Macro Photography Equipment

Macro Photography Tips and Equipment

2. Purchase close-up lenses and diopters. The word diopter is often used interchangeable with the term "close-up lens." You can purchase close-up lens individually or in sets. They come in various increments indicating how much closer the image will appear as designated by the number on the lens, such as +1, +2, and +3. These lenses have threads on them and screw directly to the end of the main lens you use on your camera. In addition, these lenses have threads on both sides (male and female) so that you can screw them together and in effect "stack" them to use more than one at the same time. When you combine a +2 and a +3, for example, you achieve the equivalent of a +5 close-up lens. You should place the highest powered close-up lens the closest to the camera body and attach them in order of highest to lowest power when combining.

3. Get a zoom or teleconverter lens. Teleconverters will help increase the working distance you can use in order to get a really close shot. A 2X teleconverter is a good choice. This enables you to get the shot you want without being quite so close to the actual subject as without it. For example, if you are photographing insects and get too close, the insect will probably fly away, so a teleconverter lets you get the shot a little bit further away. Having this extra little bit of distance between the camera lens and the subject also provides better lighting for the subject.

4. Reverse your lenses. You can also achieve good digital macro photography results by reversing your lenses. To do this, you will need to purchase a lensmate adapter and affix it to your camera and then purchase and add on a macro coupler ring. A macro coupler ring has male attachment rings on both ends. You will want to use a fast prime lens (not a zoom lens with multiple focal lengths) such as a 50mm F1.4 to do this because a zoom lens will present problems with vignetting.

Note: reversing your lens like this essentially creates a very high quality diopter or close-up lens and it also provides you with more working distance. You can have the lens 1 ½ inches or more away from your subject using this technique. Experts who like this approach suggest setting the lens to the widest possible aperture and setting the focus range to infinity.

5. Consider using a tripod to prevent camera shake and improve stability. The slightest movement can spoil a macro image. You could also use a remote cord to trigger the shutter if desired so that you do not touch or bump the camera when you have it where you want it. When using a tripod, a macro focusing rail or slider is also helpful, as it enables you to move the camera in tiny increments without having to reposition the entire tripod.

If you found this information useful, make sure to check out the following pages too:

* Macro Photography Camera Settings

* Macro Photography Lighting

* Macro Photography Tips

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