HarveyG

Silkmoth, Bombyx mori

OK. So you have a yearning to try Macro work? Ladybugs, Mantids, Flowers or anything else that springs to mind. But that $1000.00 105mm f/2,8 VRII Macro Lens is just a little beyond the budget? You should have gotten an 18-55mm Kit lens with your DSLR or you have a nice 28-70mm f/2.8? Your not sure if spending so much money will be worth it? There are a number of solutions. You can buy an adaptor ring or reversal ring, which mounts into your DSLR body and the other end is threaded so that you can reverse your lens and screw it into the adaptor. This effectively turns your lens into a macro lens. Sure there will be no metering. Focus and exposure is manual and you will have to determine the correct exposure, by trial and error. Set mirror lock-up and use the best tripod you can afford. A small shutter release is also a definite must. All of which prevent camera shake and blur. So choose an object that is stationary, like a coin, or flower or rings. This reverse ring will cost you all of maybe $25-00. Don’t like it? Too much effort? Then macro is probably not for you. You see, even with a dedicated Macro lens you will eventually only manually focus. Focus and composition is so critical on macro’s that you can’t let the camera’s AF do it for you. Whilst the exposure is auto on such a lens, you might sill need to add flash or fill light to your subject. Trust me, its better to set that up manually too, you will want to control the light direction and intensity more often than not, meaning off camera flash. iTTL or eTTL is pretty pointless then, unless you insist on running it using an ext cable. There are many online macro tutorials, all I’d like to say here is go cheap first. Go manual. You have more control and if you find that going from stationary objects to moving beetles or bees becomes near impossible, yet you are still keen to try, then go for a few extension rings. You get manual and automatic version of this. If you can afford it, take the auto’s. It’s one less thing to worry about when you start chasing live subjects. Sure you can throw the bug into the deep freeze for 5 minutes and haul him out in a state of narcosis, but you don’t have a fridge in the veld 100 miles from home. So you need to practice before you hit the road.

This image was shot with a set of Phottix AF Macro Tubes coupled to a Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG and a YongNuo YN-460 II Speedlight that was fired with a set of Phottix Tetra Triggers and an IR Remote Control. Outlay for flash, AF ext tubes, batteries, triggers and IR RC (excluding camera and lens) about $390-00 vs a dedicated 105mm f/2.8 VR macro lens of about $1000-00, no flash or batteries…

A word of caution, the smaller macro lenses around 40/50/60mm tend to minimum focus (1:1) TOO close to the subject. The front element is literally a few cm’s or even a few mm’s away from the subject, and if it’s a live subject, it’s scared off long before you can focus. This is true for extension tubes combined with normal short tele lenses. But at least you haven’t made a $700-00 to $1000-00 mistake.  This then is the attraction of the huge 180mm Macro’s. 40cm / 18″ closest focusing distance but thats one huge chunk of glass, and thus heavy to lug around. In everything there are compromise, especially photography.

If you are going to buy a real macro lens, also don’t bother with those 70-300mm “macro” lenses. You normally don’t get 1:1 lifesize ratios, they tend to be 1:2 or often 1:3. Maybe you have one of these lenses. Go right ahead, switch it to macro and try it. Not what you expected right? If macro is for you, get at least a 100mm (Canon) or 105mm (Nikon) mount from Canon, Nikon or Sigma. I use a 180mm f/3.5. It’s a chunk of glass weighing in at 2.1 lbs (965g) and no OS/IS/VR. (ETA: Sigma have released an OS f/2.8 version in Jan 2012.) Tripod only unless you have arms like Arnold…which I don’t! But it’s closest focus distance is 18″ from the subject. Get something in the 100-150mm range. Thank me later

WBF - Silverstar Casino

Did a shoot at one of the World Bodybuilder Federation’s comps at Silverstar Casino, Mulderstrift. Thanks Richard (SnapAfrica) and Chaz (EVOX) for the opportunity! Thanks also to Vanessa (Silverstar) for your hospitality and Andre (SilverStar) for your teams eagle eyes!

I setup a mini-studio with backdrop, strobes, off camera flash, triggers and umbrella to shoot some of the contestants full length as well as a few stage shots from a distance. Here are a few shots of these sculpted athletes. Note: They are very bronzed thanks to the special gold cream they use all over their bodies. Not because of gold umbrellas!

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Now enjoyed "Down Under"

I’m selling various print sizes of this image, or framed canvas for your home, office, pub, boardroom, shop, restaurant, or it can be licensed for print/advertising.  Shot with the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG for Nikon. Click about/contact if you wish to order a print. Thanks!

[Note the date I posted this article  (March 2010)]
I held off buying a new flash. Whilst I love the tech specs and build quality of the Nikon SB range, new they are just a bit too rich for my blood. (I subsequently bought 2x SB-800′s 2nd hand ). I have been using older manual flashes (Minolta and Vivitar) triggered either via sync cable or optic slave mode (indoors).

I have been watching this brand, YongNuo, with interest for the past few months, and read write-ups on the Strobist site as well as on Flickr about their various models.

Many good reviews and as usual a few not so good, by mostly “reviewers” who gave no satisfactory reasons for their dislike of the product. Take those reviews with a Pinch of salt.

I held one in my hand recently, the YN460II at a local supplier, and tested it. optically triggered by a basic DSLR popup flash, it fired flawlessly in all directions  optical slave mode and felt pretty solid, when it’s used as a manual off-camera flash, being fired either by light (optic slave mode) or by a radio trigger, like a Cactus 3/4, a Phottix Tetra/Aster/Atlas, AlienBees or Pocket Wizard’s.

However as an eTTL I have no doubt it will function as well as the Canon original albeit with some small configuration and menu differences. Quality and durability remains to be seen by owners and regular users.

ETA: June 2010: I’ve since bought a new YN460II (and the 2 x 2nd hand SB800′s) and have carried it (the YN460II) all over Africa as a spare off-camera kicker or on camera hot shoe flash when I want to go totally [M]anual at events or need fill light. It’s WB temperature looks spot-on, it’s rugged and very efficient on Li-Ion or NiMH rechargeable batteries. It’s much simpler to use than my 2 x SB800′s on CLS! Recharge time on 4 x fresh AA’s is under a second on full power.

Here’s a sample image of a pre shoot lighting test taken with the YN460II on a D90. All I’ve done with this image is smooth Christa’s skin and a bit of softness to everything but skin. No light modifiers whatsoever. Very acceptable.

ETA: July 2011, YongNuo 460II still behaving perfectly.
ETA: November 2011, YongNuo 460II still behaving perfectly.

However, for my primary flash(es) I need more than just a manual flash with optic slave mode triggering or radio/cable triggering. Cactus, Phottix, AB’s or PW’s are great but I still would like the option of iTTL. The YN468 has it! The Canon version is expected April 2010 and the Nikon version in May 2010.  (ETA July 2011!:  when is the Nikon version being released?). I deduct that it will be shipped to the USA before we even sniff it out here in the RSA. There is no indication of pricing yet, but I expect not more than US $200-00, probably less. In South African Rands? Your guess is as good as mine, but typically less than an SB 800/SB 900, maybe by a 1/3rd less?

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