Wanting to get into Macro Photography

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

Well, I own a Nikon D60, and I want to get into Macro photography, especially insect marco stuff. I'm on a budget, but this doesn't have to be any time soon. I'm looking for a good macro lens as well as a macro flash unit to go with it. Comments on Nikon's macro lenses? And if you do discuss a different lens, please make sure you link me to it. Oh, and a flash unit idea would be nice.

Currently looking at:

AF Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8D from Nikon

and

R1C1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System from Nikon

 

[Phranquey]

The lens you have chosen is fantastic....considered one of the kings of macro. But, the macro focusing distance is a bit close (easier to scare bugs). If you want a little more working distance from the front of the lens, with equal quality, go with the 105mm f/2.8.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-105mm-M...7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1251065384&sr=8-7


The R1C1, however.... It is neat, I have had an opportunity to play with one, but it is nowhere near worth the money. Far better can be done spending much less on a flash. An SB-600 or SB-800 Speedlite with a diffuser yields some fantastic results. For the price of the R1C1 you could have two SB-600's with diffusers, and still have coin left over.

 

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

I'm looking to get close up...I have the patience to wait to get the shot, even if it take 50 attempts. But the 105 looks good. Any idea how much the 60mm costs. Never mind. I can look that up myself. However, what other good models should I look at? And also, how would I go about mounting the two SB-600s?

 

[Derrel]

I think a longer macro lens is more versatile. A Tamron 90mm AF-SP model that has the built-in focusing motor would be a good choice. The 60mm AF-D is a macro lens I own--and it requires a camera that has a built-in focusing motor.

A 60mm macro lens is too short for insects and butterflies. I would strongly suggest you look at something longer than 60mm in focal length, preferably a 90 or 105mm. Sigma's 105mm and 150mm models are highly regarded.

 

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

Now what about flash units?

 

[table1349]

I'm looking to get close up...I have the patience to wait to get the shot, even if it take 50 attempts. But the 105 looks good. Any idea how much the 60mm costs. Never mind. I can look that up myself. However, what other good models should I look at? And also, how would I go about mounting the two SB-600s?

The problem with the 60mm is the close working distance. Getting that close tends to scare off the little critters. Both the 60mm and the 105mm are 1to1 macros. The added working distance to the 105 is less likely to scare your subjects.

 

[table1349]

Now what about flash units?

I shoot Canon instead of Nikon but the systems are very much alike. There are dedicated ring lights that many macro shooter use. Personally I don't like the look they give a lot of the time as the lighting tends to be flat. What I have instead is a macro flash bracket similar to this and two Canon 580 EX flash units. I can use either one or two flashes depending on how I want the light on the subject.

The 580's are a bit of overkill but I use them for so many other things. Nikon has a whole host of TTL flash units that would work I am sure in varying price ranges. You don't need a lot of power so one or two of the older less powerful units should work fine.

 

[Phranquey]

And also, how would I go about mounting the two SB-600s?

I didn't quite mean for you to literally use two at once, although you could, with great creativity. The flash bracket Gryphon suggests is a great idea, though I've never used one. It was just an illustration to how overly expensive the R1C1 package is.

One example of using two at once would be one on-camera with a diffuser, and the other one slaved on the ground pointing up to light up a leaf (or leaves) from underneath. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Just go into the Macro section, and you will see a lot of great work that is mostly done with just one flash....two just gives you much more to play with.

 

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

Is that a universal mount?

 

[table1349]

And also, how would I go about mounting the two SB-600s?

I didn't quite mean for you to literally use two at once, although you could, with great creativity. The flash bracket Gryphon suggests is a great idea, though I've never used one. It was just an illustration to how overly expensive the R1C1 package is.

One example of using two at once would be one on-camera with a diffuser, and the other one slaved on the ground pointing up to light up a leaf (or leaves) from underneath. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Just go into the Macro section, and you will see a lot of great work that is mostly done with just one flash....two just gives you much more to play with.

That was my second complaint with the Canon MT-24EX. Outrageously expensive. My two 580's cost less and are far more versatile.

Here is a ttl flash unit for Nikon under $100. TTL Dedicated Flash f/Nikon [RS-D728AF/N] : Dot Line Corp., Serving You Since 1963

 

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

I have a SB-600...so I don't need a regular one. I'm looking for ones that'll make close up macro's easier. In the ones I attempt with my 18-55...I find a large shadow when I try it (from me if in daylight/lighting) or the flash is off angle when taking it (lights the back...not the subject in question)

 

[table1349]

With a twin arm macro flash bracket you can often get rid of that shadow effect by using a single flash and a small reflector on the other side.

Think of this as portrait photography on a miniature scale. There are a lot of techniques that can be smalled down and adapted. This woks well for the same kind of thing. A Delta flash bracket can get your one flash off the camera into some good positions for macro work as well. Diffusing the light will also help. You can do that with something like this, or with just a piece of nice clean white napkin.

 

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

Wow, I can save 57 bucks by switching to Geico. Oh wait, isn't car insurance. On a more serious note, would getting my hands on another flash unit as well as a remote flash commander unit (Nikon's catchy name for it's remote flash thing) a good consideration? And I'm actually going to go ahead and get that difuser. Might even get into some portraits. All the more reason to get another flash unit.

 

[Derrel]

Macro photography is an area where buying your lenses USED makes a lot of sense. Buy from a reputable dealer that has a decent return policy. Many macro lenses are bought, tried out, and then sold back to dealers because the user never really used the darned lens. I've bought all my macro lenses on the used market.

A Sto-Fen diffuser cap works okay, but you get a much larger light source by using something like the Photoflex mini-softboxes. You can position such a mini-softbox on a smart cord, like a Nikon SC-28 TTL Remote cord,either on a bracket like gryponslair is suggesting, or with the help of an assistant, or even held in your left hand. Having a *single* light source aimed at an angle will give some shadows and will help modulate the tones and give shape and dimension to your subjects. There is very little *need* for two-light macro setups, and ringlight lighting was designed for dental and medical and forensic photography, and most real-world macro stuff shot with a ringlight looks dead, dull,and lifeless.

One of the biggest challenges is working distance. With the short lenses like 60 and 70mm, you have a tremendous amount of flash power,and when you change camera-to-subject and therefor flash-to-subject distance with a short lens, you get very LARGE drop-off in flash power due to something called the inverse square law. Working from a longer distance,with a longer macro lens like a 150 to 200mm macro lens, keeps your flash output more manageable with many flashes. I vastly prefer working with a 180mm macro at 18 inches instead of with a 60mm macro lens at three inches. With the longer 180mm macro and a flash on a bracket, the flash output changes very little when you move back 1 inch....with a 60mm macro, when you move back 1 inch you have a VERY significant loss of light due to the inverse square law. Short macros like 55 and 60mm are great for flat copy work, but are kind of a PITA for insects, small flowers, and stuff like that.

One answer to yo-yoing flash power due to changes in flash-to-subject distance is to have your light held in *one* position off-camera by an assistant, and move the camera back and forth for the right framing. If you don't have an assistant, consider making a sharpened steel spike with grip equipment added to the top,so that you can press it into the ground as a flash-holder; or consider a very small but solid tripod as a light stand/light positioning aid.

I would seriously suggest a good book, like one of John Shaw's three top-selling guidebooks to closeup and nature photography before you sink one or two large into macro gear.

 

[ArmoredPersonel48698]

On Camera XTC

So getting my hands on that for my SB-600 would be better than that diffuser?