Extension tubes.

[Kerbouchard]

No auto focus isn't the problem - its the no aperture control of the lens that makes things really tricky with cheap extension tubes

There still a lot of lenses out there that have manual aperture control. Not as many as there used to be, but the cheapest 50mm 1.8 would still work fine with the cheaper tubes.

 

[Overread15 3]

No auto focus isn't the problem - its the no aperture control of the lens that makes things really tricky with cheap extension tubes

There still a lot of lenses out there that have manual aperture control. Not as many as there used to be, but the cheapest 50mm 1.8 would still work fine with the cheaper tubes.

True that is a workaround for nikon - however far as I know you can set and control the blades on the lens, but you have to do that yourself (ie you have to stop down the lens before pressing the shutter) rather than having the camera do it for you

 

[Kerbouchard]

No auto focus isn't the problem - its the no aperture control of the lens that makes things really tricky with cheap extension tubes

There still a lot of lenses out there that have manual aperture control. Not as many as there used to be, but the cheapest 50mm 1.8 would still work fine with the cheaper tubes.

True that is a workaround for nikon - however far as I know you can set and control the blades on the lens, but you have to do that yourself (ie you have to stop down the lens before pressing the shutter) rather than having the camera do it for you

That's correct. There is an aperture ring that can be unlocked and set to whatever position you want. The main downfall to this one, is the viewfinder is going to get darker as the aperture is adjusted since you actually are changing the aperture, and not just telling the camera what to do when the shutter is pressed. This can make manual focus quite difficult.

 

[Dmitri]

No auto focus isn't the problem - its the no aperture control of the lens that makes things really tricky with cheap extension tubes

That too. Not much of a problem on a Canon though, just inconvenient.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Depending where you stand on killing bugs for your art, you can also try a glue trap. Leave a few outside for a while at night. The bugs will be alive, and won't really be going anywhere.

 

[Dmitri]

:lmao: I don't know. I'm not a fan of bugs, but killing them to take pics just seems wrong for some reason.

 

[Overread15 3]

Depending where you stand on killing bugs for your art, you can also try a glue trap. Leave a few outside for a while at night. The bugs will be alive, and won't really be going anywhere.

Forget glue and think sugar water simple to make and it works on bugs both big and small (if you don't believe me just was MIB )

 

[Dmitri]

Depending where you stand on killing bugs for your art, you can also try a glue trap. Leave a few outside for a while at night. The bugs will be alive, and won't really be going anywhere.

Forget glue and think sugar water simple to make and it works on bugs both big and small (if you don't believe me just was MIB )

What about sugar water?

 

[Overread15 3]

Sugar water is an easy to make solution of sugar and water (amounts vary and if you google you should get a few suggestions like 1tsp sugar per 3 of water and so on). Its essentially liquid food for many insects and safer than honey (honey from different hives can kill bees, thus best to stick to the sugar water). Just spread some over leaves,flowers and the like and see what it attracts.

Rotting fruit also works well (esp on butterflies and wasps)

 

[Dmitri]

oooh I'll have to try that tomorrow. Then maybe I'll find some frozen morning bugs

 

[Dmitri]

Not bad for $10 tubes (and he was alive and annoyed that I kept taking pics of him!)

 

[MTVision]

Not bad for $10 tubes (and he was alive and annoyed that I kept taking pics of him!)

Glad he was alive!! LOL!

 

[Dmitri]

Me too! Spider kill the bad insects, so I make sure never to kill them

 

[dmtx]

I got my extension tubes today. $10. Now I need to find some dead bugs.

If you are brave, go for bees. Sit by a flower for a while, and they will ignore you, maybe.

Also, shoot still objects first and then work up to bugs, snakes, and finally the eye of a lion!

 

[Dmitri]

haha I've been kind of lucky so far, found a few nice spiders, and even a couple of bees. I'm still getting the hang of focusing and how to use the flash and all that, but I'm having fun learning. I don't know about the eye of a lion though