Equirpment recommendations for close-up / macro work

Ronaldo · Aug 19, 2011

The application is for in-doors studio-work of close-up and macro photos of things that are not moving, generally to be done on a table top. Some small products. And sometimes very close ups/macros of flowers (e.g., the stamen and petals, etc.).

For the lens, is it generally better to have a longer lens, for more flexible lighting (e.g., 200mm)? Or is sometimes a shorter lens better (e.g., 60mm)? Right now I'll be using a D90, but it will likely be upgraded to the new "D800" when available, so I need FX lenses.

Also, any recommendations for tripod, head and or a rail-system? Heavy is fine, since it won't be moved much. I understand that ball heads are not necessarily the best for macro, and that "geared" heads are better for this application given the magnification?

I have a decent total budget for this: $2 - 3k.

thanks

mjhoward · Aug 19, 2011

Ronaldo, generally the desire for longer focal lengths on macro lenses is reserved for the extra working distance when working with something like shy insects that will run or fly off if you get too close. Since you are working with stationary objects, you dont really need the extra working distance. Really about any macro lens from 60-105mm sounds like it would suit your needs. If you want to get really close with your subject, you could also try adding a set of extension tubes to your list to get you closer than 1:1. I can't really recommend any rail-systems as I don't have any experience with them, but one thing NOT on your list that I believe is essential, is a good lighting kit tailored to Macro work. DOF for macro is extremely shallow and requires stopping the lens down a lot. This, as you know, cuts out a lot of light to the sensor. I realize that you are planning to use a tripod so you can take longer exposures, but a good lighting kit will do things for you that longer exposures can't give you. Its not just the quantity of light, but also the quality of light.

You've got a healthy budget for this, so you should be able to get all of these things you'll want and need to make some great Macro work. Good Luck!

Ronaldo · Aug 19, 2011

Thanks - - I do have a separate budget for the R1 speedlight system. Additional questions - - Will this work better with a longer focal length in general (given the the longer focal length will allow the front of lens/light source to be further away from the subject)??

mjhoward · Aug 20, 2011

I this case, a greater working distance can be helpful in diffusing the light. The trick is creating a soft light from the small and very close light source. This isn't an area where you can just stick a shoot through umbrella or big softbox on the flash. You'll end up blocking your lens. There are several plastic diffusers that go right on top of the flash head (similar to a deodorant cap) but they only soften the light so much. You might want to experiment with making your own diffuser.

Keep in mind, you can also likely build your own macro lighting rig that will be cheaper and perform better than the R1 system. That is what I'm doing at least.

Overread · Aug 20, 2011

A few things to add/consider:

1) Lens - I second that a lens between 60mm and 105mm would be well suited what you are after. Going for longer focal length lenses for indoor close up work can be a pain since you end up having to move further and further back (esp if you go for a shot of a whole flower head, and not just close up specific details).

2) Tripod - any good set of legs will suit for this kind of work, manfrotto 055 series are popular legs or their 190 series for a slightly cheaper set of legs. You can spend a lot more, but in general your rigs wont' be heavy enough to warrant stronger legs and for this work you won't be travelling far to need ultra light legs (that is however restricting the purchase only to this application and you'd be best suited to consider all applications and uses for the legs in your purchase)

3) Tripod head - really only one head to recommend for macro work - the Manfrotto Junior Geared head. A somewhat heavy, very stable and strong head that allows you to adjust each of the 3 axis individually with small, very precise motions. It's a slow head and not suited to action photography, but is ideal for close up work where you have time to take the shot and the need for very stable support with no drooping problems (oft a problem with ballheads - not noticeable except in macro work).

4) Lighting - the RC1 kit is a very good kit (although I've read that its flash units use an uncommon battery size which can be a pain for some - though I'm canon shooter and not directly experienced with this setup). However its real versatility is allowing for mobile flash lighting control. For a studio setup you could easily use a regular set of speedlites linked up to an offcamera flash setup for lighting. In addition a regular speedlite setup can easily be used for multiple areas of photography outside of macro work; whilst the RC1 heads are much more limited in their scope.

5) Focusing Rails - these break into two groups; ultra cheap and ultra expensive. For what you are after a good cheap set from ebay would be ideal for keeping within budget:
Cheap, good quality rails would be my choice (and are what I currently use). They provide a good build quality and stability for setups, whilst not being too expensive. They are also common on ebay and sold by many vendors (just search - focusing rails).
I would however avoid these type of rails as (in my experiences) they can have some problems with stability of the rail unit.

From there you can move up to Novoflex focusing rails if you want the best, however they carry a much higher price point. From then on you can look at powered focusing rails, but those are mostly limited to those wanting to do focusing stacks rather than general macro work.