Camera lens

[REDWOOD]

Hi there are some fantastic photos of bees on the forum and would like to take some my self, I have a canon 500D with a 18 - 55 zoom and a 70 - 300 zoom, what lenses would you suggest ?

 

[DorsetB]

Do either of your zooms have a macro setting? They usually do, but try experimenting as some macro shots can get horribly degraded.

A prime lens (non zoom) is always better if you have one, and watch the aperture: the bigger the aperture the less depth of field (fewer things in focus) you will get.

You will also have to try and work out a way of "resting" your camera on something to avoid blurring (assuming you don't have a tripod or mini-tripod or bean bag) - it is pointless having the best kit if your resulting shots suffer from camera shake and blurry pictures.

I would suggest trying the 18-55 first - don't bother with the 70-300, it will probably absorb too much light and not get you the results you want.

 

[The Cumbrian]

A prime lens (non zoom) is always better if you have one, and watch the aperture: the bigger the aperture the less depth of field (fewer things in focus) you will get.

I don't want to seem as if I am "teaching my grandmother to suck eggs" but the larger the aperture the smaller the f number. I know a lot of people who constantly need reminded of that.

(Incidentally I wonder where the saying "don't teach your Grandmother to suck eggs came from" or is it purely Cumbria.

 

[REDWOOD]

I have tried my 18 55 with macro but it gets too close and the fast shutter speed gets a wing or leg out of focus and the quality is degraded, I have tried a macro ring on the front but less is in focus, what size prime lens do you suggest

 

[DorsetB]

A true macro lens is about 60-65mm, but will cost you a fortune!

Regarding your last post, I wonder if you still have the settings on "auto".

Manual settings are sometimes going to be better for this type of shot, so at least if you can't get everything in focus, you can select which parts of your composition you do want in focus. I don't know if your camera also has aperture priority and/or speed priority, but this may be a good option as well.

Try this: set your camera to manual, then open a book and try focussing on a sentence roughly in the middle of the page at different apertures - take a few shots to see how your aperture affects the depth of field.

On the other hand, once you start photographing the bees, you will also need to take shutter speed into account - eg do you want a fast speed to show all the wing detail or a slow speed to give the impression of movement?

As a general rule, a fast shutter speed needs a large aperture, and a slow shutter speed needs a small aperture.

Having told you the 70-300 was not suitable, what is the largest aperture on it (ie the smallest F number on the barrel)? You may want to try this at the 70mm end of the lens, and your 18-55 at the 55 end.

The macro rings will reduce your depth of field considerably, as you have found out, thy are also likely to soak up a lot of light.

At least with digital you can experiment with very little cost and no waiting time, not like the "bad old days" of film.

 

[Headnavigator]

Canon 50mm 1.8 is a lovely lens and will produce sparkling bright results in the dullest settings. And yes, it does have macro. If I could afford it I'd go for the 1.4
Often find that a cropped pic from a fixed lens beats a carefully framed zoom pic hands down.
But I do use both!

 

[REDWOOD]

Thankyou all for the help, I will try some test shots and might invest in a 50mm lens this christmas

 

[Headnavigator]

Add a small, light monopod as well if you can, you're more likely to carry it and use it than a heavier tripod, and it can be used in all kinds of ingenious ways to steady the camera (eg tucked under your arm) and I don't have to stress the difference that can make!

 

[REDWOOD]

Are extension tubes any good or do they have the same efect as macro rings on the front as I was thinking of buying a 50mm prime lens for about £70.00 and adding the extension tubes for the macro bit

 

[REDWOOD]

I have just looked at a few pics of bees in my garden I took 4 weeks ago looking at them and the history my shutter speed were too slow so I think I will buy a 50mm lens and some extension tubes, do you think this is a good idea, I have attached a pic tell my what you think

 

[DorsetB]

Your shutter speed looks fine, as the fine details come out nice and sharp.

It does look as though there are other problems though - there is a bloom to the picture, most visible aorund the edges of the wings which could be a result of a partially dirty lens, excessive zooming with a long lens, or sometimes caused by (AFAIR) reflected light between the elements of the zoom lens causing ghosting.

The other thing is the picture is very grainy - have you cropped the picture at all, or have you got the ISO setting too high?

Otherwise a great picture.

 

[REDWOOD]

Thanks for the comments, I have cropped it quite a bit and the iso was around 400

 

[harveyzone]

I have just looked at a few pics of bees in my garden I took 4 weeks ago looking at them and the history my shutter speed were too slow so I think I will buy a 50mm lens and some extension tubes, do you think this is a good idea, I have attached a pic tell my what you think

I don't think that there is movement in this image so your shutter speed may have been enough, although it would be wise to try an get it a bit higher. It also appears to be focused slightly back from the bee's head, and ideally you want her head sharp.

Extension tubes will lose you light, so putting them onto a fast lens might put you back to square 1 but with closer focusing. I am not sure how much you have cropped for this, but it is very full in the frame so you might not need to get much closer.

I would start by pushing your ISO up a bit. EXIF says that this is taken at ISO 100. f/5.6 1/60th at 55mm. I am guessing that f/5.6 is wide open on your lens, and the blooming may be as a result of being wide open, but you can afford to go up to ISO 400 surely which would give you 1/250th, and if you can get away with ISO 800 then you could stop the lens down a little too. You could also try popping up the flash to fill in and help freeze movement. If you find it too harsh then you could try a diffuser on it.

Personally I do not think you necessarily need new kit, you should be able to get decent results with what you have with some trial and error, but if you do want to spend the money then I would suggest a Tamron 90mm macro lens as your first port of call.

 

[REDWOOD]

last week the sun cam out so decided to have another go comments please

 

[BeeJayBee]

Looking good. Is this the same lens as before?

Can you check the EXIF data, and compare with the one you took last year?

The difference in quality might be as simple as the flower colour reflecting more light onto the bee.

 

[REDWOOD]

I bought a secondhand 55 105 canon lens on flee bay and added a 2x screw on lens to the front, set the camera to the fastest shutter speed and used center focus and metering in raw

 

[johnnythefridge]

Extension tubes are great. Get a set of them & try them out on inanimate objects around the house such as an old circuit board. Brilliant sunlight is super, but if you cant get it then perhaps some extra lighting (metal halide gas discharge lighting is ace).

Even the telephoto lenses can be used as macro lenses if you bung enough extension tubes on. Don't be afraid to use more than one extension tube at once. You can have a whole bunch on if you want. Just remember that any focus markings on the lens will be out of whack once you slot in the extension tubes.

Just out of interest, you dont always need to buy an extension tube to try out the effect they give, you can just unhook the lens from the camera and use an empty loo roll tube between the lense and the camera body. The quickest way to get focus with monster extension tubes is to move the subject closer and then further from the camera lens, until you find the focus point.... The longer the extension tube, the less mileage you get out of twiddling the focus ring on the lens & the closer the in focus region will be to the front of the lens.

Good luck, have fun & I for one would love to paw over the pics that you get if you post them on the forum.

Regards,

John.