Does anyone know if this can be done?

[digabella]

Hubby's boss is asking if this can be done, so hopefully you guys will know if this is even possible. He is wanting to take shots of defects in steel that are the size of the end of a fine tip ball point pen. His idea is to take these pictures with a slr camera and a macro lens and wants the defect to be full frame, in other words the defect take up the majority of the picture. He's also wanting to do this for $1000 or less. Does anyone know if that is even possible, and if so, any ideas as to what would be a good camera/lens in that price range that could actually accomplish that? Sorry to ask such a crazy question, but honestly, I have no idea if you can even do that.
Thanks again,

 

[Robin Usagani]

you need this and probably a tripod. It will put a grain of rice in your whole frame.

Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Manual Focus 2540A002 B&H

 

[mrpink]

Why does it have to be a SLR camera? A lot of point and shoots will take decent enough macro shots, and many dollars less than $1000.







p!nK

 

[fokker]

Why does it have to be a SLR camera? A lot of point and shoots will take decent enough macro shots, and many dollars less than $1000.







p!nK

Yeah maybe you could take okay photos of flowers, but filling the frame with a defect the size of a speck? Don't think so. That is strictly MPE-65 territory...

 

[redtippmann]

And you can always rent...

 

[digabella]

Why does it have to be a SLR camera? A lot of point and shoots will take decent enough macro shots, and many dollars less than $1000.

Honestly, he tends to totally complicate things. I asked my husband the same question.:er:

 

[digabella]

you need this and probably a tripod. It will put a grain of rice in your whole frame.

Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Manual Focus 2540A002 B&H

What camera would you use this with? I noticed that this is a MP-E 65 lens? Someone else posted that is MP-E 65 territory? What is that?

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

He just means its a job for the MP-E 65. If you could find this lens used and also a cheap like Canon XTI or XS or something used, you may be able to be close to the $1000 range. Or you could probably rent the whole set up for a weekend for like a couple hundred.

 

[Robin Usagani]

it has EF mount. Unlike other macro lenses, this one can only be used for macro. All you see is blur if you try to shoot portrait or something.

 

[Overread]

MPE65mm macro lens is the only lens on the market that achieves a magnification greater than 1:1 - and runs up to 5:1 which what you'll need for such small sized defects. Along with that you'll need practice (its one of the hardest lenses to use) and lots of it to get used to the lens. It lacks infinity focus - infact it won't focus on anything more than around 5cm infront of it.

Furthermore with a surface like steel lighting is going to be tricky - since high magnification macro tends to need flash light to give enough light unless you use slow shutter speeds and a totally rock steady setup.
If you use flash it will speed things up a lot; but reflections on the metal will be a nightmare - the best lighting method is a light tent' but the tiny focus distance of the MPE means that you'll end up using a white disposable plastic cup - cut down for size and attached to the end of the lens.


As for which camera bodies any current model canon DSLR will take the MPE65mm macro from 1.6crop to fullframe.

 

[Overread]

He just means its a job for the MP-E 65. If you could find this lens used and also a cheap like Canon XTI or XS or something used, you may be able to be close to the $1000 range. Or you could probably rent the whole set up for a weekend for like a couple hundred.

Most people will take more than a weekend just to get the hang of focusing the lens correctly at high magnifications - lighting might take a bit while longer to iron out.

 

[Chamelion 6]

Wasn't that the purpose of Floyd Firestone's reflectoscope? I believe there are already devices on the market designed to do exactly that. The reflectoscope used ultrasound to detect microscopic flaws....

 

[digabella]

Does anyone know how well the add on magnification lens works?

 

[sobolik]

Hubby's boss is asking if this can be done, so hopefully you guys will know if this is even possible. He is wanting to take shots of defects in steel that are the size of the end of a fine tip ball point pen. His idea is to take these pictures with a slr camera and a macro lens and wants the defect to be full frame, in other words the defect take up the majority of the picture. He's also wanting to do this for $1000 or less. Does anyone know if that is even possible, and if so, any ideas as to what would be a good camera/lens in that price range that could actually accomplish that? Sorry to ask such a crazy question, but honestly, I have no idea if you can even do that.
Thanks again,

There are only 4 issues that are of importance here. And you can do it for perhaps anywhere from $0.00 (borrow for an occasional) to $200.00 (buy for repeated use)

#1 You need to get a good focus on the defect = not real hard to do.

#2 side lighting of proper strength to emphasize the defect.

#3 You need to minimize the size you enlarge the finished photo. The larger the finished photo the more expensive the equipment becomes. Any common and thus "inexpensive" point and shoot is usable for 4x6 prints of the defect.

#4 You need a program to crop the not so frame filling photo to make it a frame filling photo - not a concern as there are many. Sharpening and other basic edits as well.

This project is easy and any high school kid can help you get the kinks out it is that easy. I don't mean this in a belittling way rather a way that says don't believe those that say it is expensive. $200.00 tops.

I took a torso shot of my wife reading a book with my daughters rather poor Olympus u1050sw which has noticeably lower quality results than the typical point and shoot. (but daughter has not broken it like she has others)

I then enlarged one of the buttons on the wife's shirt with adequate results. This was not even taken in macro mode. It was a full torso shot.

 

[Overread]

This is a 5:1 macro shot with the MPE of a ballpoint pen onto a 1.6crop camera body:

That is the most the MPE is capable of achieving without further modification. You aren't going to get that with a pint and shoot camera body (not easily at least and without strong image quality loss). The only other reliable methods (which can be superior) are using a bellows and microscope elements or reverse mounting one lens onto another.

Note that the small depth of field you see is going to come with such high magnifiaction work - you can use focus stacking to stack the shot to give a deeper depth if needed - however that adds more complexity to the process.

EDIT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/4329917049/in/set-72157623350445656/
fullsize is accessible on that shot and might be closer to shooting the metalic defects as as surface - its a coin.