Perfect Macro Technique

OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
-follow the links in the description for full pixel versions from D700
and gear setup shots.

El-Nikkor 80mm f/5.6 enlarging lens on PB-4 Bellows at f/8 and 1:1
magnification with extensive care taken to align the focus perfectly
with the face of the penny. This is possible with the PB-4 tilt and the
custom focusing rack/xyz positioning stage. The positioning stage is
screwed onto a small board along with the bellows so that the subject &
camera don't shake relative to one another. Use of an overhead projector
for light makes it much more convenient to work stopped down and seems
to give a good softbox shadow fill as well as a concentrated beam on the
subject.

Here's a closer view using a Spiratone 35mm f/3.5 bellows lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...73221/sizes/o/
-full pixel version un-cropped off a D700 and does not come close to
looking decent at that much higher magnification. The setup shot shows
how much closer this focal length & magnification is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
bellows fully extended and a lot better balanced & more stable, more
compact. I can't test full size macro lenses on this setup, it's too
short so the bellows lenses are ideal. Clearly the 35mm lens needs to be
replaced though the El-Nikkor 80mm looks excellent at 1:1, all I could
ask for & a lot more convenient and controlled than a tripod and 100mm
regular macro lens. I can actually fit this rig in a shoebox and work it
out in the field in sunlight. Before adding the overhead projector I had
to set up next to the window to see with live view and stopped down, now
I can comfortably arrange everything on the desk in front of me.

--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

Paul Furman wrote:
OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
-follow the links in the description for full pixel versions from D700
and gear setup shots.

El-Nikkor 80mm f/5.6 enlarging lens on PB-4 Bellows at f/8 and 1:1
magnification with extensive care taken to align the focus perfectly
with the face of the penny. This is possible with the PB-4 tilt and the
custom focusing rack/xyz positioning stage. The positioning stage is
screwed onto a small board along with the bellows so that the subject &
camera don't shake relative to one another. Use of an overhead projector
for light makes it much more convenient to work stopped down and seems
to give a good softbox shadow fill as well as a concentrated beam on the
subject.

Here's a closer view using a Spiratone 35mm f/3.5 bellows lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...73221/sizes/o/
-full pixel version un-cropped off a D700 and does not come close to
looking decent at that much higher magnification. The setup shot shows
how much closer this focal length & magnification is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
bellows fully extended and a lot better balanced & more stable, more
compact. I can't test full size macro lenses on this setup, it's too
short so the bellows lenses are ideal. Clearly the 35mm lens needs to be
replaced though the El-Nikkor 80mm looks excellent at 1:1, all I could
ask for & a lot more convenient and controlled than a tripod and 100mm
regular macro lens. I can actually fit this rig in a shoebox and work it
out in the field in sunlight. Before adding the overhead projector I had
to set up next to the window to see with live view and stopped down, now
I can comfortably arrange everything on the desk in front of me.

Remarkable. Similar to the Brit Pound shots I did earlier this year but
you seem to have better colour. (Of course the metals are different).

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=8355535&size=lg

Are you sure you weren't beyond 1:1 ... ?

Alan Browne wrote:
Paul Furman wrote:
OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/

-follow the links in the description for full pixel versions from D700
and gear setup shots.

El-Nikkor 80mm f/5.6 enlarging lens on PB-4 Bellows at f/8 and 1:1
magnification with extensive care taken to align the focus perfectly
with the face of the penny. This is possible with the PB-4 tilt and
the custom focusing rack/xyz positioning stage. The positioning stage
is screwed onto a small board along with the bellows so that the
subject & camera don't shake relative to one another. Use of an
overhead projector for light makes it much more convenient to work
stopped down and seems to give a good softbox shadow fill as well as a
concentrated beam on the subject.

Here's a closer view using a Spiratone 35mm f/3.5 bellows lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...73221/sizes/o/
-full pixel version un-cropped off a D700 and does not come close to
looking decent at that much higher magnification. The setup shot shows
how much closer this focal length & magnification is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/

bellows fully extended and a lot better balanced & more stable, more
compact. I can't test full size macro lenses on this setup, it's too
short so the bellows lenses are ideal. Clearly the 35mm lens needs to
be replaced though the El-Nikkor 80mm looks excellent at 1:1, all I
could ask for & a lot more convenient and controlled than a tripod and
100mm regular macro lens. I can actually fit this rig in a shoebox and
work it out in the field in sunlight. Before adding the overhead
projector I had to set up next to the window to see with live view and
stopped down, now I can comfortably arrange everything on the desk in
front of me.

Remarkable. Similar to the Brit Pound shots I did earlier this year but
you seem to have better colour. (Of course the metals are different).

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=8355535&size=lg

Are you sure you weren't beyond 1:1 ... ?

The first link is close to 1:1, I can go up to 1.7:1 with the 80mm
El-Nikkor. This is the best I could do closer-up at 5:1 with a cheap
35mm Spiratone bellows lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
It's not really up to that much magnification. I tried some other old
28, 35 & 50mm primes reversed but they got less detail. At that
magnification the Spiratone did best wide open, the El-Nikkor does
better stopped down on to f/8 but I don't have room to get closer.

--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

* Paul Furman wrote :
OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
-follow the links in the description for full pixel versions from D700
and gear setup shots.
snip /

Great work, Paul. The result speaks for itself.

--
Troy Piggins

"Paul Furman" wrote:

OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890
Nice shot.

Here's an experiment I did to convince myself there's no such thing as
perfect macro technique. Here are 4 shots of the same token, each
shot with a different form of lighting, but with the same camera, lens
and shooting position:

Afternoon sun through a skylight:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/daylight.jpg

Halogen lamps illuminating a light tent through
diffuser panels:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/cubetent.jpg

Ye olde Nikon SB-21 Ringlight:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/sb21.jpg

A pair of Nikon SB-R200's mounted positioned
across from each other on the ring.
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/sbr200s.jpg

While none are perfect, I can't say that any one of them is better
than all of the others.

--
Mike Benveniste -- (Clarification Required)
Don't succumb to the false authority of a tool or model. There
is no substitute for thinking.

Mike Benveniste wrote:
"Paul Furman" wrote:

OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890
Nice shot.

Here's an experiment I did to convince myself there's no such thing as
perfect macro technique. Here are 4 shots of the same token, each shot
with a different form of lighting, but with the same camera, lens
and shooting position:

Afternoon sun through a skylight:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/daylight.jpg

Halogen lamps illuminating a light tent through
diffuser panels:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/cubetent.jpg

Ye olde Nikon SB-21 Ringlight:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/sb21.jpg

A pair of Nikon SB-R200's mounted positioned
across from each other on the ring.
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/sbr200s.jpg

While none are perfect, I can't say that any one of them is better than
all of the others.

Lighting can be tough. I had to dodge out a blown reflection on the edge
& pushed the fill-light slider too.

--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

Paul Furman wrote:
OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
-follow the links in the description for full pixel versions from D700
and gear setup shots.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/937049/full5.jpg

Shot of the edge print on a US $5 bill using OM 80mm F4 macro lens. No
mention of the camera body used, it's a noisy "Toy camera" according to
the experts on this forum :-)

Stephanie

Mike Benveniste wrote:
"Paul Furman" wrote:

OK, just a nerdy penny shot, refining my technique:
12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890
Nice shot.

Here's an experiment I did to convince myself there's no such thing as
perfect macro technique. Here are 4 shots of the same token, each shot
with a different form of lighting, but with the same camera, lens
and shooting position:

Afternoon sun through a skylight:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/daylight.jpg

Halogen lamps illuminating a light tent through
diffuser panels:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/cubetent.jpg

Ye olde Nikon SB-21 Ringlight:
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/sb21.jpg

A pair of Nikon SB-R200's mounted positioned
across from each other on the ring.
http://www.wemightneedthat.biz/sbr200s.jpg

While none are perfect, I can't say that any one of them is better than
all of the others.


I could say that the first one is 'bad' due to the shadow falling on the
title at the top of the coin. A little "fill card" to reflect some
light into that area would have helped.

With things like coins, I suppose it's best to light it as if you were
trying to sell the coin.

wrote:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/937049/full5.jpg

Shot of the edge print on a US $5 bill using OM 80mm F4 macro lens. No
mention of the camera body used, it's a noisy "Toy camera" according to
the experts on this forum :-)

That's OK as long as there's good light.
Here's my same setup on a $5 bill:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
-that's a full pixel crop... like I said, not very sharp pixel for pixel
but still amazing detail at 5:1 magnification.


Stephanie


--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam

Paul Furman wrote:
wrote:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/937049/full5.jpg

Shot of the edge print on a US $5 bill using OM 80mm F4 macro lens. No
mention of the camera body used, it's a noisy "Toy camera" according
to the experts on this forum :-)

That's OK as long as there's good light.
Here's my same setup on a $5 bill:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehil...7622357931874/
-that's a full pixel crop... like I said, not very sharp pixel for pixel
but still amazing detail at 5:1 magnification.



My shot was full frame image, sorry for not pixel peeping with ya.

Stephe