Macro Shots

**Ed Reiss** · 18th August 2011, 08:50 PM

OK Bob...here's what the result is.

At F/22 1/8 sec, the portion of the pine cone you see in the pic, I set the slider at 50.8mm to get the farthest points in focus.

I found that in order to travel the 50.8mm distance to home position, getting focus slices along the way, it only required 37 steps (it might have been less if the Velbon had some sort of graduation marking, but it doesn't, so turning the lead screw knob is by feel only - I'm sure there is a bit of overlap occuring at the focus points).

Eventually (when I can afford it!) I will be buying Cognisys's "Stack Shot", which has a stepper motor capable of taking .01mm steps (just a bit more accurate than turning a knob by hand).

So, thanks for the heads up on the DOF...I'm headed back to "DOF 101" today!!!

**BobL** · 18th August 2011, 09:10 PM

Thanks Ed. That stepper sounds like the ducks proverbials.

**Grumpy John** · 18th August 2011, 09:17 PM

Not sure what this Velbon thingambob looks like, but could you fit a dial indicator to it to give you fine incrimental adjustment?
Just a thought

.

**Ed Reiss** · 19th August 2011, 11:17 AM

hmmm...that's a good thought John. Will see if it can't be jury rigged like that.

Here's a link to the Velbon rail:

Velbon Super Mag Slider SUPER MAG SLIDER B&H Photo Video

**bellyup** · 22nd August 2011, 11:58 AM

Great stuff Ed. Good to see you posting again!!!
Bruce.

**Ed Reiss** · 23rd August 2011, 11:05 AM

Thanks, Bruce.

Actually have started having less fatigue during the day ~ guess the Vit-D and Testopel are finally doing their thing.

**Ad de Crom** · 23rd August 2011, 05:29 PM

Ed, great to see a result of your photography hobby, I'm already glad that I can take a decent photograph of my woodturnings, always for me a struggle.
I understand this is a learning curve, like with any other hobby isn't it.
Ad

**Ed Reiss** · 24th August 2011, 11:37 AM

You got that right, Ad. ...and that learning curve seems to get steeper every year ~ or I'm just getting dumber.

Your pics always turned out well.

I'm working on multi-circuit project for triggering flash and/or the camera by either interrupting a IR beam or, the other option is to trigger from a microphone. These will be used for stop action hi speed shots. Will post some end result pics once the circuitry is finished, tested, and enclosed.

**Mr Brush** · 24th August 2011, 12:31 PM

I'd have to go along with BobL - you shouldn't need anything like that number of shots for an object that size.

If it is a pine cone, the reproduction ratio would be much less than life-size - likely 1:2 or even 1:3. I'd say that at optimum aperture, 20-30 stacked shots would have done the job.

Note that for most macro lenses, you get the best sharpness across the frame somewhere around f8 - f11. If you're going to stack the shots anyway, those apertures will give you the best sharpness at each point. Going to f16, f22 etc. might give slightly better DOF, but the fall off in sharpness due to diffraction is really noticeable.

**Ed Reiss** · 25th August 2011, 11:43 AM

Hi ya' Mr B,

Actually, it's a Tamron 90mm 1:1, and I did pick up on the too many shots thing when Bob L explained it, and I got it down to about 36.

I'm very much in the learning phase and have a lot of experimenting to do, but am trying to have fun doing it also.

Thanks for your input.

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