Macro, anyone?

I just picked up a new/used Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens yesterday- just in time for spring to finally arrive in CO- and I plan on messing around with it quite a bit over the spring and summer. Does anyone else do macro photography?

Here's one from this afternoon in the backyard- I can't wait for all the flowers and veggies to start blooming.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g4...yMacroFB-1.jpg

Macro has always fascinated me, but just couldn't bring myself to spend the money on a specialized lens. I love doing a search for "macro" on 500px and seeing the amazing work that people put up.

Looking forward to your shots.

I've been thinking of picking up some extension tubes to try it out a bit. My two EF-S lenses have pretty good MFD to start with. The other thing I've heard is removing the front element of an old cheap lens can give good macro results. Anyone done this?

I played around with extension tubes. Problem is you need to focus more with the position of the camera really which is difficult. I bought the 100L on sale and found I just didn't use it much and dumped it for what I got it a few months later. The 300 f/4 has a "macro" setting so maybe I'll play with that although not true macro.

I had high hopes, but frankly I found it bored the shit out of me. If anything I would like to get a microscope mount. Now THAT would be cool.

I have an old nikon manual focus 105. I mostly use it with a 1.4 teleconverter and a pk12 extension tube, also old.
Gottum as part of an estate sale package. Cheap.
Use the set up as a walk around for wildflowers and bugs.
A couple from yesterday

http://www.wowasatch.com/pictures/Wi...-8/springb.jpg

Less than half the size of a little fingernail.

http://www.wowasatch.com/pictures/Wi...ch-blubell.jpg

About the same

http://www.wowasatch.com/pictures/Wi...ier-lilies.jpg

Bigger. Bugs are harder, they move.

I'm curious about the lens for portraits if you have a chance to shoot a couple of tests I'd appreciate it. I need to rent something soon and am leaning towards this over the 85mm 1.2 because I prefer a bit more distance between myself and the subjects.

Edit: 100mm f2 may not be totally comparable, but let's see some portraits anyway! I'd love to see the sharpness on this thing. Looking forward to renting long primes, should be fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ml242

I'm curious about the lens for portraits if you have a chance to shoot a couple of tests I'd appreciate it. I need to rent something soon and am leaning towards this over the 85mm 1.2 because I prefer a bit more distance between myself and the subjects.

Edit: 100mm f2 may not be totally comparable, but let's see some portraits anyway! I'd love to see the sharpness on this thing. Looking forward to renting long primes, should be fun.

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Since you like distance, look into the 135L. Have heard nothing but insane props for that lens for portraits.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ml242

I'm curious about the lens for portraits if you have a chance to shoot a couple of tests I'd appreciate it. I need to rent something soon and am leaning towards this over the 85mm 1.2 because I prefer a bit more distance between myself and the subjects.

Edit: 100mm f2 may not be totally comparable, but let's see some portraits anyway! I'd love to see the sharpness on this thing. Looking forward to renting long primes, should be fun.

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Not sure who you're talking to... but if it's me, I'm shooting a portrait session next weekend and I'm planning to use the 100 f/2.8 for at least a few shots. I'll post them up when I'm done.

Works good

http://www.wowasatch.com/pictures/Su...robber-eye.jpg

Keeper rate's a little low. :nonono2:

Another one from the newly-planted backyard garden... it's going to be a few weeks (at least) before there are additional flowers to shoot.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g4...yMacroFB-5.jpg

I love macro photography. I could spend all afternoon chasing insects around trying to get perfect focus. I'm pretty terrible at it, but I still enjoy it a lot.

I use a Raynox 150 macro adapter on a 45-200mm zoom lens with a Panasonic GH2. I'm certain that a dedicated macro lens would be a bit better, but I like the versatility of the zoom (e.g. the different framings of first two pictures) and being able to just add the small adapter makes it a great travel set up.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7287/8...f0c52929_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/8...acef0440_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7285/8...0251ea3e_c.jpg

This guy was hanging out on the door to the porch last night:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8116/8...9e319571_b.jpg

This type of thing is what I end up taking most of my macro pictures of: not something I'm likely to frame, but something I just want to see up really really close because it's interesting.

WTF is that thing?!?!

I don't know. It kind of looks like a dark fishing spider to me, but usually those are more striped.

Here are two more photos that show the body of the beast a little better in case anyone is good at spider identification:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2861/8...2e542336_b.jpg
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3697/8...ee1db9a0_b.jpg

Attachment 138018

iPhone 4s white edition (with black case)


Seriously, is the best camera not the one you have on you? Awesome day hiking pre flash floods. Hope this thread keeps delivering, too.