Macro lens to G11?

[Insp Gadget]

My wife and I are wedding photographers. We are looking for something to take close up pics of wedding rings. We are looking at a macro lens or a Canon G11. What do you guys think?

 

[786soul]

My wife and I are wedding photographers. We are looking for something to take close up pics of wedding rings. We are looking at a macro lens or a Canon G11. What do you guys think?

If you're looking at the compacts, the Panasonic LX3 is SUPERB for macro. I can focus literally while my lens touches the desk of the item I'm photographing. I just got the camera yesterday!

Of course you'll get better shots/quality from the SLR so a macro lens would do better. Do you shoot canon? If you do a great macro lens is the 100mm 2.8 macro. You can find them used for ~$450.

 

[Big Mike]

I don't know for sure, but I'd guess that a DSLR with a macro lens will give you a good deal less DOF than a P&S. This could be a good thing either way.

If you like the super shallow DOF, then get the macro lens. But maybe you want close up shots without the super shallow DOF (easier to get in focus), then the P&S might be a good options.

 

[NateS]

My wife and I are wedding photographers. We are looking for something to take close up pics of wedding rings. We are looking at a macro lens or a Canon G11. What do you guys think?

Are you shooting a Canon DSLR right now? Are you asking if you should get a macro lens or spend the money on a macro lens? What lenses do you currently have? If you already have some really sharp glass, then a Canon 250d or 500d closeup lens ontop of your current glass may be the ticket for ease of use and high quality shots....the 250d and 500d are extremely high quality and the cheaper of the options.

If you just want some closeups then you could do something like a Tamron 90mm...you might want something even shorter though for ring shots.

 

[Insp Gadget]

We are shooting NIkon. My wife is looking at a 50mm Tamron macro for around $500. I find this a lot of money to spend on a lens just to shoot rings, whereas buying something like the G11 would let us shoot rings and make a great travel camera as well. Does Nikon make a camera such as the G11?

 

[NateS]

We are shooting NIkon. My wife is looking at a 50mm Tamron macro for around $500. I find this a lot of money to spend on a lens just to shoot rings, whereas buying something like the G11 would let us shoot rings and make a great travel camera as well. Does Nikon make a camera such as the G11?

....again, what lenses do you currently use for weddings? The canon 250d/500d will fit onto any lens and is exceptional quality....and can be had for around $100 depending on the size needed. If you are shooting with something like a 17-55 f2.8 or 24-70 f2.8 or 28-70 f2.8 then I would suggest you pick up a Canon 250D. Do a little searching on flickr or google and see what I mean.

...otherwise a Tamron 90mm f2.8 on the used market can be had for around $330. ....or you can pick up an older Tamron 90mm f2.5 for much less and it will go to 1:2 which might be enough for shooting wedding rings.

 

[Insp Gadget]

We are shooting NIkon. My wife is looking at a 50mm Tamron macro for around $500. I find this a lot of money to spend on a lens just to shoot rings, whereas buying something like the G11 would let us shoot rings and make a great travel camera as well. Does Nikon make a camera such as the G11?

....again, what lenses do you currently use for weddings? The canon 250d/500d will fit onto any lens and is exceptional quality....and can be had for around $100 depending on the size needed. If you are shooting with something like a 17-55 f2.8 or 24-70 f2.8 or 28-70 f2.8 then I would suggest you pick up a Canon 250D. Do a little searching on flickr or google and see what I mean.

...otherwise a Tamron 90mm f2.8 on the used market can be had for around $330. ....or you can pick up an older Tamron 90mm f2.5 for much less and it will go to 1:2 which might be enough for shooting wedding rings.

She mostly shoots with a 50mm 1.4 and an 85mm. I shoot with an 18-105.

Let me ask you this. Is there a major difference in quality between a dedicated macro lens and a G11? Could one tell which camera shot which picture?

 

[NateS]

We are shooting NIkon. My wife is looking at a 50mm Tamron macro for around $500. I find this a lot of money to spend on a lens just to shoot rings, whereas buying something like the G11 would let us shoot rings and make a great travel camera as well. Does Nikon make a camera such as the G11?

....again, what lenses do you currently use for weddings? The canon 250d/500d will fit onto any lens and is exceptional quality....and can be had for around $100 depending on the size needed. If you are shooting with something like a 17-55 f2.8 or 24-70 f2.8 or 28-70 f2.8 then I would suggest you pick up a Canon 250D. Do a little searching on flickr or google and see what I mean.

...otherwise a Tamron 90mm f2.8 on the used market can be had for around $330. ....or you can pick up an older Tamron 90mm f2.5 for much less and it will go to 1:2 which might be enough for shooting wedding rings.

She mostly shoots with a 50mm 1.4 and an 85mm. I shoot with an 18-105.

Let me ask you this. Is there a major difference in quality between a dedicated macro lens and a G11? Could one tell which camera shot which picture?

Well...average person I don't know....personally, I can tell without a doubt, but I'm an avid macro shooter and macro is almost all that I do. What I would try if I was you....is extension tubes. Do you have flashes? SB-600 or SB-800? What bodies do you use...are they bodies with CLS/Commander mode? If so, I would pick up a set of Kenko extension tubes and stack them up on the 50mm or the 85mm. It will get you to at least 1:1 if not farther and be more magnification (closer) than you'll ever need for wedding stuff. The plus is that you will have the same exact quality as you have currently with the 50mm and 85mm and it will only cost you 100 bucks or so. Look on the used market for the kenko tubes...just make sure they have the electircal contacts for metering.

This is what you need.
Kenko Auto Extension Tube Set DG for Nikon Lens AEXTUBEDGN - B&H

I picked up a set used a few months back for around $120. There is no glass so there is no drop in quality and they let you focus much closer.

I'd grab that, throw it on f/11 - f/13, 1/200th shutter, TTL on the flash off camera from an angle. Will give you nice dramatic light, decent DOF and very close focusing with the 50/85.

 

[Insp Gadget]

....again, what lenses do you currently use for weddings? The canon 250d/500d will fit onto any lens and is exceptional quality....and can be had for around $100 depending on the size needed. If you are shooting with something like a 17-55 f2.8 or 24-70 f2.8 or 28-70 f2.8 then I would suggest you pick up a Canon 250D. Do a little searching on flickr or google and see what I mean.

...otherwise a Tamron 90mm f2.8 on the used market can be had for around $330. ....or you can pick up an older Tamron 90mm f2.5 for much less and it will go to 1:2 which might be enough for shooting wedding rings.

She mostly shoots with a 50mm 1.4 and an 85mm. I shoot with an 18-105.

Let me ask you this. Is there a major difference in quality between a dedicated macro lens and a G11? Could one tell which camera shot which picture?

Well...average person I don't know....personally, I can tell without a doubt, but I'm an avid macro shooter and macro is almost all that I do. What I would try if I was you....is extension tubes. Do you have flashes? SB-600 or SB-800? What bodies do you use...are they bodies with CLS/Commander mode? If so, I would pick up a set of Kenko extension tubes and stack them up on the 50mm or the 85mm. It will get you to at least 1:1 if not farther and be more magnification (closer) than you'll ever need for wedding stuff. The plus is that you will have the same exact quality as you have currently with the 50mm and 85mm and it will only cost you 100 bucks or so. Look on the used market for the kenko tubes...just make sure they have the electircal contacts for metering.

This is what you need.
Kenko Auto Extension Tube Set DG for Nikon Lens AEXTUBEDGN - B&H

I picked up a set used a few months back for around $120. There is no glass so there is no drop in quality and they let you focus much closer.

I'd grab that, throw it on f/11 - f/13, 1/200th shutter, TTL on the flash off camera from an angle. Will give you nice dramatic light, decent DOF and very close focusing with the 50/85.

We actually have a set of extension tubes. I played with them for a short time and was very unimpressed. Perhaps it was something I was doing wrong. The tubes I have do not have the electrical contacts. The exposure was fine but eh picture quality was very poor. The DOF was so shallow it made for almost impossible shooting. Didn't care for them I guess.

BTW, my wife shoots with the D700 and I am shooting with the D300 with a D90 as a backup.

 

[NateS]

She mostly shoots with a 50mm 1.4 and an 85mm. I shoot with an 18-105.

Let me ask you this. Is there a major difference in quality between a dedicated macro lens and a G11? Could one tell which camera shot which picture?

Well...average person I don't know....personally, I can tell without a doubt, but I'm an avid macro shooter and macro is almost all that I do. What I would try if I was you....is extension tubes. Do you have flashes? SB-600 or SB-800? What bodies do you use...are they bodies with CLS/Commander mode? If so, I would pick up a set of Kenko extension tubes and stack them up on the 50mm or the 85mm. It will get you to at least 1:1 if not farther and be more magnification (closer) than you'll ever need for wedding stuff. The plus is that you will have the same exact quality as you have currently with the 50mm and 85mm and it will only cost you 100 bucks or so. Look on the used market for the kenko tubes...just make sure they have the electircal contacts for metering.

This is what you need.
Kenko Auto Extension Tube Set DG for Nikon Lens AEXTUBEDGN - B&H

I picked up a set used a few months back for around $120. There is no glass so there is no drop in quality and they let you focus much closer.

I'd grab that, throw it on f/11 - f/13, 1/200th shutter, TTL on the flash off camera from an angle. Will give you nice dramatic light, decent DOF and very close focusing with the 50/85.

We actually have a set of extension tubes. I played with them for a short time and was very unimpressed. Perhaps it was something I was doing wrong. The tubes I have do not have the electrical contacts. The exposure was fine but eh picture quality was very poor. The DOF was so shallow it made for almost impossible shooting. Didn't care for them I guess.

BTW, my wife shoots with the D700 and I am shooting with the D300 with a D90 as a backup.

You'll get more DOF for a given "view" with the D300/D90 crop sensor...smaller DOF with the D700. What aperture were you shooting at? DOF is small which is why you have to open up to the f/13 range to get good DOF. If you were shooting less than f/8, then that is the entire reason for your poor image quality...nothing would have been in focus. worth viewing. Do you remember what aperture you used? Adding extension tubes will not alter the quality of the lens at all...so if you get good sharp shots with just the lens, you should get good sharp shots with the tubes and lens if you use them properly.


You will get more DOF from a G11 sensor....but again, that is just because it is even more of a crop sensor and smaller sensor to boot. You gain DOF but lose IQ.

 

[Derrel]

The el-cheapo extension tubes for Canon mount, the ones that have no electronic contacts, are really quite junky....Canon uses an electronic lens diaphragm, so an extension tube without control over the f/stop is just a massive PITA...on Nikon lenses with an aperture ring, it's possible to just use the ring on the les to set the f/stop, but on the newer G-series lenses, the lenses have been castrated in the Canon/Minolta fashion, so tyou're back to the same PITA situation with cheap, no-contact extension tubes.

Extension tubes are also nearly USELESS on short focal length zoom lenses; with a longer tube like a 25mm tube, the point of focus can actually be INSIDE THE LENS BARREL itself on many wide zooms at their shorter focal lengths, making it literally *impossible* to do a close-up photo unless the lens is zoomed to one of its longer focal lengths.

Depth of field is pretty shallow when using extension tubes and getting very high-magnification macro shots or extreme close-up shots. The Kenko brand of automatic extension tubes are pretty ood products for the money,and are the ones I recommend people buy. They work great on lenses of from 50 to 300mm in focal length.

 

[Insp Gadget]

Well...average person I don't know....personally, I can tell without a doubt, but I'm an avid macro shooter and macro is almost all that I do. What I would try if I was you....is extension tubes. Do you have flashes? SB-600 or SB-800? What bodies do you use...are they bodies with CLS/Commander mode? If so, I would pick up a set of Kenko extension tubes and stack them up on the 50mm or the 85mm. It will get you to at least 1:1 if not farther and be more magnification (closer) than you'll ever need for wedding stuff. The plus is that you will have the same exact quality as you have currently with the 50mm and 85mm and it will only cost you 100 bucks or so. Look on the used market for the kenko tubes...just make sure they have the electircal contacts for metering.

This is what you need.
Kenko Auto Extension Tube Set DG for Nikon Lens AEXTUBEDGN - B&H

I picked up a set used a few months back for around $120. There is no glass so there is no drop in quality and they let you focus much closer.

I'd grab that, throw it on f/11 - f/13, 1/200th shutter, TTL on the flash off camera from an angle. Will give you nice dramatic light, decent DOF and very close focusing with the 50/85.

We actually have a set of extension tubes. I played with them for a short time and was very unimpressed. Perhaps it was something I was doing wrong. The tubes I have do not have the electrical contacts. The exposure was fine but eh picture quality was very poor. The DOF was so shallow it made for almost impossible shooting. Didn't care for them I guess.

BTW, my wife shoots with the D700 and I am shooting with the D300 with a D90 as a backup.

You'll get more DOF for a given "view" with the D300/D90 crop sensor...smaller DOF with the D700. What aperture were you shooting at? DOF is small which is why you have to open up to the f/13 range to get good DOF. If you were shooting less than f/8, then that is the entire reason for your poor image quality...nothing would have been in focus. worth viewing. Do you remember what aperture you used? Adding extension tubes will not alter the quality of the lens at all...so if you get good sharp shots with just the lens, you should get good sharp shots with the tubes and lens if you use them properly.


You will get more DOF from a G11 sensor....but again, that is just because it is even more of a crop sensor and smaller sensor to boot. You gain DOF but lose IQ.

Wouldn't have a clue what aperture I was shooting at. Sadly no store near me would have the proper tubes I need so I could give them a try before saturday's wedding. Does anyone have samples taken with these tubes posted online?

 

[NateS]

We actually have a set of extension tubes. I played with them for a short time and was very unimpressed. Perhaps it was something I was doing wrong. The tubes I have do not have the electrical contacts. The exposure was fine but eh picture quality was very poor. The DOF was so shallow it made for almost impossible shooting. Didn't care for them I guess.

BTW, my wife shoots with the D700 and I am shooting with the D300 with a D90 as a backup.

You'll get more DOF for a given "view" with the D300/D90 crop sensor...smaller DOF with the D700. What aperture were you shooting at? DOF is small which is why you have to open up to the f/13 range to get good DOF. If you were shooting less than f/8, then that is the entire reason for your poor image quality...nothing would have been in focus. worth viewing. Do you remember what aperture you used? Adding extension tubes will not alter the quality of the lens at all...so if you get good sharp shots with just the lens, you should get good sharp shots with the tubes and lens if you use them properly.


You will get more DOF from a G11 sensor....but again, that is just because it is even more of a crop sensor and smaller sensor to boot. You gain DOF but lose IQ.

Wouldn't have a clue what aperture I was shooting at. Sadly no store near me would have the proper tubes I need so I could give them a try before saturday's wedding. Does anyone have samples taken with these tubes posted online?

Not samples of wedding rings, but I shoot a lot of bugs with these tubes...here's a few examples....

Those are all done with a full set (68mm) of kenko extension tubes.

 

[Insp Gadget]

BEautiful work! Amazing quality!

 

[kundalini]

.... Do you have flashes? SB-600 or SB-800? What bodies do you use...are they bodies with CLS/Commander mode? ....

I would advise against CLS with reflective objects at close range. The pre-flash does effect the subject. See this post......

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...7323-using-sb-600-wirelessly.html#post1943300


An alternative is to reverse fire the flash (on hotshoe) into a reflector behind you (an assistant would be helpful) if you don't have RF triggers for off camera flash.