got me first camera need little help

[will2ho]

hi all got me first camera a nikon d3100 i am shooting mostly static things like watches for selling on ebay and was wondering what is best setup at mo with the kit lens to get gd photos i notice if i go to near object it goes blurry so when i saved a little more ile get a macro lens will this make it not so blurry ? and any recomendations for a macro lens to use on what i do as thats really all ile be doing with camera thanks

 

[TCampbell]

There are several different ways to do close-up photography.

1) Buy a true "macro" lens. This will give the highest quality image, but it's also the most expensive option.

2) Buy "extension tubes". These are hollow tubes -- there is literally nothing inside them. They mount between the lens and body and change the distance from the lens to the sensor. This has the effect of reducing the overall focusing distance of the lens. The nearest possible focus distance will now be much closer (but at the same time the lens will no longer focus all the way to "infinity" when mounted to the extension tube.) They do pass through the communication from the body to the lens. They are relatively inexpensive.

3) Buy "close up" diopters. These are glass lenses that you screw onto the front of your lens and they allow the lens to focus closer. The downside is that these are almost always single-element lenses (there are a few exceptions but the exceptions are expensive.) A single element lens causes some distortions in the image -- particularly near the outer-edges.

4) Buy a lens reversing ring. This adapter connects to the camera body on side, but "threads" onto the front of the lens on the other side. It literally allows you to attach the lens "backwards". The downside is that you lose all lens control since all the electronics that communicate with the camera body are on the wrong side.

These are all the techniques that come to mind. Of these, #2 is actually reasonably inexpensive and yet still provides some reasonable image quality. It's probably the best of the low-cost options. #1 is the highest quality option... but it's also the most expensive way to go.

Watches tend to have reflections (particularly on the crystal). A "circular polarizing filter" can help reduce this effect considerably. Depth of field can become extremely narrow when doing macro photography. Traditional techniques such as using a higher f-stop to increase the depth of field will have limited success (the depth of field will get wider... but at extremely close differences it may not be nearly wide enough). You can use "focus stacking" to overcome this -- this requires computer software. You can go to YouTube to search for videos on how focus stacking works and some of the different software applications available to perform stacking.

 

[goodguy]

Just out of curiosity since I am a watch collector and spend way more on watches then on cameras what watches are you dealing with ?

 

[TheLost]

I've got a Nikon 40mm Macro f/2.8 i'll trade you for a Panerai PAM00112H (the only watch i regret selling )

super fair trade IMHO!!!

As somebody who used to buy/sell more watches then my wife was happy with.. Harbor Freight used to sell a cheap 'light box' that was awesome for lighting smallish objects.

PM me if you want to do the trade

 

[gardy]

you can pick up a 60mm 2.8D macro for around 400 used, that might be a good option, you wount have auto focus but you will want to manual focus with macro anyway

 

[goodguy]

I've got a Nikon 40mm Macro f/2.8 i'll trade you for a Panerai PAM00112H (the only watch i regret selling )

super fair trade IMHO!!!

As somebody who used to buy/sell more watches then my wife was happy with.. Harbor Freight used to sell a cheap 'light box' that was awesome for lighting smallish objects.

PM me if you want to do the trade

300$ lens vs 4000$+ watch, yep a fair trade LOL

 

[gregtallica]

Thanks for sharing, TCampbell - I've been wondering how to get into macro for some time now and have been too scared to ask about all the different options.

 

[sashbar]

.. and most important - buy a tripod.

 

[samm]

A tripod like this will work real well for what your doing .

 

[ryanparker]

Don't just read on them, go into a store and handle them, see which one fits you, see which one has controls that make the most sense to you....consider the lens line up..consider what type of photography you want to do....everyone has their opinions on the best camera(s)...but YOU will be the one using whatever it is you wind up with.

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