finally got a macro lens!!!

macawmagic

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picked up the Canon 100mm macro from circuit city. I love it!!!

some quick examples.
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macawmagic

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side note...how do u guys get perfect top down shots? i tried resting my hand on the side of the tank and then holding the front of the lens with that hand...it worked pretty good...but still isn't perfect.
 

Saltysteele

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congrats on the new lens! you're going to love it more and more each day! (i do) :)

couple of pointers: when shooting through the glass, try to shoot as perpendicular to the plane of the glass as you can. shooting at an angle will give you lots of fringing and distortion. also, read the stickies. now that you've got a sweet piece of equipment, you need to be taught how to use it. I've had my 100mm for over a month, and i'm still learning. play with the f-stop, as it is what controls how much of your picture is in focus. the larger the f-stop (this is where it gets confusing), the less of the picture is in focus - the smaller the number, the larger the f-stop. think of it this way: the smaller the number, the smaller the depth of field in focus, and vice versa. learn to use your speed (iso number- 100, 200, 400, 800, and so on), and also your aperature.

my suggestion is start in aperature priority mode, and play with your f-stop :)

any question, ask junior, poseidon or gparr (and not me, as this is as about far as i go on this trip) :D
 

Saltysteele

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oh, yeah. another thing i've found that makes a diff in my pics, is to keep my eyecup covered (either with my eye or something else) if there is background light. i've got an remote shutter release, so my eye isn't covering it, and it will allow stray light in, and messes with my exposure. if you don't have a remote shutter release, use the camera's timer function. with macro's, you want the camera as still as possible, and just the little bit of pressure it takes to press the button is going to mess up your pics.

now, the most important other piece of equipment you need right now is a tripod. no ifs, ands or buts. any little bit of movement is going to cause blur. with that heavy lens on there, a better tripod will service you well.

turn your flow in the tank off, too when snapping pic's, to avoid those shooting star streaks in the pix
 

Mr.Firemouth

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Your shots are cool! They need a little tweaking in the settings though to increase depth of field and focus.

The recommendation for a shutter release remote cable or infrared trigger is an absolute!
It stops any camera shake when taking the pic.

Make sure you use a tripod and shoot straight thru the glass for best focus.

Now, shoot in Manual mode.
Set your F-stop to F28.
Then set your shutter speed using the exposure meter. It is the meter that reads -2...-1...0...+1...+2. You want to shoot at about -1. Then see how that shot looks.
The shutter will be open for a longer period of time, so a tripod is a must.

Make sure you read this whole thread.....
IMO, this is the best thread I have read to date about how to take these shots....

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9217

Also, I picked up the 70-300mm F4-5.6 for $130(usually $230) and the external Flash for $180.(usually $300) All at Circuit City! They had Pro lenses too, but even discounted they were too expensive. There was a Carl Ziess 300mm F2.8 for $2800 normally $6,000. WOW!
They also had a 50mm 1.4 for $210 normally $320.
All in all very good deals!!!!
 
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