Macro My first "macro"

My first "macro" · 01:20 PM

Hello!

I recently came across some extension tubes which I thought could combine with my Pentax-M 50/1.7. I shot a few pictures tonight in my room of my plants and this one came out as the best of the bunch:

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-04-2015, 01:30 PM

Good start. You nailed the focus as much as you can with a depth of field that is about the thickness of a piece of paper, it looks like.

**Kerrowdown** · 01-04-2015, 01:30 PM

You'll have us all out shaving our hairy plants next... before we photograph them with images like this.

Well done, great capture.

Docrwm · 01-04-2015, 01:31 PM

Congratulations. Lots of fun!

-wikstrom- · 01-04-2015, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

Good start. You nailed the focus as much as you can with a depth of field that is about the thickness of a piece of paper, it looks like.

Thanks! Yea, that seems about right. I believe I could have got a sharper picture if I only could have used a smaller aperture.

It seems the extension tubes have some kind of mechanical feature that makes the lens use it's largest aperture when attached to the camera...

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-04-2015, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by -wikstrom-

Thanks! Yea, that seems about right. I believe I could have got a sharper picture if I only could have used a smaller aperture.

It seems the extension tubes have some kind of mechanical feature that makes the lens use it's largest aperture when attached to the camera...

You need to enable "Use Aperture" or words to that effect in the main menus on your camera. Then the camera will stop the lens down to your chosen aperture when you take the picture. You need to have the camera in M (manual) exposure mode, and use the Green button to set the approximate shutter speed. Depending on the lens you might have to tweak the shutter speed a bit to get perfect exposure.

-wikstrom- · 01-04-2015, 02:02 PM

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

You need to enable "Use Aperture" or words to that effect in the main menus on your camera. Then the camera will stop the lens down to your chosen aperture when you take the picture. You need to have the camera in M (manual) exposure mode, and use the Green button to set the approximate shutter speed. Depending on the lens you might have to tweak the shutter speed a bit to get perfect exposure.

I've got a K-5 and in menu C.4 option 27 I have it set to 2 which enables me to use fully manual lenses and set the exposure as you said. The extension tubes have a lever which ,when attached only to the lens (aperture set to 22), when you press it change the aperture to a greater one... Oh well, I might figure it out eventually...

**baro-nite** · 01-04-2015, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by -wikstrom-

The extension tubes have a lever which ,when attached only to the lens (aperture set to 22), when you press it change the aperture to a greater one

That is the diaphragm coupling lever. It keeps the lens diaphragm at the widest aperture until you release the shutter. Only then does it stop down to the setting on the aperture ring. Are you sure it isn't stopping down? If it isn't, are you indeed in M mode? If you're in any of the automatic modes, a manual lens won't stop down during exposure.

dakight · 01-04-2015, 04:44 PM

If your lens has an aperture ring then you should be able to set it where you want it then use the green button to get stop down metering before you fire the shutter. It's no different that any manual aperture lens. The camera doesn't do it automatically but it is not disabled by the extension tubes unless you have the ones without the aperture stop down lever.

old4570 · 01-04-2015, 05:02 PM

Manual mode ( M )
Manually set ISO , Aperture and shutter speed ...
You don't want to give the ISO a free hand here ...
Set the camera to ISO 100 , F-highest number , with a125 shutter speed .. Then shoot again with F1.7 ...
The f1.7 should be nice and bright , whilst the f-highest number , should be dark ...
Now you know if the aperture is working or not ...

As mentioned , the camera holds the aperture open until you take the photo , then the camera closes the aperture to the setting chosen for the photo ...
This happens (?) when the mirror is raised I think (?) so goes un noticed ..

MikeD · 01-04-2015, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by -wikstrom-

Hello!

I recently came across some extension tubes which I thought could combine with my Pentax-M 50/1.7. I shot a few pictures tonight in my room of my plants and this one came out as the best of the bunch:

Very nice, love the colors,

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-04-2015, 07:36 PM

If you look in the mirror box, you can see a lever that physically stops the lens down when the exposure takes place. One thing not mentioned above, that I can see, is that the lens must not be on the "A" setting for manual exposure without the contacts to the lens. If the camera body sees no contacts, it won't work with auto aperture at all.

**FozzFoster** · 08-01-2018, 04:19 PM

Originally posted by -wikstrom-

Hello!

I recently came across some extension tubes which I thought could combine with my Pentax-M 50/1.7. I shot a few pictures tonight in my room of my plants and this one came out as the best of the bunch:

nice and simple! really love this shot! the colours are incredible

**eaglem** · 08-01-2018, 04:23 PM

Well lit and well detailed

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01-04-2015, 01:30 PM	#2
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Good start. You nailed the focus as much as you can with a depth of field that is about the thickness of a piece of paper, it looks like.

01-04-2015, 01:30 PM	#3
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,819	You'll have us all out shaving our hairy plants next... before we photograph them with images like this. Well done, great capture.

01-04-2015, 01:31 PM	#4
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Congratulations. Lots of fun!

01-04-2015, 01:38 PM	#5
-wikstrom- Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 51 Original Poster	Originally posted by Canada_Rockies Good start. You nailed the focus as much as you can with a depth of field that is about the thickness of a piece of paper, it looks like. Thanks! Yea, that seems about right. I believe I could have got a sharper picture if I only could have used a smaller aperture. It seems the extension tubes have some kind of mechanical feature that makes the lens use it's largest aperture when attached to the camera...

01-04-2015, 01:44 PM	#6
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by -wikstrom- Thanks! Yea, that seems about right. I believe I could have got a sharper picture if I only could have used a smaller aperture. It seems the extension tubes have some kind of mechanical feature that makes the lens use it's largest aperture when attached to the camera... You need to enable "Use Aperture" or words to that effect in the main menus on your camera. Then the camera will stop the lens down to your chosen aperture when you take the picture. You need to have the camera in M (manual) exposure mode, and use the Green button to set the approximate shutter speed. Depending on the lens you might have to tweak the shutter speed a bit to get perfect exposure.

01-04-2015, 02:02 PM	#7
-wikstrom- Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 51 Original Poster	Originally posted by Canada_Rockies You need to enable "Use Aperture" or words to that effect in the main menus on your camera. Then the camera will stop the lens down to your chosen aperture when you take the picture. You need to have the camera in M (manual) exposure mode, and use the Green button to set the approximate shutter speed. Depending on the lens you might have to tweak the shutter speed a bit to get perfect exposure. I've got a K-5 and in menu C.4 option 27 I have it set to 2 which enables me to use fully manual lenses and set the exposure as you said. The extension tubes have a lever which ,when attached only to the lens (aperture set to 22), when you press it change the aperture to a greater one... Oh well, I might figure it out eventually...

01-04-2015, 02:35 PM	#8
baro-nite Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: North Carolina, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,294	Originally posted by -wikstrom- The extension tubes have a lever which ,when attached only to the lens (aperture set to 22), when you press it change the aperture to a greater one That is the diaphragm coupling lever. It keeps the lens diaphragm at the widest aperture until you release the shutter. Only then does it stop down to the setting on the aperture ring. Are you sure it isn't stopping down? If it isn't, are you indeed in M mode? If you're in any of the automatic modes, a manual lens won't stop down during exposure.

01-04-2015, 04:44 PM	#9
dakight Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Phoenix, AZ Photos: Albums Posts: 1,216	If your lens has an aperture ring then you should be able to set it where you want it then use the green button to get stop down metering before you fire the shutter. It's no different that any manual aperture lens. The camera doesn't do it automatically but it is not disabled by the extension tubes unless you have the ones without the aperture stop down lever.

01-04-2015, 05:02 PM	#10
old4570 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 2,551	Manual mode ( M ) Manually set ISO , Aperture and shutter speed ... You don't want to give the ISO a free hand here ... Set the camera to ISO 100 , F-highest number , with a125 shutter speed .. Then shoot again with F1.7 ... The f1.7 should be nice and bright , whilst the f-highest number , should be dark ... Now you know if the aperture is working or not ... As mentioned , the camera holds the aperture open until you take the photo , then the camera closes the aperture to the setting chosen for the photo ... This happens (?) when the mirror is raised I think (?) so goes un noticed ..

01-04-2015, 06:34 PM	#11
MikeD Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: traverse city MI Posts: 346	Originally posted by -wikstrom- Hello! I recently came across some extension tubes which I thought could combine with my Pentax-M 50/1.7. I shot a few pictures tonight in my room of my plants and this one came out as the best of the bunch: Very nice, love the colors,

01-04-2015, 07:36 PM	#12
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	If you look in the mirror box, you can see a lever that physically stops the lens down when the exposure takes place. One thing not mentioned above, that I can see, is that the lens must not be on the "A" setting for manual exposure without the contacts to the lens. If the camera body sees no contacts, it won't work with auto aperture at all.

08-01-2018, 04:19 PM	#13
FozzFoster Custom User Title Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Alberta Photos: Albums Posts: 6,806	Originally posted by -wikstrom- Hello! I recently came across some extension tubes which I thought could combine with my Pentax-M 50/1.7. I shot a few pictures tonight in my room of my plants and this one came out as the best of the bunch: nice and simple! really love this shot! the colours are incredible

08-01-2018, 04:23 PM	#14
eaglem Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 43,146	Well lit and well detailed