GH2 Insect Lens Recommendation?

R

ragnar

Active member
I've been taking macro pics of insects like these


HH Green Insect 2.jpgHH Green Bug Cropped State Park 7.25.jpgKH Fly being Eaten State Park 7.jpgHH Blue Bug Laying Eggs 2 Cropped State Park 7.jpg

with my GH2. I've been using the 14-42 kit lens, as well as some manual primes from the 70s. Anyway, could someone with macro experience recommend a sharp lens for really close up work for things like insects? I'm looking for sharp. Is there anyway something like that could cost less than $500. Thanks.

Ragnar
 
See if you can get a used Yashica 55mm f2.8 or f4. If you can't find one, there's a nice Nikkor f3.5. Go vintage. :)
 
Ok, thanks for those tips. I'll start searching ebay for those. Have you used those for Macro work. Thanks.

Ragnar
 
ragnar said:
Ok, thanks for those tips. I'll start searching ebay for those. Have you used those for Macro work. Thanks.

Ragnar
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If you really want the best of the best get a Nikkor AF-D 200mm f4.0...top shelf glass.

The Tamron SP 90mm f2.8 and Tokina 100mm f2.8 are also awesome.

A golden oldie if you can find one is the Kiron Macro 105mm f2.8 (Lester Dine AIS lens)

I have a Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro and it is one of the best lenses I have ever used. 5 Star in every way but it has no aperture ring so useless on micro four thirds without a specialised adapter.

All of these are 1:1 macro and come in Nikon mount but the Sigma Tamron and Tokina also have Canon mount versions.
 
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i have the tamron SP 90mm in nikon mount and its great. got it for under 300AUD. its the older version not the digital version which fetches for abit more so you can save yourself a couple bucks there. I was supposed to get the tokina atx but got the two mixed up in the ebay bidding frenzy haha...never the less i have been very happy with the results. here is a spontanious vid i did with it a while back while going to the bathroom.

http://vimeo.com/19594072
 
I used to have the 35mm f2.4 Carl Zeiss Flektogon. Sharp (as a Zeiss should be) and great macro focusing. Don't know what prices are nowadays but I got mine for about US$200.
 
Sounds like you've already got some vintage primes. With those (preferably focal lengths of 58, or less) combined with a macro tube and 2x tele converter, I think you'd be set. You can find vintage macro tubes and 2x tele converters for well under $100 online. Another option is using a macro bellows with your vintage primes. Again, you can find bellows for under $100. With this technique you can achieve 5:1 ratio.
 
Ok, loads of good tips from helpful folks. Thanks. I do have 55mm f1.4 and f1.8 Canon primes, but have never used tubes and a 2x converter. I'll look into those on ebay. Would tubes and 2x converter be better than relying on the GH2's ex-tele feature? Probably as far as resolution goes, right? I also read on Wikipedia that some people reverse a lens onto another lens, like this:
800px-MacroPlusRetrolens.jpg
I've done something similar in that I've reversed an old canon f1.8 prime just by itself. I got crazy close-ups but what I noticed was that the DOF of field is so insanely shallow that only one part of the insect is in focus, whearas I'd like the whole beast in focus. Don't get me wrong, the reversal is very cool and it gives a very dream like effect, especially in video while sweeping over objects: http://vimeo.com/19551718

I notice that some of my older tele primes, the 100-300 Sears one that I own, says 1:2.8 macro but it's so damned bulky. I had my eye on a fixed focal 1:1 lens on eBay. Is that where I should start, with a 1:1 sharp lens, and then, using bellows and tubes, and maybe a 2x converter, get it to 5:1 or more?

Update: I guess what I'm saying is, yes, I can get closer with these tips, the tubes, etc, or a 1:1 lens, but I have to focus on those who have said their lenses were sharp. I know how to find and snap the insects, but I want sharper than what I've been getting so far, so thanks again for the above suggestions. It looks like I can get sharp macro lens for under $300 for these insect shots I'm after. I do have a set of macro 1x, 2x, and 4x stackable lenses that I bought off of eBay for about $50 and have used them to some success but remember that putting more class on my lens maybe isn't the best idea?

Here's one my wife snapped today in her flower garden. Damned if it doesn't looked PS'd in there, but it's a legit picture. Using the 14-42 kit lens.
KH Yard Bug 7.26.jpg

Ragnar
 
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MR Fanny said:
i have the tamron SP 90mm in nikon mount and its great. got it for under 300AUD. its the older version not the digital version which fetches for abit more so you can save yourself a couple bucks there. I was supposed to get the tokina atx but got the two mixed up in the ebay bidding frenzy haha...never the less i have been very happy with the results. here is a spontanious vid i did with it a while back while going to the bathroom.

http://vimeo.com/19594072
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Mr Fanny, that's awesome. I'm nearly sold on that lens now. I guess what I'm seeing here is that I won't be able to get away from the super shallow DOF issue when using Macro for things like insects. That's cool. Once again, very cool.
 
ragnar said:
Mr Fanny, that's awesome. I'm nearly sold on that lens now. I guess what I'm seeing here is that I won't be able to get away from the super shallow DOF issue when using Macro for things like insects. That's cool. Once again, very cool.
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you can get away from super shallow DOF just by stopping things down and adding more light like on cam or off cam flash. its achievable just not as spontanious if your out in the garden especially for video.
 
Yeah, stopping down is something I seem to always forget for some reason. I must have read it a million times: "An average lens can be made more sharp by stopping it down." I just never remember to do it. Someday.

Ragnar
 
ragnar said:
...very nice. How physically close was the lens to the fly?

Ragnar
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Well, after seeing those sample photos with the Raynox and it only costing some $60, I think I'll try one of those first. Very close pics, those.

Ragnar
 
No one has mentioned the Panasonic 45mm 2.8? It's the only proper macro lens in the Panasonic m4/3 lineup. Apparently it is very sharp, and the OIS will help a lot doing handheld macro work.
 
A quick few points as still insect macro photography is my thing. Yes the Raynox close-up lenses, including the DCR-250 are very good. I've got a draw full of them, even though I've got a stack of macro lenses. The main thing to bear in mind with a close-up lens like the DCR-250 (which incidentally is +8 diopters) is that when attached the working distance with the lens focused to infinity is the same regardless of the focal length of the main lens. This means the longer the focal length of the main lens, the greater the magification. So the DCR-250 will give very high magnification on a 200mm lens, but only more moderate magnification on a 45mm lens. You can focus the lens closer and get more magnification. Also if used on a zoom lens, you can lower the magnification by zooming out. However, on zoom lenses you will get tend to get vignetting at the wider end. Also on standard zooms like the 14-45mm you could even get vignetting on the long end, and certainly will if you zoom out. Close-up lenses tend to cause less problems on longer lenses. The good thing about these close-up lenses is they will work on a wide variety of lenses, and I often use them on my macro lenses for even more magnification.

Also the rule of thumb for the working distance is 1 metre divided by the diopter number. So with the +8 diopter DCR-250 it is 0.125m or 12.5cm (the distance from the end of the lens to the subject). This is with the main lens set to infinity. You can focus closer if the main lens is focused closer. How much closer depends on the native close focusing of the main lens. btw. these aren't exact figures and in practise you'll find the distance slightly less than 12.5cm, but this formula gives you a rough idea.

Generally a macro lens is the best lens to use for field insect photography, because it focuses all the way from infinity to close-up. Being able to adjust the magnification quickly is often important. The difficulty with attachments such as close-up lenses on ordinary lenses is that you have a much narrower magnification range, and have to add on, or change adaptors to change the magnification range. There are a number of options for macro without breaking the bank. For higher magnification, an old manual focus lens in the range 24-50mm reversed is very good. You can get m4/3 reverse adapters off eBay for next to nothing. The lens themselves can be picked up cheaply. The reversing also improves image quality. You can use cheap manual extension tubes for more magnification. Old manual focus macro lenses are also good and not too expensive. Just be aware that many older macro lenses only have half the maximum magnification of more modern ones. Also film enlarger lenses make very good macro lenses. You really need a bellows as they have no built in extension. You can get cheap bellows off eBay and the like. However, in the field bellows tend to be a bit delicate as its easy to tear the bellows material.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9578475@N02/
 
So the DCR-250 will give very high magnification on a 200mm lens, but only more moderate magnification on a 45mm lens.

Ok, that's an important point as I hadn't realized that.


Generally a macro lens is the best lens to use for field insect photography, because it focuses all the way from infinity to close-up. Being able to adjust the magnification quickly is often important.


Yes, and that's something I should have pointed out earlier. My main setup is a light run/gun insect shooter, so just the GH2, camera strap, and smallish lens, the kit 14-42 or one of my older 55mm primes at f1.4, or f1.8. It allows me to get close without breaking my back and usually withut spooking the insect, it seems.

For higher magnification, an old manual focus lens in the range 24-50mm reversed is very good.

Not sure if you read above but I mentioned I have used the reversal method, and it worked well indoors on static objects but I found it quite hard to use in the state park as the depth of field is so very shallow, but I need to try it some more.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9578475@N02/

Those are awesome shots, SteB. What camera setup did you use for some of those nice butterflies...very, very sharp indeed. Also, thanks for your detailed reply.

Update: Ok, I see you used a Canon EOS 40D. How 'bout the lens?

Ragnar
 
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