying gear like D7000. Its not a beginners camera.

I'm sorry to bother you with my question. I may understand your frustration.

Ok, please tell me what camera I should buy in my case: I've always loved to take picture, and with the newborn, I'm pretty sure that I'll take millions of pictures in the next 30 years. Moreover, I'm a passionate learner, willing to spend time to understand the photography. And I don't want to buy a camera for 1-2 years and change for a better one later. Yes, I did consider to buy a cheaper one: D5100. Then finally, my family bought D7000 for me as a gift.

Anyway.....back to the topic.

As I mentioned in my previous post, maybe the issue is not only the close-up, but maybe because of the uniform color of the skin. Imagine that a hand or a face that covers 90% of the picture (without crop of course).

I get a decent zoom-in picture if the hand/feet don't cover the whole picture (or there are other colors)

 

[Patco]

I'm sorry, I just can't take any more of this kind of nonsense. Why do people who don't know one end of a camera from the other insist on buying gear like D7000. Its not a beginners camera.

Having a bad day? Too much/not enough caffeine?
How would a "beginners camera" have helped the OP in this case?

I'm pretty sure, with a bit of help and time to practice, the OP will learn about basic concepts, like minimum focus distance, and will stop annoying you.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[Steve_in_FL]

YAY, they are in focus!

 

[_sem_]

As I mentioned in my previous post, maybe the issue is not only the close-up, but maybe because of the uniform color of the skin. Imagine that a hand or a face that covers 90% of the picture (without crop of course).

I get a decent zoom-in picture if the hand/feet don't cover the whole picture (or there are other colors)

Being not closer than MFD (from the sensor) / MWD (from the tip of the lens) is the first condition.
Focusing properly is the second.

The camera needs sufficient contrast in the image under at least one of the focus points in order to auto-focus. If you have an object with no contrast, it will search for focus and give up after a while. If this occurs, you may use manual focus. With modern AF-S lenses it is enough to turn the focus ring on the lens (that's called instant MF override). With some other lenses you may need to switch to MF using a switch on the lens or/and the camera.

 

[intruder61]

this thread for real?

 

[fotolopithecus]

I'd like to apologize to the op, its not personal, but just frustrating to see that peoples first reaction when a camera doesn't do every bit of thinking for them is to blame the camera, or lens whatever. Over the months I've seen no end of stupidity involving the D7000 ( not that your concerns were stupid) and your post pushed me over the edge. I'm better now.

 

[Camnu]

Being not closer than MFD (from the sensor) / MWD (from the tip of the lens) is the first condition.
Focusing properly is the second.

The camera needs sufficient contrast in the image under at least one of the focus points in order to auto-focus. If you have an object with no contrast, it will search for focus and give up after a while. If this occurs, you may use manual focus. With modern AF-S lenses it is enough to turn the focus ring on the lens (that's called instant MF override). With some other lenses you may need to switch to MF using a switch on the lens or/and the camera.

I think you hit the nail on the head. The more I think about the issue, the more I think that the blurring is caused by lack of contrast (same color, texture in the frame). Maybe it's not related to the close-up shot.

I've tried the manual focus, the image gets a bit better, but still not very sharp.

I think that I have to zoom-out a bit to include other contrast, then crop the picture and zoom-in in the post-process to have a close-up picture.
Any other tip ?
Thank you.[/U]

 

[_sem_]

I think you hit the nail on the head. The more I think about the issue, the more I think that the blurring is caused by lack of contrast (same color, texture in the frame). Maybe it's not related to the close-up shot.

I think you have both two issues at once

I've tried the manual focus, the image gets a bit better, but still not very sharp.

Then you were too close.

In such case you switch to manual focus, move focus to the closest focus, then get your subject in focus by moving the camera and yourself backward/forward, shoot, then crop to taste.

You can try doing this both at wide-angle and tele ends of the zoom. I think you should get the highest magnification at the tele end (unlike what one would experience with a P&S camera). But the out-of-focus parts of the image will be blurred much more at the tele end, so you should check which look you prefer.

Any other tip ?

Macro lenses let you magnify more (typically to 1:1 magnification, that's 24mmx16mm in the frame).

There are macro workarounds, like Kenko auto extension tubes (most handy with short primes like 50mm or 35mm) or close-up diopter "filters" (on the 18-105 you can try the Marumi DHG achromat +5 or +3 in the corresponding diameter).

 

[TFergus]

I'd like to apologize to the op, its not personal, but just frustrating to see that peoples first reaction when a camera doesn't do every bit of thinking for them is to blame the camera, or lens whatever. Over the months I've seen no end of stupidity involving the D7000 ( not that your concerns were stupid) and your post pushed me over the edge. I'm better now.

and again.... how would a different camera have helped in this case ?

I dont know why the D7000 is not a beginner's camera.
Or why people constantly claim that.
Why is it any more "pro" than a D5100 ? D3100 ?

More features doesn't make it more "pro".... just makes it easier to use...

In other words.... perfect for beginners.

 

[fotolopithecus]

Never said D7000 was a pro camera, and I think most people would think a point, and shoot will generally not require much know how to get decent results, and can usually focus closely. As far as a D3100, or D5100 goes the OP would at least have spent less money to get the same bad results, no?