Macro setup questions.

First off, apologies if this is in the wrong section. I wasn't clear on where to post this.

Prior to my getting the Tamron 90mm Macro (just yesterday), I was using my old trusty Canon 100-300mm lens with a set of Kenko auto extension tubes for taking close ups of flowers and bugs.

For lighting, I was using an old vivitar flash bracket with a small micro ball head along with the off cord cable and softbox. The problem is this, the micro ball head is too loose in the vivitar flash bracket (hot shoe style and not screw on, even though the micro ball head has the threads). I just know one of these days, I will tilt the camera backwards, forget to place my thumb as a stopper, and watch my 580EX flash go for an expensive dive.

Here is an image of my current set up.

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Have you looked through the "Show us your macro rig" thread yet? The Delta flash bracket seems to be quite popular and works quite well.

Mrvile wrote in post #3708654
Have you looked through the "Show us your macro rig" thread yet? The Delta flash bracket seems to be quite popular and works quite well.

I love mine. It's perfect for macro work.

No. I was not aware of the thread. Going to look it up quickly.

Not sure if the Delta bracket would do the trick.

Is the articulated section strong enough to hold a 580EX flash and softbox in place and steady?

What I like about my current setup is that the flash does not move once it is locked in place. I only have the major problem of the whole thing sliding out backwards off the Vivitar bracket if I move the camera in an upwards plane.

But thanks to the pointing of that thread, it was quite informative.

Chako wrote in post #3709077
Not sure if the Delta bracket would do the trick.

Is the articulated section strong enough to hold a 580EX flash and softbox in place and steady?

What I like about my current setup is that the flash does not move once it is locked in place. I only have the major problem of the whole thing sliding out backwards off the Vivitar bracket if I move the camera in an upwards plane.

But thanks to the pointing of that thread, it was quite informative.

I don't use a softbox, but my sigma ef-500 (very close to 580 in size and weight) and big flip it barely jiggle when I'm shooting handheld.

alot of people with the delta use a home made diffuser or a sto-fen. my delta is on the way...can't wait for it!

Ok that settles it then. I will see if the local camera shop can get me one. It does look like it would solve my problem.

I am still fooling around with the Tameron 90 Macro. I was lucky enough to find a Tamron 2X BBAR teleconverter for Canon mount at a local pawn shop. Paid 28 dollars for it. Here is what I got with the 90 macro and teleconverter. All photos were hand held and in a slightly windy condition. I am still having great difficulty in getting the focus just right. More practice, and possibly an angle finder might help along the way.

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good shots.

I just shot some flies this evening. to lose the shallow DOF, i used LordV's CombineZM focus stacking method. Works great, just have to use a tripod. FREE SOFTWARE

How can you stack images of a moving subject? Now you have my curiosity picked. I had assumed that to focus stack images, they should be of static objects, much like doing HDR photos.

correct just like HDR. i used a "slightly unconscious" fly.

Hi,

Is the Stroboframe Lepp Macro Flash Bracket still available? I use one with MT-24EX. The bracket provided with the MT-24EX didn't provide enough flexibility for my tastes. If you want small ballheads under the flash units, the Deluxe version of the Lepp bracket came with those.

IMHO, 580EX is way too strong a flash for macro work (well, actually I don't have a 580EX, but use three 550EX... close enuf in terms of light output and still not my usual choice for macro). A 220EX might be a better flash, if using a non-macro-dedicated flash.

A cheap and easy flash diffuser is a couple layers of white gauze held over the flash tube with a rubber band. White gauze is available at just about any grocery store or pharmacy. Add or subtract layers to increase or decrease diffusion effect.

A small reflector is also handy. I use one from Photoflex that's got a choice of five sides: gold, silver, silver/gold mixed, white diffusion and black. It's not only useful to bounce some light (daylight or flash) for fill, but also can provide some handy "portable shade" for high contrast, full sun, noontime shooting. Folds up small enough to fit in one of my backpack's pockets.

Nice shots, but maybe using F9-F11 will improve the DOF.

Yes, check the macro section, those that use standard flashed with a bracket talk about it there, myself I use the MT-24EX twin macro flash. It will be worth you getting a ETTL-II compatible flash IMHO, the MT-24EX works very well and I don't need to figure magnification light loss into the flash setting.

You might find a bulky reflector like that too big for getting into small insects very close BTW.

Focus stacking on moving subjects can be done, LordV has a tutorial on using combineZ in the macro section (all these threads should be stickies near the start). I tend to manually stack using layers in photoshop. A good technique can be to use the "motor drive' mode and fire off shots as you sweep the focus through the subject, just try to avoid any rotation.

interesting stuff, i just went out and tried some of LordV's dewdrop refractions. There was a tiny bit of wind, so the stacking didn't look that good. I used CombineZM. I'll try the manual method in PS. Thanks! Here's one...not stacked so the DOF is SHALLOW!

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