Macro camera advice

[DavidHutch]

Newbie here, asking for advice on a camera upgrade. My passion is photographing ferns in the wild, especially in macro mode for the fine detail on scales, hairs and the like. Am currently using an Olympus TG-4 with their LG1 LED light guide. For macro, I have a small rig to hold the plant and camera close to each other. I routinely use focus bracketing (30 shots) then process later with Helicon Focus. However, the TG-4 has the limitations (I presume) one expects in a compact camera, especially suboptimal definition in the periphery of the macro images. In non-macro, focussing accurately on plants in the 0.3-1 metre range is hit-or-miss, and it doesn't have a proper Aperture mode. Am sold on focus bracketing, which steers me towards the OM-D range, most likely an EM-5 Mk2 or the upcoming EM-1 Mk2, together with Oly's 60mm f2.8 macro lens. Am sure the results would be outstanding but am keen to avoid another case of upgraditis in a year's time. Guess my chief question is whether others have compared the OM-D + 60mm f2.8 macro lens to another manufacturer's APS-C or full-frame set-up and concluded the results are dramatically different. Would also be interested in inside knowledge on whether other manufacturers are likely to follow Oly and incorporate focus bracketing into new camera models...

 

[Klaus dk]

There's a Macro forum on DPR. The guys over there might be the ones to ask.

 

[DavidHutch]

There's a Macro forum on DPR. The guys over there might be the ones to ask.

Thanks, am I allowed to copy the same post over there ?

 

[Klaus dk]

There's a Macro forum on DPR. The guys over there might be the ones to ask.

Thanks, am I allowed to copy the same post over there ?

I can't see why not.

 

[DavidHutch]

Thanks, OP copied to the Macro and Still Life Photography forum. A moderator could probably delete this one.

 

[PhotoTeach2]

Nawh ... hope not ... it is still interesting reading.

 

[PhotoTeach2]

Newbie here, asking for advice on a camera upgrade. My passion is photographing ferns in the wild, especially in macro mode for the fine detail on scales, hairs and the like. Am currently using an Olympus TG-4 with their LG1 LED light guide. For macro, I have a small rig to hold the plant and camera close to each other. I routinely use focus bracketing (30 shots) then process later with Helicon Focus. However, the TG-4 has the limitations (I presume) one expects in a compact camera, especially suboptimal definition in the periphery of the macro images. In non-macro, focussing accurately on plants in the 0.3-1 metre range is hit-or-miss, and it doesn't have a proper Aperture mode. Am sold on focus bracketing, which steers me towards the OM-D range, most likely an EM-5 Mk2 or the upcoming EM-1 Mk2, together with Oly's 60mm f2.8 macro lens. Am sure the results would be outstanding but am keen to avoid another case of upgraditis in a year's time. Guess my chief question is whether others have compared the OM-D + 60mm f2.8 macro lens to another manufacturer's APS-C or full-frame set-up and concluded the results are dramatically different. Would also be interested in inside knowledge on whether other manufacturers are likely to follow Oly and incorporate focus bracketing into new camera models...

HEY .... I would check into the Panasonic G7, (or maybe GX8).

It has the new 4K-video "Pre-Burst" and "Post-Focus" modes that may do exactly what you want.