How can I get very sharp macro insect photos with a Nikon 105mm on a D300s?
Asked 7/4/2011
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I’d like to make macro photos similar to a sample insect image with only a small but well-placed area of sharp focus. My gear is a Nikon D300s with the Nikon 105mm VR macro lens, and I also have an extension tube. Is this kind of sharp macro image achievable with this setup, and what technique should I use?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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I wouldn't worry about exotic techniques like focus stacking -- the depth of field in the example photo isn't very deep (perhaps 1.5-2mm of relative sharpness at most). You should be able to achieve that by going to the minimum aperture for your lens then opening up about a stop. (With the 105, that would be the physical aperture size that gets you f/22 at infinity focus. Since the lens is an internal focus design and the actual aperture ratio changes with lens draw when focusing close and I don't have a 105 to test with, I can't tell you what the aperture reading will be on the camera.)
The trick is to put the zone of sharpness where it makes the most effective picture, and then to make the most you can of that depth of field. Don't try to use autofocus; set your lens manually to the magnification you want, and use your body (or a macro focusing rail, if you have the time) to focus. Shoot when the image in the viewfinder looks good -- if the details of interest are in focus in the viewfinder at maximum aperture, they'll be in focus on the sensor when the aperture is stopped down.
Chilling† a cold-blooded subject can help a lot (and gives you time to use the rail), but flash or a high shutter speed (if the ambient light level is high enough) will do the trick if the critter lets you get close enough.
Horseflies are fairly big -- the species depicted averages about 1/2" in overall length -- but to get the magnification in that picture you're either going to have to use an additional extension tube or crop your image (the Micro-Nikkor 105mm only goes to 1:1). For an insect this large or larger, cropping is a worthwhile approach. When the bugs get much smaller, an extension tube (or bellows) is the only way to go since there won't be enough image to work in post and critical focus gets a lot harder to achieve.
Oh -- expect failure when you're shooting live, unfrozen subjects. There is, of course, more to photography than taking a lot of pictures, but there are times when you pretty much have to assume that you're not going to get "the shot" on the first click. If it takes you a hundred shots to get one good one, all you've spent is about six calories of finger-twitching energy and one write cycle on a few cells on a memory card.
† It could also be argued, at least where unendangered freakin' horseflies are concerned, that one needn't be overly careful about the life status of the subject. I wouldn't argue that, of course (he said, reassuring his Buddhist friends), but some people might. Just sayin'.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
15y ago
0
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Yes — your D300s and Nikon 105mm macro are capable of this kind of image. The example does not appear to need extreme depth of field; it looks more like a very thin sharp zone placed carefully on the subject.
Key technique:
- Use a very small aperture, but not necessarily the absolute minimum; stopping down and then opening about one stop can help balance depth of field and sharpness.
- Don’t rely on autofocus for this. Set magnification/focus manually and move the camera or subject slightly to place the sharp plane exactly where it matters.
- The main challenge in bug macro is depth of field, so composition and focus placement are critical.
- If you want even more of the subject sharp, focus stacking is a common solution.
- For stacking or very small apertures, subject movement becomes a problem, so photographers often work with still subjects or shoot when insects are cold and less active.
Your extension tube can increase magnification, but it won’t solve depth-of-field limits by itself.
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