Macro Photography Tutorial

Many Canon compact digital cameras will focus at a distance of only 1cm from the subject some will even give a sharp image when the lens is touching the subject! EOS cameras will also focus very close to the subject, but only with the right accessories. So how do you start macro photography? Explore the exciting world of close-up photography

Close-ups with compact digital cameras Canon compact digital cameras have a macro or super macro mode. This is usually activated by pressing the button that shows the icon of a small flower or selecting macro focusing from the menu. Macro modes change the focusing range of the lens. On the PowerShot G11, for example, the normal focusing range at the widest focal length is from 50cm to infinity. In macro mode this changes to a range from 1cm to 50cm. Two ranges are used to avoid the lens searching across the full range and focusing is much faster when the range is limited in this way. Some compact cameras also offer a digital macro mode. Here, the camera digitally enlarges the centre of the image to create a close-up. If the camera offers the choice of an eye-level optical viewfinder and a real-time view of the subject on the LCD monitor, use the monitor. This will avoid parallax problems with the eye-level viewfinder. The monitor shows the image created by the camera lens, whereas the viewfinder shows an image produced by a separate lens. At normal distance the two images are similar, but at close distances the two lenses show very different views.

Close-ups with EOS cameras If you own a Canon EOS camera then macro photography will involve an additional piece of equipment.

There are three ways to achieve a macro shot :

Close-up lenses EF Extension Tubes Macro lenses

Close-up lenses A close-up lens is the simplest and least expensive way to shoot close-ups with an EOS camera. It screws to the filter mount at the front of the camera lens and acts in much the same way as a magnifying glass. Canon makes close-up lenses in two different strengths CU 250D (+4 dioptres) and CU 500D (+2 dioptres). The +4 dioptre lens is the strongest, giving magnifications up to half life-size (depending on the camera lens used). There is no change to the camera functions though autofocusing may not work at very close distances. Exposure metering operates as normal. EF Extension Tubes You might have noticed that some lenses extend in length as you focus closer. Increasing the distance between the lens and the camera body with an extension tube lets you focus closer still. The tube contains no optical elements but maintains the electrical connections between the lens and your EOS camera. Canon EF Extension Tubes are available in lengths of 12mm and 25mm. The longer tube gives the greatest magnification more than life-size with some camera lenses. Some light loss occurs with a tube fitted, so an increase in exposure is needed this is handled automatically with autoexposure metering. Autofocusing might be affected, especially with the 25mm tube, so manually focusing is usually recommended.

Macro lenses Macro lenses are the best choice if you plan to do a lot of close-up photography. They attach to the camera in place of the normal lens and need no additional accessories in effect, they have a built-in extension tube which allows for much closer focusing than normal. All Canon EF and EF-S Macro lenses (except the MPE65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro) will focus to infinity, making them suitable for general subjects, but have an extended focusing range that takes you in close enough to shoot life-size images. These lenses are optimised to give their best performance at close distances, unlike other lenses that give their best results with middle distance subjects. All camera functions operate normally with macro lenses. Reducing movement It is very easy to produce blurred images when taking close-up pictures. Thats because the magnification not only increases the size of the image, but also any movement. There are two types of movement to overcome camera and subject. Camera movement is inevitable if you hold the camera in your hands. Your hands are never perfectly still and pressing the shutter button introduces additional movement. This movement is more noticeable during macro photography than it is during normal photography. The answer is to fix the camera to a solid support, such as a tripod. Even with the camera on a solid support, slight movement can be introduced as you press the shutter button. To avoid this, use a remote release. Some cameras have a built-in wireless receiver that is activated by the small Canon Remote Control RC-1, RC-5 or RC-6 hand units. Other cameras have a socket for the cable from a remote switch. If you do not have these remote accessories, then set the timer to a 2-second delay. When you press the shutter button, any movement will have died away before the shutter fires.

Keeping your subject still Subject movement is more difficult to handle. It is often caused by a light breeze blowing your subject about. This slight movement is rarely noticed when you are some feet away from, for example, a flower, but in macro photography the subject will be moving from one side of the frame to the other. One solution is to carry a sheet of plastic and some stakes to form a windbreak, but it is often easier to take your camera and subject indoors and shoot in a draught-free room. Lighting your subject When the camera is close to the subject, it can block the light. Using the built-in flash is not always effective it is off to one side from the lens and coverage at close distances can be uneven. If you dont have a separate Speedlite flash, then a light bulb in a reflector such as a desk lamp provides good lighting for indoor subjects. A white card reflector is useful for controlling the shadows. Remember to adjust the cameras white balance setting to tungsten. Alternatively, window light, especially from a north-facing window on a bright day, is equally effective. For serious macro lighting with an EOS camera, then the Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX or Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, are specifically designed for close-up work. These electronic flash units fit around the camera lens.