Strawberry.. what am I doing wrong?

I have been lurking a while and decided to take the plunge and spend $20 on some ebay extension tubes. I wanted to try the whole thing before I spent serious bucks on decent tubes or a dedicated macro.
My first problem is lack of clarity. I just can't seem to get a pin sharp focus even with a f1.4 50mm and the rate times I manage the DOF is less than a mm.
Anyway.. I struck an interesting issue with a strawberry. After seeing someone do a great pic I thought I would give it a go.
I had a light above and to the left and a flash unit above and to the right yet no matter which lens I use I get a big black band on the bottom like this :

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Your shutter speed (1/320") is too high for your flash?

Try dropping it down to 1/250" or 1/200"

that's it !! I guess the light was still moving. Now I have to stop it over exposing but thanks for the tip !

edit :It's a tiny DOF but at least it can be seen now !

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If you attach the 50mm lens normally to the camera first set the aperture to say F8 or F11, depress the DOF preview button and remove the lens whilst keeping the button depressed then the lens will stay stopped down when you then attach it to the ext tubes (problem with the cheap tubes is no aperture control). You will end up with a dimmer viewfinder but considerably more DOF.

Brian V.

Have a look at this link by Waleed
https://photography-on-the.net …4112&highlight=​strawberry

LordV wrote in post #4587837
If you attach the 50mm lens normally to the camera first set the aperture to say F8 or F11, depress the DOF preview button and remove the lens whilst keeping the button depressed then the lens will stay stopped down when you then attach it to the ext tubes (problem with the cheap tubes is no aperture control). You will end up with a dimmer viewfinder but considerably more DOF.

Brian V.

ahh, this answers another question I had. I knew that the cheap tubes had no control but even if I set it for F22 I got the same DOF, I figured it might have something to do with tubes... thank you.

excellent, thanks !

Brian, you have managed to fix my main issue .. this is a quickie but all of a sudden I am off and running ... thanks again !

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My last strawberry pic, I promise !

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xa-coupe wrote in post #4587966
My last strawberry pic, I promise !

much better..well done../now show us some insects..:p

macro junkie wrote in post #4588101
much better..well done../now show us some insects..:p

I'll find some tomorrow .. it's dark out now

xa-coupe wrote in post #4588118
I'll find some tomorrow .. it's dark out now

use a torch..heheheh im joking

macro junkie wrote in post #4588289
use a torch..heheheh im joking

No you weren't.

S7000 wrote in post #4592879
No you weren't.

I'm scared of the dark so it was never going to happen

one little bugger that stood still...... Had to crop it down a bit otherwise he was a little lost in the pic.

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Now, if you really want to get into the macro "bug", take a look at Brian's tutorials:

http://www.dgrin.com/s​howthread.php?t=50752

And acquaint yourself with focus stacking (if you haven't already):

http://hadleyweb.pwp.b​lueyonder.co.uk/CZM/Ne​ws.htm

Great links, thanks Glenn !