hi guys...this is rushed...inbetween jobs. ok, kemal made this experiment last week. he was shooting some macros of flowers but was standing pretty far away. the results were outstanding. no time to show his...still on his card. anyway, i made the same experiment inbetween jobs today. here's a regular macro of the flower. notice the difference in focal length. settings: focal length: 9 mm f/5 1/500 sec ISO: 64 metering: spot exp. comp. -1 step

ok, now here's the experimental macro shot: focal length 51 mm f/3.5 exp. 1/2000 ISO 64 metering: spot i did zoom in on this. what is that called in my settings so i can tell you how much? ok, how can it be possible to take a macro when you're standing this far away? have ya'all ever done this before? does it have something to do with my shutter speed? This is just so exciting to me! opens up a whole new world!!!! (well, it means i can shoot bees and not have to get so freakin' close to them!!!!!!!!!!! yipppppeeee!!!!!) anyway, ok, this one is NOT a macro shot by any means; however, it did come out looking good. Maybe, just maybe, i can actually get a decent shot of a bee now. if i zoom in enough, maybe i'll be able to get some details? anyway, would sure appreciate your thoughts on this!

Sheila, When you use MACRO mode it allows you to shoot closeups images in a specified range (depending on you camera model and it optical zoom) On my G6 in Macro mode, I can shoot from 2 inches to 1.6 feet at the wide angle end and .5 ft to 1.6 feet at the telephoto end. As I understand it Macro and closeup photography are pretty much the same. Macro is used to get fill the frame of small objects as much as possible. Joe

Hi, I just wrote a long bit about my expriences with long range macros but must have uploaded wrong, I lost it all! Anyway, I bought a 70-300mm lense for my D70, and have forgotten to take the 18-70mm with me on a few occasions. The shot above is taken at 300mm, the exif data should still be there. Never as good as a true macro but a good stand-in. Probabaly wuold be better with a tripod as well. Joe has done a good job of explaining it anyway. :)

Also depends on what focal lenght you are using Sheila...some 'zooms' are are also called 'macro' but not in the true definitionnof the term...fine shots btw ;)

A couple more taken at a long focal length. This dandelion is at 180mm

And sorry... another this butterfly at 300mm again. I had one of a bee actually but thats not too good. Guess it doesn't matter really, I wish I could buy the Nikon 60mm Micro Lense that some of the macro experts use here. Being close up just gives you that extra bit of control.

The depth of field will be less the greater the focal length you use. Therefore if you want to put a background out of focus by having a shallower depth of field then use the zoom from further away and it will do this. This is one reason people use macro lenes for portrait work. You should keep in mind that it could get to be a very shallow depth of field on full zoom therefore you may not get the full subject in focus. Notice how davidy's shots all have a very out of focus background. As above your macro focus on your camera will have a range though which you must stick to.

Message edited on: 05/09/2005 17:14

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We too will go to sea in a Sieve,---
To the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.

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INteresting experiment Sheila...and have enjoyed the feedback.

"The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions."

I regularlyly use that type of settings for macro flowers and it works fine with the zomm and make it possible to benefit from the ambiant light without using a ring flask ;-) Your shots are really good!

thanks guys! i guess i just always assumed in order to use macro setting i had to always be very close to my subject. i can't remember how far away i was standing from the flower, but kemal says he thinks it was 4-5 feet. i didn't zoom in all the way...just some. Davidy, your pictures are really fantastic!!!! Mireille, i wasn't using my ring flask in these either. i usually do. Interesting that you regularly use this kind of setting for macro shots. i just had no idea it would work! Richard, good point about needing to be careful about DOF. My DOF is not good in either of those. i'll have to look tomorrow to check out the rest of them. Joe, thanks for explaining...i'll read more in my manual later. i appreciate ya'all taking the time to explain and give me feedback!!!!! i post a couple that kemal took using this technique, then it's to bed. i'm totally exhausted.

here's one...he said he was standing 5 - 6 feet away he thinks. he zoomed in and shot this on macro. focal length 48 mm f/2 1/1000 sec. ISO 100

focal length 28 mm f/24 1/200 ISO 100 this one was one of the first he shot like this. i also shot the same flower using the same technique. mine didn't turn out as good. anyway, here's one more he took.