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e6filmuser wrote:
Is that addressed to anyone in particular? How many is the "so many" you are querying?
Harold
Might it be that you don't understand the term "setup"?
A camera with a lens attached would not be considered a "setup". Provision of light from one or more flash guns makes it one, the number and positioning of them being very relevant.
Nikki Jim wrote:
Oh my gosh! There is some crazy stuff in here! I don't have a macro set up but this is certainly motivating!
Thanks for posting everyone!
Although you can get correct exposure in daylight at not much more than 1:1, you may need high ISO or flash to freeze subject movement*. Newcomers thing a tripod is essential but Image Stability is very good and a tripod does nothing about subject movement, often due the the vegetation on which it is sitting being blow around.
Insects, on leaves, on flowers, etc., tend to move around and face in various directions. You have to use a combination of patience and your own repositioning to get the view you want and, in most situations, that requires the setup to be hand held.
As you go to higher magnifications the effective aperture rapidly gets smaller, as does DOF, and flash is the only way of getting enough light and a short exposure.
The majority of images you see here are from hand held.
* OK, I shoot a lot of fungi but even with slime moulds there are sometimes very delicate structures which move in air movement which you might not detect. (e.g. search "Arcyria").
I've tried all sorts of lens setups, bellows, backwards lenses, ring lights, etc. I wanted to show my setup to show how effective the simplest setup can be.
Sony a6400, Laowa 65 f2.8 2x macro lens, Meike MK320 Mini Flash, and a little diffuser hood. Super lightweight - I can hold a branch with one hand, hold the camera in my other, and focus the lens with my pinky at the same time.
Wow....some of these setups are wild...couldn't imagine dealing with quite so much hanging off my camera. Here's mine. I'm only a casual macro shooter, but this is about as elaborate as I get...the diffuser works pretty well and gets me reasonably soft light, and I very much like not having to deal with crazy wires and brackets all over the place.
Here's a shot from today with it. Canon R8 with RF 100mm f/2.8L:
hi, Jman13 i have the same lens & flash set. ( just got the flashes yesterday )
Please explain how you made that diffuser, looks like you printed some holder on a 3d printer?
Jman13 wrote:
Wow....some of these setups are wild...couldn't imagine dealing with quite so much hanging off my camera. Here's mine. I'm only a casual macro shooter, but this is about as elaborate as I get...the diffuser works pretty well and gets me reasonably soft light, and I very much like not having to deal with crazy wires and brackets all over the place.
Jman13 wrote:
Wow....some of these setups are wild...couldn't imagine dealing with quite so much hanging off my camera. Here's mine. I'm only a casual macro shooter, but this is about as elaborate as I get...the diffuser works pretty well and gets me reasonably soft light, and I very much like not having to deal with crazy wires and brackets all over the place.
Gabe13 wrote:
I like that, it seems like a nice streamlined setup. Is this a complete kit that is commercially available?
The MF-12 flashes can come in a kit with the mounting ring that adapts to your macro lens. You'd need to buy the godox transmitter if you don't already have one. The diffuser and diffuser adapter I made, according to the link that was posted by muurman: https://www.instructables.com/Godox-MF-12-Flash-Diffuser/ That cost about $15 in materials plus a friend 3D printing the main part for me...and if I wear out the diffuser, I have enough leftover material to make about 4 more.
For those using the Godox M12 flashes, how are you finding the weight distribution? Any concerns with strain on the lens filter threads and/or lens mount? They seem pretty light at 144g each. I'm contemplating getting that or an on-camera flash, which is slightly heavier (or a lot, depending on what flash), but would distribute the weight more evenly.
I have shot macro a variety of ways over the decades. Macro lenses, reversed lenses, tubes, focus stacking, closeup attachment lenses, tele-converters, enlarging lenses, bellows, focusing rails, tethered - there may be more, but my memory is not as good as it use to be. Here are a few of my setups where I bothered to document them.
Stage using Nikon PS-5 for perfect alignment to PB-4 + step rings + one brown surface
Five more 62mm inserts - cork, mirror, black plastic, white formica + a Sigma precision stage
Stage in use. Items are afixed using museum wax
Free moving stage made out of solid metal blocks, plastic disks, a ball head, a & L bracket
A compact enlarging lens setup for one of my Canon dslr - photo has details
Reversed 63mm f2.8 EL-Nikkor on PB-4 with PS-5 stage on left
Reversed 50mm f2.8 EL-Nikkor on PB-4
PB-4 with Reversed 40mm f4 EL-Nikkor on the free moving stage.ViJim LCD panels
The 63mm f2.8 EL_Nikkor has emerged as a favorite enlarging lens for macro
but this is certainly motivating!
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