[Na Horuk]

There is also a double benefit to catch-in-focus, with the macro lens and camera body in manual focus mode.

CiF is really great, but I don't think the DFA 100mm macro allows it. It has no AF/MF switch

[Bagga_Txips]

Hmm I will go check


You are totally right, Na Horuk. Unfortunately.


Just a thought though - is there a way to cover some contacts with insulation so the lens registers as manual, because it does have quickshift focusing.

[bluestringer]

You've got some great advice. Just go slow, try not to throw a shadow on the insect and early cool mornings are best, the bugs are a little slower then. Manual focus, CIF and diffused flash works best. Dragonflies will let you get really close when they are feeding from a perch. They will fly out from the perch catch a gnat or something and go right back to the perch to munch on it. Stand close by and slowly move in on it.

[elivarz]

Thanks, very interesting information and cool tips!
1) I have Pentax Macro 100mm WR.... but, seems, use this lens with "Catch-in-Focus" isn't possible?
2) About flash - is Pentax ringflash so good for macro - or better is use regular external flash? PENTAX AF-160FC seems for me totally overpriced.. Or not?
Thans for suggestions!

[BrianR]

Putting the bugs in the freezer before the shoot works.

Not all bugs can tolerate subzero temperatures. A fridge is much more gentle. In any case, this is something I'll only do if I need a shot of a specific specimen (eg. to identify the very active parasitic wasp that popped out of one of my butterfly chrysalis the other day).

Much better is when the temperatures drop naturally at night, get up early morning before the sun is hitting things, all the insects will still be slow.



To add- there's no one technique that works for everyone or all subjects. Some people are absolutely opposed to tripods when shooting insects, some are opposed to flashes and prefer natural light. You'll be far better off if you don't let yourself be a slave to any hard-lined mantra and over time become familiar with as many techniques as you can to keep in your toolkit to use when appropriate. Expect many, many mistakes as you learn and always remember to have fun

[Nass]

AF160FC is expensive, yes. But it's also good - PTTL, manual options, modelling lights, independent halves. Having made a lot of conventional flash DIY diffuser setups myself, I do get better results with the AF160FC. But that's using a different lens & working distance. What I also can't compare it to is the much cheaper other brand ringflash options; if your budget is limited then that might be a more appropriate option for you. I believe there are threads on PF that should give you some options.

Ps I'd personally avoid ring"lights" - you want a short timed flash to freeze your subject, not a continuous 'light'.

[TER-OR]

Practice.

I'm now getting to the point where my keepers are higher than 50% while chasing bees in the field. I use AF.C a lot, but will quickly switch to MF when required. Back-button focus helps, too. Most of the time in my fieldwork I have the GPS module attached, so I can't use the onboard or hotshoe flash. As a result, my shots sometimes are a bit softer, but if there's plenty of light that's not an issue at all.

I like TAv mode for this, you can adjust quickly between shutter speed and aperture. Stop down, that 100mm lens is great between f11 and f16 but you can deviate as necessary. Shutter speed is also important for bees and other quick movers.

[Bunch]

Insects behave differently. Not all of them will settle enough to get a shot, but many of them will if you are patient. Move slow. Trying to be quick to get the shot before it moves usually backfires. 30 minutes is nothing. I've gone outside to get shots before and an 90 minutes will fly by, and if I get 1-2 keepers out of that I'd be happy. The DFA 100 has made things much easier for me because I use to mainly use extension tubes without contacts so the setup was much more cumbersome and time consuming.

[mohb]

. Expect many, many mistakes as you learn and always remember to have fun

It can be a bit of a downer when you dash home and view what you've taken and 99% are 'rubbish' (always learn from them so they are not wasted). When you get your first close up of a fly's eye then you know your time has not been wasted.

[mtux]

2) About flash - is Pentax ringflash so good for macro - or better is use regular external flash? PENTAX AF-160FC seems for me totally overpriced.. Or not?

I bought a third-party manual ring flash(about usd100), it's a great thing! the only thing it misses is P-TTL, but I never use any setting on auto in macro. (specially flash, and that's one of the reasons I upgraded to K-3, to have manual on-board flash)
Here it is:


But I don't like the harsh light of it. and don't suggest it, specially to be used from distance, ie at 100mm focal length shots.

The only place I find it useful is to be used with DA35ltd, because of working distance, it's hard to use on camera flash with DA35ltd, and the ring flash is plenty good for it.

[cali92rs]

I just want to echo what folks are saying about flash...it is just so key imho when working with insects.
The cool part of macro is that you probably want to use manual settings and manual flashes are pretty cheap...as is a cheapo flash bracket and DIY diffuser

[LeDave]

Lots of good information. Thanks all. I am going to order a TTL off camera flash cord and a the L shape flash bracket. This will allow me to shoot at lower shutter speeds without having to worry about blur or increasing ISO too much.

[old4570]

Keep the ISO lower than 400 ...
Shutter speed needs to be above 1/100 , also use the anti shake ...
You want to keep Aperture over F10 , depending on how close you get ..

Its all about developing a technique that works for you and gives you the results you want ..

There are no hard and fast rules :
So lets try the lose ones ( very variable )

Shutter speed - if you run a 100mm Lens you want to keep above 1/100 ( 90mm over 1/90 - 50mm over 1/50 ) again depending on variables ( hence lose rules )
Aperture - good place to start is F16 , and maybe try setting the camera to aperture priority ..
ISO - As low as you can go ... Dont try to go over 400 unless you maybe have a 24MP camera or better ..

So macro is relatively simple : You need aperture to maintain focus , you need shutter speed to keep motion blur down , and you want the lowest ISO for the best Image quality ... ( Easy )
And the best way to do all that is to use a flash , to minimize the variables and keep the camera settings as near to optimum as possible .

Its all a learning process , one simply has to eliminate everything that does not work ..

[Tamia]

There's a lot of really useful advice here, but one thing I didn't see (might have missed it) is to go outdoors to shoot early in the day when the cool of night is still on the insects. I haven' had many chances to use my camera this summer, but back in the film days, I enjoyed trying to catch insects chilled by the night, sometimes with dew still clinging to them. They're slowed or stilled by the lower temperature and, if it's humid, the droplets that bead on them. A tripod is of tremendous value in this, and you must be cautious not to disturb anything that might drip on the insects from above. Not sure this is of much use to the OP, but maybe someone will benefit from it.

[photolady95]

is to go outdoors to shoot early in the day when the cool of night is still on the insects.

Twice that was mention, first by me, and another member.