Critique and answer a question please?

So, I took some macro's recently and both were almost about the same in settings (though there are their differences) and I am trying to figure out why the bumble looks like crap, and the rhodie came out better.

Please see my l latest post for the camera settings info. thanks.

Can't see the first pic because it's telling me I need to be a member and to log in yada yada yada.
Post your pics to the forum rather than having people click on links.
You'll get more help that way.

Without seeing the pic, I'd hazard a guess that you were letting the camera pick its own focus points and it just did what you told it to - focus on whatever it likes.

Oh I realized why it said that. Lemme try this then.

I also fixed the settings so that way, if they click either the links here or in the first post, they can see it. Silly setting I had put on to save people from stealing my artwork.

Also - I messed with the focus point so it fixated on the bee, rather than let it pick where it wanted to go, which is why the second picture came out so well (I just realized it also may be due to the fact the lens itself on the front wasn't as clean on the first picture, than the second). The bee was technically asleep on the flower so as long as I didn't disturb the flower, the bee wouldn't move. I adjusted the setting so it would focus there, rather than anywhere else it saw fit to, which is why I am confused it came out the way it did with the soft glowy look, ignoring the fact I partially sharpened it some.

First picture:

Camera Data
Make:Canon
Model:Canon EOS REBEL T3i
Shutter Speed:1/197 second
Aperture:F/4.0
Focal Length:28 mm
ISO Speed:100
Date Taken:May 23, 2013, 2:08:55 AM
Lens:EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
Sensor Size:22mm

http://fc07.deviantart​.net …nelementphoto-d68cbyd.jpg

Second Picture

Camera Data
Make:Canon
Model:Canon EOS REBEL T3i
Shutter Speed:1/128 second
Aperture:F/5.6
Focal Length:48 mm
ISO Speed:200
Date Taken:May 27, 2013, 12:31:09 AM
Lens:EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
Software:Picasa
Sensor Size:22mm

http://fc05.deviantart​.net …92776be31a080-d66ucao.jpg

You really need to do what everyone else does...make you pics visible without havinng to follow links.

I did follow the first link, and it's a pleasing enough picture, but if it's about the bee, then as you suggested it it would be improved if the bee's eyes were in focus. The only way you can be sure of that is to use a smaller aperture or magnified live view.

Keep trying!

You must have not seen this...

philwillmedia wrote in post #16013206
...Post your pics to the forum rather than having people click on links...

so I'll make it bigger so you don't miss it this time

philwillmedia wrote in post #16013206
...Post your pics to the forum rather than having people click on links...

People don't want to click on external links beacuse they have no idea where they will end up, or what nasties may be lurking there.

Create a better thread title.

#1 is not a bad shot. Crop about 40% off the left side.

Good start.
Got AI Servo? Because you can move slightly after locking the focus with One-Stop.

: Most lenses are sharpest 2-3 stops down from wide open.

I realized why they didn't show - again. This time, it's properly corrected.

@PhotosGuy: I didn't have it on servo as the bee was barely moving at all, so I didn't feel I need to. Also - How do I determine the sweet spot for that? I have the kit lens (it's listed with the information from each shot) which is a med range zoom to macro (not close up) and is good all around, if I don't want to zoom in a massive distance. Do I just do test shots for that sort of thing? 2 - 3 down would be about... a 5.0 or higher.

And as far as uploading, even though I have it resized to the size it should be, the KB size is almost 3 times that, and I am not even sure why. It's 574 compared to the 150 it needs to be, which is rediculous. So instead, I will link them in here, because I would really love to solve my dilemma. Forgive me for stretching this part of the board some. And I don't think stretching the board with images 5***x**** pixels wide would solve anything either, other than provide a super detailed look of the image.

Below is the detailed information as to the settings this photo was taken in - I removed all of the others so it wasn't so annoying. The face of the bumble is blurred out - as if I wasn't far away enough, the side of the bumble is in focus, and even more so since I used a sharpening effect on it. Still - the image is not crisp or tack sharp as I would like it to be. Was it because of my low fstop? Was it because I was doing handheld, even though the shutter was high? Could it also be because of the fact they were kit lenses?


https://imageshack.us/​scaled/large/571/bumbl​eresize.jpgCamera DataMake:CanonModel:Ca​non EOS REBEL T3iShutter Speed: 1/197 secondAperture: F/4.0Focal Length:28 mmISO Speed:100Date Taken: May 23, 2013, 10:08:55 AMLens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS IISensor Size: 22mmHere is my rhodie, and you can definitely see a difference, but it still isn't tack sharp.

my guess is you ought to try using a macro lens for bugs. the kits lens is ok, but you don't get the close focus of the 1:1 projection on your sensor, thus lack of detail.

The more things that you have working for you...

For a f/2.8 lens, that would be f/5.6 to f/8. Test to see what works best with your lens.

For one thing, the image is 1289 X 853, which is outside the Forum rules.

Maybe.

Ah okay. That does help me a little bit with the translations and such.

Sorry also if I frustrate people. I don't mean to :/

I am in the works of getting a macro lens, so I will be looking into that.

I will also try the higher fstops, and see the difference. Thanks for your support (and patience with me).

Feel free to lock/archive this thread at any point in time as I got the answers I needed.

lots of lenses will be sharp stopped down, even the quit. with the higher priced lens there is less of a sweet spot since they will be sharper more often wide open through the apertures until diffraction sets in.

with macro you want to be stopped down, not to find the sweet spot of the lens, but because when you focus so close, your DOF is extremely shallow, so stopping down gives you more in focus.