lenses for close ups

[gazza3535]

Hi,

i have a EOS d300 and would like to take really close up photos of my aquaruim fish, need to get around a couple of inches away from the glass, could anyone advise me of what lense i would need to be able to do this

thank you

[RobertTheFat]

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@kvbarkley wrote:

But as Syl Arena says, "I am a photographer, not a re-toucher!"

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But as we all know, Ernie channels Ansel Adams, not Vivian Maier. 

[ebiggs1]

"Syl Arena says, "I am a photographer, not a re-toucher!"

Admits he does use LR and PS.  He is just not good at either.  Perhaps he never met Ben Willmore.  I have. I now believe there is nothing a master like Willmore can't do with PS.  I am at the point where he doesn't even need a camera.  If you ever get the chance to take his PS course, I highly recommend it.  He travels all across the country offering his course.  It isn't free! Perhaps he will be close to you. 

[RobertTheFat]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Syl Arena says, "I am a photographer, not a re-toucher!"

Admits he does use LR and PS.  He is just not good at either.  Perhaps he never met Ben Willmore.  I have. I now believe there is nothing a master like Willmore can't do with PS.  I am at the point where he doesn't even need a camera.  If you ever get the chance to take his PS course, I highly recommend it.  He travels all across the country offering his course.  It isn't free! Perhaps he will be close to you. 

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IIRC, you've been both a photographer and a graphic designer. Although there's obviously an overlap, those are two separate disciplines; and Photoshop blurs the distinction. Sometimes when you launch one of your regular paeans to Photoshop, I think we hear your graphic designer side doing the talking. 

[ebiggs1]

Bob from Boston,

Hmmm, that may be true.

"I think we hear your graphic designer side doing the talking."

You talent of observation is keen, today.

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

It really doesn't matter how far or close you are from the glass.  ..

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The farther you are from the glass, the more likely you are to see spurious reflections of objects outside the tank. At least that's my experience.

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Good point.  I was thinking about the refraction effects of light passing through thick glass causing CA.

[gazza3535]

i have a 50mm f1.8 and a EFS 18 -55mm, but niether lense will let me get to nearer than around the 12 inch mark to the glass, without not being able to focus , i really need to get closer, i can crop the photo's in lightroom to make the fish fill the frame, but would perfer just to be able to fill the frame with the fish without having to crop it to do so

[ebiggs1]

"i have a 50mm f1.8 and a EFS 18 -55mm, but niether lense will let me get to nearer than around the 12 inch mark to the glass ..."

Looks like you answered you question.  You need to buy a Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens.

"... without not being able to focus ..."

Just because the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro can AF closer does not indicate it will AF that close.  You may still have to MF.

"... perfer just to be able to fill the frame with the fish without having to crop ..."

This may or may not be possible but will likely be easier to do with a real macro lens.  You are still going to have some distance with the glass and some water causing some distance.  You may not be able to get much closer with the macro than you can with the lenses you already have.  That is why I suggest you make sure what you have won't do the trick.

[Waddizzle]

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@gazza3535 wrote:

i have a 50mm f1.8 and a EFS 18 -55mm, but niether lense will let me get to nearer than around the 12 inch mark to the glass, without not being able to focus , i really need to get closer, i can crop the photo's in lightroom to make the fish fill the frame, but would perfer just to be able to fill the frame with the fish without having to crop it to do so

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Tripod?  Do you have a sturdy tripod with an interchangeable head, and not the plastic, big box store variety?

Lighting?  The more available light you have, and the lower the ISO you can use, the sharper your images will turn out. 

Post Processing?  If you want really impressive final images, Canon's DPP can only scratch the surface.  Using artificial lighting will require careful white balance adjustments to restore the natural colors of tropical fish.  You may also want to adjust some of the highlights and shadows in your shots, something which DPP can do, but just not very well.  You can cheat as much or as little as you want in post.  Some final images qualify as felonies, IMHO.

[ebiggs1]

"Some final images qualify as felonies, IMHO."

Not aimed at any particular forum member! 

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Some final images qualify as felonies, IMHO."

Not aimed at any particular forum member! 

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I am guilty as charged.  Here's a "macro" shot of a quarter.  The DOF was to small to focus the entire quarter.

That single image is comprised of six separate stacked images.  To the less informed, it may appear to be one shot.