How can I get sharper 1:1 macro photos with a Nikon 105mm macro lens?
Asked 4/10/2018
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I’m learning macro photography with a Nikon 105mm macro lens on a D750. I’m shooting small subjects at 1:1 magnification near minimum focus distance (about 6 inches), using around f/20, 1/160s, the built-in flash, and a homemade paper diffuser.
My subjects are roughly about an inch long, but the photos still don’t look as sharp or detailed as I want. Is this mainly a focus/depth-of-field issue at close distances, and what techniques can help improve sharpness and detail?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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You seem to be bumping up against the limits of depth of field when shooting at macro distances. Since depth of field is proportional to focus distance, the shorter the focus distance is the narrower the depth of field will be for the same f-number.
With such critical distances the camera needs to be locked down on a stable mount, preferably one that will allow you to control subject distance when the lens is at minimum focus distance/maximum magnification. Tripod heads with macro rails are designed to do exactly that.
The first image of the fly seems to be focused behind the fly's head and centered on the torso. The second image of the spider is focused a little in front of the spider's head. The area of sharpest focus is about halfway between the head and the end of the two front legs. Using a macro rail to adjust focus while viewing via magnified Live View might have allowed you to get the focus squarely on the faces of the fly and spider.
To get more in focus you probably are going to need to start doing some focus stacking. This is taking multiple shots with slightly different focus distances and combining the sharpest parts of each image.
There are a number of existing questions and answers here regarding focus stacking with macro photography:
Image Stacking for macrophotography
Is there a way to overcome focus breathing in deep macro focus stacking?
Are there lenses that exhibit absolutely no focus breathing?
Macro photography stacking: focus shift vs. camera movement
What are the pros and cons of using macro rail vs lens focus?
How do I calculate how far a macro rail needs to travel between shots for focus stacking?
Why does my focus stack result in a blotchy background?
How to get rid of halo effect when focus stacking with helicon focus?
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
At 1:1 magnification, the main limitation is extremely shallow depth of field. Even at f/20, only a very thin slice of the subject will be sharp, so it’s normal for parts of an insect to fall out of focus.
From the examples described, focus placement is likely part of the issue: one image appears focused slightly behind the head, and the other slightly in front. At this magnification, tiny focus errors matter a lot.
To improve results:
- Use a very stable setup, ideally a tripod.
- A macro rail helps you make tiny forward/backward adjustments while the lens stays at high magnification.
- Be very deliberate about where the sharpest focus lands.
- If you want more of the subject sharp than a single frame allows, use focus stacking: take several shots focused at slightly different distances and combine them.
So yes—this is mostly a depth-of-field and precision-focusing problem, not necessarily a problem with your lens.
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