My close ups....

WackfordSqueers

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I am attempting Stop motion animation. Using a Macro lens I find it difficult to focus on the small Lego™ figures I want to use. They are very rough, but just using the 18-55 kit lens with a Macro lens added to my Nikon D5300 I get strange results, too dark, out of focus? Curiously enough, when I start filming with the same, the light is OK and the focus is OK. This is frustrating TSTL. All my files are too large for your server so none right now....
Help would be great.
 
Hello and welcome, if you could reduce the size of your shots we maybe could come up with a reason......
 
18-55 with a macro lens... Does that mean an attached adapter on the front of the 18-55?

Photography of very close-up subjects will have an extremely shallow depth of field, and a macro adapter on the front of a normal lens is probably even worse. You could end up with a depth of field that's only a few millimeters, making focus decisions difficult.

Shots you see of good macro photography are usually focus-stacked, i.e. several shots of the same item, nudging the focus on each frame, and using software to stack the images into one image that looks entirely in focus.
 
good points @wfooshee another thing I'd say, just for starters, is manual everything, focus, exposure, camera mounted to a brick (or something else that is fairly solid) cable release, lots of bright lights and a small f/stop. What else, oh yeah, manual White Balance, even that can cause apparent flickering from the tones and color changes.

But it sounds like fun! I like the idea.
 
I agree that macro/higher magnification is probably causing your issue. Try a few frames at 55mm and see if it's any better. You'll have to crop.
 
I agree that macro/higher magnification is probably causing your issue. Try a few frames at 55mm and see if it's any better. You'll have to crop.
Good thought. Strangely enough, I have been outside in the sun with Macro, taking photos of my Fuchsias and get real great results. Now I have gone tiny, indoor, with appropriate (methinks) lighting, my Lego™ characters really need to pull themselves together.
 
18-55 with a macro lens... Does that mean an attached adapter on the front of the 18-55?

Photography of very close-up subjects will have an extremely shallow depth of field, and a macro adapter on the front of a normal lens is probably even worse. You could end up with a depth of field that's only a few millimeters, making focus decisions difficult.

Shots you see of good macro photography are usually focus-stacked, i.e. several shots of the same item, nudging the focus on each frame, and using software to stack the images into one image that looks entirely in focus.
Ooh. Yes attached Macro lens. It came free with another lens so I wouldn't want to vouch for its quality. Good reply bro....
 
Here are some of the files. Short DoF, down to less than 10mm in places. The black character is out of focus between its hands and its face?
 

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It definitely looks like the problem is shallow DOF, caused by the macro (magnification). Go wider (and further back) and crop to final size.
 
These are classic shallow depth of field issues. The closer you are to the subject, the shallower your depth of field. Moving back may allow you enough depth of field to keep everything sharp, but it will change the perspective, perhaps giving you a flatter look than you'd like.

You don't mention your camera settings, but if your aperture is too wide (small f-number) that will only make the depth of field shallower than it could be. Stopping down to f:11 or f:16 is worth a shot, but you need to counter that with slower shutter or more flash power.

If these shots are done with a mounted camera so that you can repeat the shot over and over, then you need to look into the focus stacking that I mentioned before. Start with being focused on the closest piece of the subject, then take several shots, focusing just a smidge deeper each shot. You'll need software to perform the stack. Photoshop can do it, and there are several downloadable or purchasable specialty applications for it. I've even done it manually in Photoshop with just two images, like these, one which is focused on the back foot, and one which is focused on the eye.

51722274524_e30b665093_b.jpg

51721615996_3e58bc9a23_b.jpg


final:
51722274499_4133271acb_b.jpg\
 
Here is a better image with one mouth shape.- flat mouth.
Thanks to everyone who suggested stuff.
I do have some Wallace and Grommit animation stuff, Newplast the medium, plus loads of mouthparts. Different mouth shapes make different words according to the order they are used, not in the obvious sense. Nick park must have spent a lot of time animating WaG. Wallace has such a wide mouth.

flat mouth sm.jpg
 
These are classic shallow depth of field issues. The closer you are to the subject, the shallower your depth of field. Moving back may allow you enough depth of field to keep everything sharp, but it will change the perspective, perhaps giving you a flatter look than you'd like.

You don't mention your camera settings, but if your aperture is too wide (small f-number) that will only make the depth of field shallower than it could be. Stopping down to f:11 or f:16 is worth a shot, but you need to counter that with slower shutter or more flash power.

If these shots are done with a mounted camera so that you can repeat the shot over and over, then you need to look into the focus stacking that I mentioned before. Start with being focused on the closest piece of the subject, then take several shots, focusing just a smidge deeper each shot. You'll need software to perform the stack. Photoshop can do it, and there are several downloadable or purchasable specialty applications for it. I've even done it manually in Photoshop with just two images, like these, one which is focused on the back foot, and one which is focused on the eye.

51722274524_e30b665093_b.jpg

51721615996_3e58bc9a23_b.jpg


final:
51722274499_4133271acb_b.jpg\
I will try this stacking. That sounds good. Ta
 
Ooh, boy, if you're going to be animating frames and having to focus-stack as well... um - - - have fun! :uncomfortableness:
 

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