[shawn]

hi guys im new to all this camera stuff so please go easy ok

from looking on the forums i noticed a some people had taken close up pictures of insects like spiders etc.
they were that close you could actully see the spider 8 eyes & a bees mouth etc very scary lol

well the question is i feel like buying my first camera and hunting out some insects as inspired from looking at the posts he he but really want a camera that zooms into small objects like insects so you can see in detail like this picture below

do u need a special zoomed lens for this? or is it only the most expensive cameras only able to take photos this close?

im not looking to spend huge amounts as its my first camera looking to spend between 100-300 tops.

anyone help or advize.

would the Kodak Easyshare Z650 be able to take closeup pictures like the bee above ?


thanks

[Yandros]

These sorts of shots on this forum are taken with a DSLR with a macro lens - you'd be talking about £450-£500 in total for an entry level DSLR+'kit lens'+ macro lens.

The way that you'll probably need to go down on your budget is a DSLR-like superzoom camera, and one which has a very good macro mode. I had one like that a few years ago. The only problem is that you'll probably need to be VERY close to the subject (correct me if I'm wrong here folks), making it ok for flowers, but very tricky for insects.

For macro work like the bee closeup, the key phrase to look for is 1:1 macro, and ideally a good 'working distance' (this is how close you need to be to your subject).

[shawn]

i know someone selling a Nikon F60 SLR camera with

Nikon AF Nikkor 70 -300mm 1:4 -5.6 62 1.5m/5ft lens

Nikon AF Nikkor 28 -80mm 1:3.5 -5.6 D 0.5m/1.7ft

would that be ideal camera and lenses for closeups?

if not could u suggest a camera i might be able to go abit higher on budget.

[SomeVorn]

Close up photography is commonly known as Macro photography. Its one of the most complicated areas of photography because it requires quite a bit of kit (probably an DSLR or bridge camera - bridge camera is like a half way house better DLSR and a point and shoot - got a nice zoom on it but you can't swap lenses) and a very precise technique.

The camera you mention may be able to get those shots - but you'll find the majority of the shots you've seen on here are taken with a DSLR and a macro lens. A macro lens magnifys the image like any telephoto lens - but it allows you to focus extremely close to the lens (around 12 cm away). There are lots of different lenses but I expect you've been most impressed by photos taken using the rather excellent Canon MP-E 65mm. (£750+ I think).

If you look at the picture of the bee - you can see its beehind (oh dear) is out of focus (blurry). Macro lenses have this effect as well - (its known as a shallow depth of field) - this just means the distance that objects will appear in focus is very small - often the eyes of an insect will be in sharp focus but just a cm or two behind/in front of the eyes are blurry.

There are also close up lenses that can screw onto normal lenses - allowing you to focus closer and therefore make the subject bigger in the photo but I don't know much about these.

You'd also need a tripod or a flash system - because when you are working up close to insects or flowers - a slight movement of the camera you are using will ruin the image - photoshop can fix some things, it can recreate motion blur etc but it certainly can't fix it and make it nice and sharp like that bee. The tripod will make the camera nice and stable and the flash would allow you to catch the bee without it flying away. All these problems are where the excellent technique comes in - although not always expensive kit-check out the sliced Coke can used as a flash diffuser that Ally_c uses.

[shawn]

thanks for the help

are any of these lenses good macro lenses for closeup pics

Nikon AF Nikkor 70 -300mm 1:4 -5.6 62 1.5m/5ft lens

Nikon AF Nikkor 28 -80mm 1:3.5 -5.6 D 0.5m/1.7ft

only thing with the Nikon F60 SLR camera is its not digital no lcd just viewfinder is that a problem?

[shawn]

i have been offered a Kodak Easyshare Z650 for 70 quid so not sure whever its worth going with that heard you can get closeup macro lenses for it?

[Yandros]

I wouldn't touch film cameras these days to be honest, I really wouldn't!

The two lenses you mentioned are standard zoom lenses, not close focussing ones.

If you do go down the DSLR route, you'll be looking at an new or used entry level DLSR for example:

Canon 300D, 350D, 400D
Nikon D50, D70, D40
Sony A100,A200
Pentax K100, K200

All of these are sub £300 new, with a kit lens, and used probably as little as £150 if you shop around.

On top of that, you'll need a closeup macro lens, such as a Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro, or Sigma 105mm f2.8 macro. These are both in the region of £250, and are available for all of the above camera bodies. So you're looking at £400-£500 to do a proper job of macro photography. As has also been pointed out, you'll also find that you need a tripod too, and ultimately lighting (though I manage with natural light quite often).


The superzoom route is a LOT cheaper, but by comparison the macro mode is a bit pants, as you have to shove the camera right up to the subject (try that with bees and butterflies!). They're quite good for flowers though.

[Yandros]

Originally Posted by shawn

i have been offered a Kodak Easyshare Z650 for 70 quid so not sure whever its worth going with that heard you can get closeup macro lenses for it?

It's not too bad actually. A working distance of 12cm, capturing an area 5cm across.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/KodakZ650/page5.asp

The results I'm afraid will always reflect the £70 budget somewhat, so don't expect miracles, but if you're a total macro newbie, it'll not be a bad place to start.

[mattrixdesign2]

First of all, I am not a skilled at photography, I am totally new to it and struggle to take a decent picture, but I bought this camera back in Jan this year:

Panasonic DMC-FZ8EB-S
about £170 @ Amazon

...I find if you set it up correctly (i.e. use the Macro and zoom) and get close to your subject it pics up some amazing detail. It seems to even pick up detail you miss with the naked eye. I have taken shot of snails and butterflies just messing around but I am impressed.

Nice camera for other shots too, but not doubt an SLR could wipe the floor with it in the right hands.

[Mike.P®]

1. Any of the cheaper DSLR packages with kit lens
2. Reverse adapter from ebay
Should just about do that for £300 with a decent size memory card and a spare battery.
3. A LOT of patience

Gives you

4. Always wanted to try...............

Werewolf40 has taken some cracking macro shots this way without a dedicated macro lens (would love to see what he can do when he actually gets one)

[Yandros]

Originally Posted by sockpuppetuk

1. Any of the cheaper DSLR packages with kit lens
2. Reverse adapter from ebay
Should just about do that for £300 with a decent size memory card and a spare battery.
3. A LOT of patience

Gives you

4. Always wanted to try...............

Werewolf40 has taken some cracking macro shots this way without a dedicated macro lens (would love to see what he can do when he actually gets one)

Forgot about reversing rings.

To make amends for this shameful oversight, this is what he means...

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resour...o/macro_5.html

Same sort of thing is available for all the brands I think. It's hello manual focus, metering etc, so this would be quite a long way from point and shoot though.