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Posts Tagged ‘Macro’

How to Take the Perfect Macro Photo (Step-By-Step Guide)

22 Jul

The post How to Take the Perfect Macro Photo (Step-By-Step Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how you can take the perfect macro photo.

I’m talking about macro photos that are unbelievably good – the kind of photo that professionals strive for.

Because it turns out there are a few simple macro secrets. And if you use them regularly, you can practically guarantee some gorgeous macro images.

Are you ready for some step-by-step instructions that will take your macro images to the next level?

Let’s dive right in.

Step 1: Shoot during the right light (clouds or Golden-Hour!)

Macro photography starts with light.

And without good light?

Your photos just won’t work.

But what counts as good light for macro photography?

First of all, the golden hours are amazing for macro photography. If you shoot during the hour or two after sunrise and the hour or two before sunset, you’re guaranteed incredible light.

You do have to be careful about the light’s direction. During the golden hours, the sun is low in the sky. This means that the light hits your subject from an angle. And this angle will affect how your photos turn out.

In general, frontlight is the best type of light for macro photography.

(Frontlight refers to light that comes from over your shoulder, and hits the front of your subject.)

So if you stick to frontlight, you’ll do just fine.

If you struggle to find the best position for frontlight, try pointing your shadow at your subject. That way, you can be sure that your subject is always perfectly lit.

However, the golden hours aren’t the only type of good light for macro photography.

You can also shoot beautiful macro photos when the day is heavily overcast.

Because clouds diffuse the light, making it nice and soft.

With soft light, you don’t have to worry about the direction. Instead, focus on shooting subjects with color. The soft light will make the hues more vivid.

And speaking of subjects:

Step 2: Find a single stand-out subject

All perfect macro photos need a strong subject.

Something that stands out. Something that can act as a focal point for your photo. Something that anchors the shot.

There are dozens of possible macro photography subjects, including:

  • Flowers
  • Insects
  • Rocks
  • Feathers
  • Leaves

But here’s the thing:

The particular category of the subject isn’t important. You can take amazing macro photos of flowers or insects, rocks or feathers.

What’s important is that you choose the right flower, the right insect, the right rock.

Because you need to choose a subject that’s going to stand out from its surroundings. That is, you should aim for a subject that contrasts with the environment (ideally in multiple ways).

For instance, your subject can be sharp, while its surroundings are soft.

Your subject can be dark, while its surroundings are light.

Your subject can be red, while its surroundings are green.

The point is for your subject to stand out. If your subject blends in with the environment, the shot generally won’t work. Because almost every macro photo needs an anchor.

Note that this means your subject shouldn’t overlap chaotically with other, similar objects. For instance, you don’t want a flower that’s surrounding by other distracting flowers.

Bottom line:

Make sure your subject is powerful. That’s the first step to capturing the perfect macro photo.

Step 3: Find a simple background that enhances the subject

You know the importance of a stand-out subject.

But your background is important, too.

If you want to capture a stunning macro photo, you’ve got to make sure that your background is totally aligned with this goal.

What makes for the perfect macro background?

First, the perfect background is simple. It doesn’t have much going on. It doesn’t distract.

Second, the perfect background enhances the photo as a whole. That is, it adds a splash of color, or creates a pure white look for the subject to rest on.

In general, you can make your macro backgrounds simple by creating a deep blur. You do this two ways:

  1. Use a wide aperture (in the f/2.8 to f/5.6 range).
  2. Have a large subject-to-background distance. For this, make sure that your background is off in the distance.

To enhance the photo with your background is harder. I like to make backgrounds by using the sun-shade technique – where you make sure that your subject is in the shade, and your background is in golden sun.

That’s how I was able to capture backgrounds like this one:

If you can’t use the sun-shade technique, that’s okay. Try to find a background that includes a bit of color – such as a distant autumn tree.

Note that you can often find better backgrounds by simply walking around your subject and observing it from multiple angles. Try getting down low, shooting from up high, or getting on a level with your subject.

Step 4: Pick the perfect settings for a sharp, well-exposed macro photo

Once you’ve chosen a subject and a background, it’s time to choose your macro settings.

I’ll start by sharing my common settings, and then explain why I choose them and what I suggest you work with.

When I shoot macro photography, I use Manual mode, because I like tweaking both my shutter speed and aperture to try out different looks. However, it can also make sense to work in Aperture Priority mode if you’re not interested in playing with different shutter speeds for creative results.

I don’t recommend Shutter Priority mode, because this relinquishes control over your aperture – and aperture is something that you should absolutely choose yourself.

Speaking of aperture: I consistently use apertures between f/2.8 and f/5.6. This gives me the perfect blurry background – which, as I mentioned above, helps create a stand-out subject.

However, macro photographers sometimes prefer their subject to be sharp throughout. In this case, you’ll need an aperture in the area of f/16 and beyond, and you’ll need a tripod. In fact, if your subject is very three-dimensional, you’ll need to focus stack (a technique that’s beyond the scope of this article).

I tend to work handheld (because I like the flexibility). This means that I rarely let my shutter speed drop below 1/120th of a second. But if you use a tripod, you’re free to let your shutter speed drop far below this mark (if there’s absolutely no wind, that is!).

In general, I advocate using the lowest ISO you can get away with. You want to minimize noise as much as possible. So try to keep this down.

Finally, make sure that you switch from autofocus to manual focus, especially if you’re working at high magnifications. You simply can’t focus well with autofocus at macro magnifications, no matter how good your lens. So manual focus is key to getting the perfect shot.

And that’s it! Take your shot – and admire it! Because if you’ve followed the instructions above, it’s going to look really, really stunning.

How to take the perfect macro photo: next steps

You know how to take the perfect macro photo.

You know how to find the perfect light, the perfect subject, and the perfect background.

You even know the perfect macro photography settings.

So go out and take some perfect macro photos of your own!

Which step in capturing a perfect macro photo do you struggle with the most? Leave a comment right now letting me know – and I’ll see what I can do to help!

 

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The post How to Take the Perfect Macro Photo (Step-By-Step Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS sample gallery

28 Jun

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The Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS is Panasonic’s standard zoom and kit lens for L-mount cameras including the Lumix DC-S1R and Lumix DC-S1. We’ve been using this lens a lot lately, and though it doesn’t carry the ‘Pro’ designation like Panasonic’s other two L-mount lenses, it’s still a solid performer. Let us know if you feel the same in the comments below.

See our Panasonic S 24-105mm F4 gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM Macro Review

27 Jun
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The RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM is one of four lenses announced alongside the Canon EOS R, the first camera in the company’s new EOS R mirrorless system.

Something of an odd one out in that quartet, it’s the only non L-series lens released for the RF line to date, although that will soon change with the arrival of the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM later this year. It’s also around half the price of the next cheapest lens in the system, while its focal length and aperture, combined with the fact that it’s a prime lens, also allow it to be considerably smaller and lighter than every other option so far. All of this should mean it holds particular appeal for EOS RP owners who’d like to start exploring the native lens selection but find their camera bodies – and/or wallets – overwhelmed by the other current native offerings.

A 35mm F1.8 option is a fairly sensible and versatile lens to have at the start of a system, and its broad appeal should pique the interest of street, travel, nature, portraiture and even landscape photographers. The added bonus of image stabilization also makes the absence of sensor-based stabilization from the current bodies less of an issue, while ‘Macro’ in the name indicates a close focusing distance of 17cm / 6.7 in (albeit shy of being truly macro, offering a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2).

All pictures by Matt Golowczynski unless otherwise noted.

Key Specifications:

  • Focal length: 35mm
  • Aperture range: F1.8-22 (In 1/3EV stops)
  • Filter thread: 52mm
  • Close focus: 0.17m (0.56ft / 6.7in)
  • Maximum magnification: 0.5x
  • Diaphragm blades: 9
  • Hood: EW-52 (optional)
  • Length / Diameter: approx. 74.4 x 62.8mm (2.93 x 2.47in)
  • Weight: approx. 305g (approx. 10.8 oz.)
  • Optical construction: 11 elements in 9 groups

The lens has a new formula that sees 11 elements arranged in nine groups. This includes a single glass moulded aspherical element within the focusing group in the middle of the formula, which is in place both to combat spherical aberration and also to keep image quality consistent over focusing distances.

With the lens mounted on either the EOS R or EOS RP, you have access to Canon’s full suite of aberration-rectifying options that deal with vignetting, lateral chromatic aberration, distortion and diffraction, in addition to the Digital Lens Optimizer that aims to counter the softening effects from diffraction, among other things.

The optical design of the RF 35mm F1.8 Macro is similar to the older EF 35mm F2, but flipped. Whereas the older optic (designed for DSLRs) has a large front element and a small rear element, the RF 35mm F1.8 (designed for mirrorless) has a small front element and a large rear element.

Canon has pointed out how the RF mount’s width and the short flange back distance gives new freedom to lens designers, and the optical design here – or, more specifically, the way in which this differs from existing designs in similar lenses – appears to back that up. The rearmost element sits very close to the back of the lens itself and is the largest in the array. Canon claims that this is one of the key reasons for the high corner-to-corner sharpness, even when the lens is used wide open. A diagram of the optical construction also shows that the aperture diaphragm is positioned relatively close towards the front of the lens, which is said to be one reason why the lens can offer such a wide aperture without compromising on size.

The diaphragm is made up of nine blades, which bodes well for round bokeh, while the minimum focusing distance of 17cm gives a minimum working distance – i.e. the distance from the front of the lens to the subject – of 7cm.

A hood isn’t provided with the lens as standard, and that may well be explained by the likelihood of the average user needing or wanting to use it with such an optic. Still, for this kind of money it’s a bit disappointing not to have a hood included.

Design and Handling

Not only is this is the lightest and most compact RF lens so far, but the roadmap Canon unveiled towards the start of the year suggests that will remain so for a while. It’s 30g lighter than the existing EF 35mm F2 IS USM and just a fraction wider, but 70g lighter and considerably shorter in length than the Nikon Z 35mm F1.8. Unlike the latter lens, however, this one isn’t weather sealed.

The lens balances very nicely on the EOS R body and is light enough to allow for one-handed operation when required. Two large switches on the barrel provide control over focus mode and image stabilization, and these click between positions positively. They also barely protrude from the casing, which makes it difficult to inadvertently knock them out of place.

The outer barrel’s matte gray finish mirrors that of the EOS R body, as does the silvery rear of the inner lens barrel with the host cameras throat. The mount is metal and build quality overall appears to be perfectly good.

The lens is encircled by a Control Ring towards its front and a focusing ring towards the middle of the barrel. While the pair sit close to each other, their different finish, together with the fact that the Control Ring is clickable, mean you’re unlikely to mistake them in use.

You can customize the action performed by the Control Ring to your liking, or even deactivate it completely if that suits you, and it’s also possible to switch the direction of rotation if the default arrangement bothers you. If enabled, you can opt for it adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO or exposure compensation, and in each case you can select whether the ring adjusts these at all times or only when you have your finger half-pressed on the shutter release button. The setting you select stays the same between exposure modes, which you probably won’t find to be an issue unless you tend to hop between exposure modes with some frequency.

Some predictable limitations occur with some combinations or setting and exposure mode, such as no exposure compensation control in manual mode, and no adjustment of aperture in shutter priority mode (and vice-versa).

The Control Ring provides excellent feedback, with increments nice and coarse, and the camera responds without any delay. Those looking to use the lens for video might be disheartened to learn there’s no way to alternate be-tween clicked and de-clicked operation, but if you’re happy with it being permanently de-clicked, Canon can do this for you (for a fee).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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7Artisans 60mm F2.8 APS-C macro lens for mirrorless cameras now available

12 Jun

Chinese company 7Artisans has launched the 60mm F2.8 APS-C macro lens that first appeared earlier this year. The new manual focus lens features a minimum 26cm (10in) focusing distance, F2.8 to F16 aperture, 8 elements in 7 groups, a 39mm filter size, de-clicked aperture ring, and 550g (19.4oz) weight.

The new 7Artisans macro lens is made from aluminum alloy and supports extension attachments for shooting 2:1 and 3:1 macro images. 7Artisans says its new lens offers ‘excellent image quality at infinity and 1:1 macro conditions.’ Below is a collection of sample images provided by 7Artisans:

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The new 7Artisans model is available for Canon EOS M, Canon EOS RF, Fujifilm X, MFT, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sample gallery update: Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS Macro

27 May

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Canon’s RF 35mm F1.8 IS Macro is a compact, affordable prime lens for the new EOS R system. The only non – ‘L’ lens currently available for Canon’s mirrorless EOS R and RP, the 35mm F1.8 offers a versatile focal length for everyday shooting, optical stabilization and a useful semi-macro focus capability.

We’re working on a full review of the RF 35mm F1.8 right now, but in the meantime we just added several images to our previously-published sample gallery.

See our updated Canon RF 35mm F1.8 sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Honor 20 Pro launches with F1.4 aperture and dedicated macro camera

22 May

Huawei sub-brand Honor has launched its new flagship smartphone and, as rumored, the Honor 20 Pro is the first smartphone to come with an F1.4 aperture in its primary camera. But that’s not the only news. The new model also comes with a dedicated 2MP macro camera that has been optimized for image capture at a subject distance of only 1.5 inches (4cm) and uses a F2.2 aperture.

The primary camera features a 48MP Sony IMX586 1/2″ Quad-Bayer sensor that produces 12MP image output. The lens is optically stabilized.

The tele lens has an equivalent focal length of approximately 80mm and an F2.4 aperture. It also comes with OIS. Finally, there’s a 16MP ultra wide-angle camera with a 117-degree field of view and F2.2 aperture.

A AIS Super Night Mode captures several frames in quick succession, discard the blurry or otherwise unusable ones, and merges the rest into one high-quality low-light image. The 48MP AI Ultra Clarity Mode uses similar methods for additional detail in bright light.

The front camera offers a 32MP pixel count and is located inside a hole in the 6.26” 1080p+ LCD display. The device is powered by the same Kirin 980 chipset as the Huawei P30 Pro and comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. The 4,000mAh battery can be charged from flat to 50% in 30 minutes.

The Honor 20 Pro will be available soon at a price point that makes it look like an attractive alternative to some more established competitors. The device will cost you €600 ($ 670) in Europe. No pricing information for other regions has been released yet.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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5 Tips for Stunning Macro Photography

20 May

The post 5 Tips for Stunning Macro Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Do you want to capture gorgeous macro photography?

Macro photography might feel like a struggle. But it doesn’t have to be. By using a few simple tricks you can capture amazing macro photos consistently.

So if you’re interested in taking your macro images to the next level, follow these five tips.

1. Simplify your macro composition’s subjects and colors

All great macro photos have a carefully chosen composition. That is, the elements in the photos have been arranged in the most beautiful way possible.

So if you want to capture amazing macro photography, you need to carefully choose your compositions, too.

And the number one rule of composition?

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Start by choosing a subject for your photo. Something that stands out – ideally the thing that initially drew you to the scene.

And once you’ve found your subject, hit your viewer over the head with it. Remove any distractions from the scene. If there are stray twigs in the background, remove them. If there’s something unpleasant in the foreground, change your angle.

The goal is to isolate your subject in every way possible. You want the viewer to know exactly what they’re supposed to look at.

But as well as removing all the physical distractions, you should also remove all the distracting colors.

A macro photo should have three colors or fewer – four if you’re really struggling. But no more than that.

Because too many colors cause chaos.

And in macro photography you absolutely need to avoid chaos.

You need to simplify.

2. Increase the subject-to-background distance for beautiful macro backgrounds

Now you understand the importance of simplifying. But it’s not just the subject of the photo you need to simplify. You also need to simplify the background.

The best macro photography backgrounds are clean, simple and uniform. They don’t take away from the subject. Instead, they complement the subject and help it stand out.

But how do you create such a simple, clean background?

One way is to increase the distance between the subject and the background, and use a very wide aperture (something in the f/2.8 to f/4 range).

Why? Because the farther the subject is from the background, the greater the aperture needed to keep everything in focus. And so at very wide apertures the whole background becomes  wonderfully blurry.

This background blur is called bokeh. And macro photographers love it because it helps the subject to stand out.

Just remember that when it comes to macro photography backgrounds, blurrier is almost always better.

So use a wide aperture, and increase the subject to background distance.

You’ll get far better shots that way.

3. Focus manually for the best macro photography detail

Do you ever struggle to nail the focus while doing macro photography?

It’s a common problem. Since you’re working at such high magnifications, the autofocus on your lens will undoubtedly struggle. And it’ll often miss your point of focus entirely.

Fortunately, there’s a simple workaround for this problem: manual focus.

Manual focus lets you change the point of focus using the ring on the lens. Twist the lens ring and the focus moves, allowing you to focus close, far away, then close again without using the lens’s autofocus.

This is extremely useful for macro photography. Even at high magnifications, you’ll be able to consistently nail the focus.

As long as you switch over to manual focus, of course.

A couple of tips:

  • Turn the manual focus ring gently. You don’t want to go at it aggressively. Instead, move smoothly.
  • If you’re struggling to lock focus on your subject, try using autofocus to get you in the general area. Then fine tune the focus with manual.

Manual focus may take a bit of practice to master. But it’ll be worth it in the end.

4. Shoot into the sun for amazing background bokeh

Now we’ve reached the fun part of this article: How to generate gorgeous background bokeh.

As I mentioned earlier, bokeh refers to a beautiful blurry background.

And here’s the thing: If you can create amazing bokeh in your macro photos you’re practically guaranteed a great shot, because it will make your shot stand out from the crowd.

But how do you capture stunning bokeh?

Here’s one simple trick you can use: shoot into the sun.

First, wait until the sun is low in the sky (early morning or late afternoon).

Next, find a subject and place that subject between you and the sun. Crouch down low so the sun is behind your subject.

Now, move around until you find an area where the sun is broken up by something – tree branches, leaves, etc. You want the sun to shine through these tree branches, hit your subject, and then hit you.

Why is this so important?

Well, broken sunlight ultimately creates the best bokeh. Those smaller pinpricks of sunlight produce amazing backgrounds.

Note: You don’t want the full sun in your frame. Otherwise the sky will be far too bright and your picture will lack serious detail. Instead, block the sunlight with your subject. If you like, let the sun peek out from behind. (In fact, this can result in some especially interesting effects.)

Bottom line?

If you can create amazing bokeh, your macro photography will be stunning. So create it whenever possible.

5. Find shade-sun combinations for gorgeous colors

Here’s a final macro photography tip for you (and one of my favorites).

If you want to create wonderful, pastel-like colors in your macro photos, use shade-sun combinations.

When the sun is low in the sky, go out looking for subjects. Shadows will be long, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding a nice subject in the shade.

Get ready to photograph that subject. But before you actually take the shot, carefully position yourself so the background of the shot is sun-drenched.

This works amazingly well, because the sunny background will be soft and golden. And golden light is amazing for bokeh.

You’ll capture photos like this:

And this:

With a bit of patience, you should be able to find many great backgrounds by using this trick.

So don’t forget to try it.

Stunning macro photography: next steps

Capturing amazing macro photos doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to know a few tricks.

For instance, you have to simplify your compositions.

You have to create beautiful backgrounds.

And you have to focus manually.

If you can do that, your macro photos will be amazing in no time at all.

We’d love you to go out and try these techniques, and share your macro photos with us in the comments below.

The post 5 Tips for Stunning Macro Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Weekly Photography Challenge – Macro

18 May

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Macro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s photography challenge topic is MACRO!

Image by Jaymes Dempsey.

Go out and capture flowers, objects, insects etc. Just be sure they are really close up! They can be color, black and white, moody or bright. You get the picture! Have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Image by Rick Ohnsman.

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting MACRO

Macro Photography on a Budget: An introduction to Close-up Filters

Getting Started with Abstract Macro Photography

How to Give Your Macro Photography a Fine Art Touch in Post-Processing

5 Surprising Macro Photography Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity

Reverse Lens Macro – How to Make Macro Photos with “Backward Thinking”

Creative Macro Photography – Using Fairy Lights

How to Choose the Perfect Macro Lens

Weekly Photography Challenge – MACRO

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSmacro to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Macro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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Venus Optics announces pricing, availability of its Laowa 100mm F2.8 2:1 macro lens

10 May

Venus Optics has announced that the Laowa 100mm F2.8 macro lens it first showed at Photokina last year will cost $ 449 and will begin shipping at the end of this month. The 100mm Ultra-Macro APO lens can achieve 2:1 magnification and joins the company’s 60mm F2.8 with the same magnification ratio to create a unique line-up of macro optics.

The version designed for Canon EF mount has electronic contacts to drive aperture control and EXIF data

The lens will be available for Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE mounts, and will come with slight variations depending on the mount version. The Canon model is chipped and has an aperture motor to enable body-controlled aperture changes and for EXIF data to be stored in the image. The Canon version will also has a nine-bladed iris, while the Nikon model features a seven-blade aperture diaphragm. The Sony FE version of the lens will has a 13 blade aperture diaphragm.

Below are a few sample photos provided by Laowa:

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Laowa says it has worked hard to suppress chromatic aberrations, not only in focused areas but also areas not covered by the depth-of-field – which it points out is a problem for many other lenses.

A tripod collar is available for an additional $ 30. For more information see the Venus Optics website.

Press release:

Venus Optics announces availability and pricing for Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO

Featuring a 2 times life-size reproduction with no visible CA, the new Laowa Macro is a high quality and versatile macro and portrait lens.

China, 7 May 2019 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, is proud to announce the availability and pricing of the new Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro APO lens.

Followed by the success of the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro, the 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro is the 2nd member of Laowa 2:1 macro line-up. This new 100mm lens can cover full frame sensor and focus from 2:1 magnification to infinity. 100mm is a more popular focal length for macro photographers. However, all of the current 100mm macro lenses in the market can only achieve 1:1 (life-size) or even smaller magnification. Shooting with smaller bugs is usually a challenge for macro photographers. The wider magnification range of the new Laowa Macro allows photographers to capture subjects at any size, making it one of the most versatile macro lens in the market. Despite having the wider range, Venus Optics manage to compress the size of the lens to the minimal and it is similar to other 1:1 macro lens in the market.

Laowa 100mm 2:1 Macro lens also features an apochromatic (APO) characteristic that chromatic aberration is invisible. Chromatic aberration (CA) is one of the most challenging topic for optics designer as it can usually ruin a perfect image. Some of the macro lenses in the market controls the chromatic aberration at the ‘in-focus’ area really well but the CA is uncontrollable in ‘out-of-focus’ rendition. The Laowa 100mm, however, delivers an exceptional performance on chromatic aberration suppression, both at the ‘in-focus’ area as well as ‘out-of-focus’ area. The subject in the image will not be polluted of any unwanted color fringing.

The Canon version of the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro lens is integrated with a CPU chip and aperture motor. Photographers can now control the aperture and exposure through the camera itself and record the EXIF data into the photos. A focus indicator will also be shown in the camera to assist focus. This new feature also benefits macro photographers when composing at smaller f-stop as the aperture will only close when shutter is released, making the viewfinder so much brighter.

Not only it is an exceptional macro lens, the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 is also a very decent portrait lens when focus to infinity. The 12 elements in 10 groups optics design delivers a crystal sharpness image in both macro and infinity distances. The bright f/2.8 and circular aperture renders softly diffused bokeh and isolates the subject from its background. The lens has an internal focusing structure that will not extend when focus is changed. A multi-layer coating has also been applied to reduce lens flare and ghosting for increased contrast. Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE mounts are currently available.

Pricing & Availability

The suggested retail selling price in US of the new Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO lens is USD 449/pc (ex-VAT). Pricing varies in different countries.

The lens is now available to order from Venus Optics authorized resellers and official website (http://www.venuslens.net/) . Shipping is expected to start from late May onwards.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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My thoughts on the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G Lens and the 105mm Macro

28 Apr

The post My thoughts on the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G Lens and the 105mm Macro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

I must tell you first of all that before I had the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G lens, I have always used the bigger and heavier big brother – the Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G Macro. While this article will be about what I think of the 60mm, I feel I must also compare it with the 105mm as I have used both.

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Lens specs

Let’s start with the basic similarities: both are prime lenses with an f/2.8 maximum aperture and f/32 minimum aperture, have the same number of diaphragm blades and both rounded blades. Both are autofocus, and being G lenses, have an internal ultrasonic motor type.

In terms of differences, the 105mm has vibration reduction while the 60mm hasn’t. The 105mm weighs in at 720g, much heavier due to the size and optics with 14 elements compared to the 60mm at 425g with 12 elements. Interestingly, both have the same filter thread size at 62mm which I found handy when changing filters.

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The main difference, however, for me (and the most crucial one of all) is the focusing distance, which is roughly 6 inches for the 60mm and double that for the 105mm at 12 inches. Why does this difference matter to me?

With the 60mm, I need to be really close to the subject to fill the frame. It can get quite tricky when being so close and sometimes I revert to manually focusing the lens. When photographing rings, to get a really great shot, you have to be extremely close for the ring to take up a lot of the frame. As I usually prop both the ring and lens on a steady surface, I can take my time to focus and get really close.

However, because it’s a wider lens than the 105, sometimes I just can’t fill the frame enough with very tiny objects. I then resort to cropping in post-production for these instances.

The 105mm lens with it’s narrower field of view means I don’t have to get as close to the subject and still can get close enough to fill the frame with it. I find there is less need for cropping in post-production too. Because I am usually photographing still life objects such as rings, movement isn’t an issue. However, this becomes one if you were photographing, say insects, where you can’t be close enough otherwise you disturb them and lose the insects as well as your shot.

When I use these lenses

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Generally, and as a rule, when I’m doing smaller and shorter shoots like an engagement session, I bring three lenses – wide, medium and long. Because my shoots are mostly on location and often we walk around quite a lot, I try to pack as lightly as possible. For these types of shoots, I use my three prime lenses: a 35mm f/1.4 G, an 85mm f/1.8G, and a 105mm f/2.8 macro. The 105mm here acts as my longer lens and my macro without the bulk of the 70-200mm zoom and another micro lens being the 60mm.

When I do a wedding that only requires a few hours coverage, I also don’t bring my entire arsenal. Instead, I carefully choose my lenses to make sure I have everything covered for those hours. For short weddings, I pack my 24-70mm f/2.8 G, 70-200mm f/2.8G, 85mm f/1.8G, and 60mm f/2.8G. I don’t need the bulk of the 105mm when I cover that focal length with my zoom but I still need a macro, and the 60mm is perfect.

How I use these lenses

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I find the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens is such a versatile focal length and being a micro lens means I do not have to carry my 50mm f/1.4G along with my other lenses anymore. It fulfills both macro capability – mainly for the ring shot and close-up details like food, table setting, and flowers – and a versatile focal length that allows for natural portraits without distortion and those not-so-close-up details.

When using the 60mm for portraits, I am usually shooting with apertures between f/2.8 – f/5.6. When using it as a micro/macro, I am shooting at apertures between f/7.1 – f/11.

The 105mm, as well as being a macro lens, is also perfect for portraits and gives you that creamy bokeh with gorgeous background compression.

When using the 105mm for portraits (which I love doing), I am usually shooting with apertures between f/2.8 – f/4. When using it as a micro/macro, I am shooting at apertures between f/7.1 – f/8. I find that this lens really sings at f/7.1. I have set my camera to 1/3 stops hence the f/7.1.

Performance

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Both lenses have top specs and perform brilliantly. Generally speaking, I find that when shooting with both lenses, more ambient or available light is required.

Both lenses tend to produce more vignetting than other lenses. However, there is one main difference to the performance of both lenses. Provided there is enough light for the subject matter, the 60mm is faster and quicker to grab focus whereas the 105mm is slower and often hunts for focus. The 60mm works better for moving objects without flash than the 105mm in the same scenario. While the use of artificial light such as electronic flashes does away with this issue, I am mainly speaking about natural or ambient light.

Recommendation

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In summary, I highly recommend both lenses both in quality and overall performance. I think there is a lens for each purpose. You just need to analyze which lens you require to achieve your aim. I don’t think there is a one lens for all. My preference is for prime lenses because of their cleanness and sharpness of images, and for me, they perform better.

However, they cannot compare with the zoom lenses when it comes to fast-moving and hectic shoots like weddings where I physically cannot be zooming in and out with my feet all day.

If you are looking for a prime that gives you the flexibility to shoot portraits and macro, then the 105mm is your lens. However, if you are after more of a travel, photojournalistic, natural view type of images and need a micro, then the 60mm would be my suggestion.

On family holidays, I used to carry my 50mm f/1.4 G. You can read here an article I have written on 5 creative uses of the 50mm. But that was during my pre-60mm days. Since then, my 60mm has replaced my 50mm for these occasions. If I am only allowed one lens for family holidays and travel, I go for the 60mm. I may have lost the wider aperture of the 50mm f/1.4 G, but as holidays are usually during the summer when light is abundant, the difference it makes is not an issue.

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I hope you found this helpful. Do let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

The post My thoughts on the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G Lens and the 105mm Macro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.


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