how do they do it

[damien]

hi guys ive been looking on here and see all this great shots of bugs ect, what i would like to know is how do they do it and what lenses do i need to perform such a lovely shot, or is it that i just need put something on the lenses i have, any advice on this would be really appreciated,

thanks damien

[Donald]

Damien

You're talking here about Macro photography.

Every 'ordinary' lens has a closest point at which at can focus. And with some lenses you can get quite close into things. But for real macro work, like a lot of folks on here do to an amazingly high standard, you need a specialist macro lens.

If you click on 'Discussion Categories' in the menu bar above and then choose 'macro photography' you'll be able to read lots of discussions about this fascinating area of photography.

[rpcrowe]

Donald...
This is the first time I have noticed the "Discussion categories". Great Stuff!

[damien]

hi donald i have a tamron 70-300mm 1:4 to 5:6 tele macro lense now it says its macro 180 -300 is this and good ?

[Geoff F]

What is the closest focusing distance at 300 mm, Damien?

I started getting serious with a Canon 70-300 lens, then added a 25 mm extension tube which enabled me to get a little closer.

If you aren't familar with these, they are a spacer which fits between the lens and camera. It got me about 12 ins closer which really made a difference. But it isn't exactly a cheap option for a genuine item.

Expect to pay £100 or a little more for a 25 mm tube.

Eventually I purchased a proper macro lens. Sigma 180 mm, which isn't bargain bucket lens price either. The Sigma 150 mm is popular with insect photographers but still gets a bit expensive.

Adding a tube to your existing lens would certainly be the simplest and most cost effective method but if you get 'bitten by the macro bug' you could have put that cash towards a dedicated macro lens.

However, using that 70-300 plus extension tube and flash I took some reasonable photos. But a good tripod is also an essential item.

But remember the obligatory warning. Macro photography can be addictive and will seriously damage your wealth.