Macro photography & new G2!

[James7266]

Hi to everyone. I'm new here and it's my wife that is the photographer (although I dip my toe in now and again) and she' busier than I so I'm the one asking questions :-) Earlier this year we bought a Minolta S304 and my wife produced some beautiful photos of flowers. That camera does not allow for any additional lenses or filters, etc. So I bought her a G2. Last weekend she bought herself the Canon adaptor and a set of Promaster close-up filters and we've been experiencing the camera not focusing on the subject. She likes to use auto mode with the macro setting but wants less depth of field. I like to have it in AV with it wide open or maybe not quite so. This also in Macro. With the filters in place the subject will not come into focus. Could this be a bad G2 I've been reading about? Is it something I'm missing? She's talking that she liked the Minolta better because she got better results. I hate to hear her talk like that. Can you help? thank you, Jim.

[slejhamer]

james7266 wrote:
With the filters in place the subject will not come into focus.


Jim, if this happens only when the filters are in place (as you said) then I would guess that the problem is not with the camera.

In my very limited experience with diopters I find that getting closer to the subject helps. I don't mean zooming in, I mean physically moving the camera closer. Has your wife tried repositioning the camera?

Also, has she tried using manual focus? I know it's a bit cumbersome but I've had modest success with it.

Finally, if she is stacking diopters, she should make sure the most powerful glass is closest to the camera lens (e.g., with my Hoya +7 set, I have to attach the +4 diopter first, then the +2, then the +1.)

Hope that helps,

[James7266]

Hi Mitch, and thanks.
She does not stack them. But she does not get close to her subjects. I made a guess last night and asked her if she tried only using the filters when she wanted to get closer and not using them as a telephoto, but it was just a guess. She took off the filter and still had a bit of trouble getting a good focus.
No, we haven't tried manual focus. I should do some testing and get back to you with that, and clarify whether the problem is only with the filters? Or the trouble just started near the same time as a coincidence.
Thanks again Mitch, chat at ya later..........
Jim.

[James7266]

O.K.
I tried to re-create the problems she was having.
With the 4x filter, AV mode, tele 100%(no digital) ap.2.5, I got the camera to focus from 4" from the filter and out.
Without the zoom, ap. set to 2.0 I could focus from 1.5" from the filter and out. Took the filter off and had no problem focusing at all.
I don't know what she had going, but it was happening to me as well last night.
Thanks for the thought provoking questions Mitch.
Jim.