Help needed with macro mode...

[Benner]

I am needing some camera help.

When trying to take some close up pics of my PST's wire cutters for Nomad, I thought I would use super macro for it.  I set up the focus manually and had a really great close up but it came out very very dark.  I then used the flash which just blew the picture.

Any advice on this guys?

Thanks

Benner

[Roadie]

If you've got a desk lamp or two try pointing them at the source, if you're just using the normal room light then there probably won't be enough light to get a decent photo.
Another thing i do rather than use the super macro mode is to use the normal macro and move the camera further away and zoom in, sometimes gives clearer pics.
My 2p's worth of suggestions!

Roadie

[WhichDawg]

If you've got a desk lamp or two try pointing them at the source, if you're just using the normal room light then there probably won't be enough light to get a decent photo.
Another thing i do rather than use the super macro mode is to use the normal macro and move the camera further away and zoom in, sometimes gives clearer pics.
My 2p's worth of suggestions!

Roadie

+1 I agree, more lighting (even colored lights), farther away with zoom, a decent tripod should be used (table top would be fine)

[Benner]

I use a pretty good tripod already.

Ok I'll give it a go further away but zoomed in and see if that helps.

Thanks guys. 

[Roadie]

Here's a quick setup i just did to demonstrate, how i'd do it if i didn't have my lightbox.

This gave this pic.

[Benner]

Hmmm.  Think I'm going to have to go get me a desk lamp.

[Roadie]

Got mine from Ikea, their halogen so fairly bright, for around £5. But i'm sure you can find some cheaper than that.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Tesco's had them for £3.97 a while back

[Benner]

Tesco's had them for £3.97 a while back

Sounds like my kinda price!

I probably have an old desk lamp around here somewhere. 

[WhichDawg]

just watch them incandescent lights, makes things red/orange-ish!

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Tesco's had them for £3.97 a while back

Sounds like my kinda price!

I probably have an old desk lamp around here somewhere. 

Even if they are pure evil

[Benner]

Tesco's had them for £3.97 a while back

Sounds like my kinda price!

I probably have an old desk lamp around here somewhere. 

Even if they are pure evil

Can't say I have ever had a problem with a desk lamp myself. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

No wally, tesco's are evil

[Roadie]

Another thought, could you use your Sidewinder* to illuminate the tool, i know the head can rotate but can it rotate enough?

*(that is the one with the swivel head isnt it?)

[NutSAK]

just watch them incandescent lights, makes things red/orange-ish!

Ben, be sure to set your white balance to tungsten if you're using incandescent lighting (in the functions menu).  It does a great job of compensating.  You can also use the custom white balance option by using a white sheet of paper under whatever light you're using.

[Benner]

Another thought, could you use your Sidewinder* to illuminate the tool, i know the head can rotate but can it rotate enough?

*(that is the one with the swivel head isnt it?)

The head rotates 185 degrees so it doesn't really face down enough.

[Benner]

just watch them incandescent lights, makes things red/orange-ish!

Ben, be sure to set your white balance to tungsten if you're using incandescent lighting (in the functions menu).  It does a great job of compensating.  You can also use the custom white balance option by using a white sheet of paper under whatever light you're using.

Thanks Terry, I will look into that and hopefully experiment again tonight.

[NutSAK]

The macro mode doesn't really do anything for you but allow you to focus at objects with the lens very close to them.  As stated before, you can get the same results if you back off and use zoom.

Macro mode also sets the camera to a large aperture.  This is what allows macro mode to have that look where the focal point of the picture is in focus, but the other bits, farther away from the focal point, fade out of focus.  This gives the impression of depth in the photo.  You can achieve the same results by using aperture priority mode (Av on your Canon's mode dial).  This mode will keep focus and shutter speed automatic, but allow manual aperture changes.  To achieve a large aperture as in macro mode, set the number (f-stop number) with the left and right arrow buttons to a LOW number, like 2.7 or 3.2.  You can experiment with the high f-stop numbers too (small aperture), and you will see that you'll lose that "depth" that I'm talking about, as more of the picture will be in focus.

This picture is a good example of a macro shot taken with a large aperture (small f-stop number):



You can see how the end of the knife closest to the lens is in focus, whereas the other end of the knife is out of focus.  This is where the "depth" of a macro shot comes from.  You could take this picture with a small aperture (large f-stop number), and the entire knife would be in focus.

[Benner]

Well I tried what you guys suggested and here are the results...





Terry, I had changed to Tungsten and you were right it did make a huge improvement.  But I then changed to a different setting and I forgot to change it back    so the colour is a little off.

[Roadie]

Much improved Ben! Nice work, there'll be no stopping you now!

[Benner]

Much improved Ben! Nice work, there'll be no stopping you now!

Still need to work on placing my lighting correctly and need to play with a couple of settings, but I think they came out pretty well.

[WhichDawg]

Much improved Ben! Nice work, there'll be no stopping you now!

Still need to work on placing my lighting correctly and need to play with a couple of settings, but I think they came out pretty well.

whoa! nice work and detail there! with some nice colored lightning or backrounds, we'll start calling you Doc!