Two more Macro

The old but still performing K10D with a 18-55 Kit lens and Kookatube …

Wow!Amazing. :heart_eyes:

Thank you …

I can get a Pentax k10d with Pentax 18-55 lens for $230. Is this a good price for this setup?

Depends on the shutter count …
But it is in the ball park ( price ) if its in good condition …

It’s only 3.5-5.6. Is this good enough to defocus the background when doing micro shots?

Nice spidy :+1:

Defocus the back ground ?

In macro mode ( its written on the lens ) the lens does focus closer than other lenses ( Its a good kit lens ) …
So … When you focus in as close as you can , yes the background will be out of focus , and your field of focus will be relatively shallow …

You may wish to read up or youtube some macro guides …

I have written a few myself … And in fact have just recommenced a macro guide I started some time ago ( must be 2 years ago ) , I think it time to complete it …

http://www.filedropper.com/macroguide

Here is the guide with update added … Link looks to be still active …

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=82972732829547168852

And here is the next part ( only a sample )

Thank you friend. Those links will be helpful. I was told that if I want to have a small area of focus, I would need a very low focus number. for instance: zoom in on a fly with his eyes perfectly clear, but by the end of him it is fading to blurry.

I have a lot of reading to do :wink:

That is correct for normal distances, but when working with macro it is often difficult to get enough depth of field.

I see. I was hoping to get shots like dale, but for a non photographer that kind of equipment isn’t realistic.

However, if the op can get those kind of images with modest equipment there may be hope for me :laughing:

lol, Dale is hoping to get shots like the old black powder buffler gun up there! :slight_smile:

Woaha! Really awesome pics. Thank you old4570

There are lots of ways to macro :
And I am currently writing the equipment guide part of my Macro Guide …

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to macro is with a close focus filter … If you are after a flies eyes …. Oh dear !

There is one way , dead critters !
Here is what some people do ( not me ) …. Capture your subject , dont kill or damage it …. Put it in a small container that will be easy to recover the subject from …

Put your prey in the FREEZER , here it will freeze and die !

A few hours ( I am not sure how long ) later , pull out your macro subject …
Now place the subject in or on your prop ( Might be a flower or something ) …
Get your lighting right , put the camera on a tripod … And you have all the time in the world to get your focus right …
And if you feel up to it , you can walk your focus taking pictures through your subject from front to back …

And using photo editing software image stack a photo … You can stack 100 pictures if you want … And the software will automatically stack the in focus part of the pictures …
Now you have a insanely sharp in focus picture …

But I dont do that … I prefer to do no harm , and just snap a photo and hope that I nailed the focus … Without disturbing the subject to much .

Here is one of my macro guides , this one deals with close focus filters …
Its on my google drive …

( I really need to date these so I can remember when the heck I wrote them )

Put my updated guide on Google drive as well …

omg espcially the second.

if you kill your 6 or 8 legged subject how do you get a natural pose out of it?
when i tried getting good shots i just hoped for a cooperative subject.

One can get a very cheap macro setup with a used point and shoot that has a mount for filters, with an adapter it’s possible to mount a reversed 50mm lens, with a homemade diffuser for the flash the results are very decent for much less than 100$, of course i lack the artistic flair to get good pictures but you get the point.

The following were all taken with a canon S45 , a reversed 50mm lens mounted and a flash diffuser mde from translucent platic (the fly was dead wich allowed me to be extremely close):

I also occasionaly just held the reversed 50mm with my hand in front of the camera lens without screwing it onto the adapter as can be seen in this video:

My wife almost ran into this beauty tonight going out to feed the dog…

I got lucky enough to get a 10 second macro video of a housefly being wrapped… so cool!