A firm support

[bugmadmark]

OK, so after moaning about not having the Sigma 150 macro - I can announce to the world that as of last week, I am now the proud owner of one! This past weekend the family and I took a trip to my local Bluebell woods, where I saw a few Orange Tips, Small White, GVW, Peacocks and Speckled Woods. Most were on the wing and rarely settled - I think they had other things on their mind. However, a couple of Speckled Woods provided some entertainment as they partolled their territories in the dappled shade. I did manage to get a couple of shots, neither were very sharp - but I am still experimenting. The problem I found was that I couldn't seem to get the right shutter speed/f number. Either shutter was 2 slow (< 1/200) or f No. too shallow (<f5). I tried messing about in both aperture priority and shutter speed priority.

I was using a new Manfrotto 679B monopod fitted with 234RC head as recommended by a numbe rof people here and elsewhere. It helped I am sure, but at slow shutters/shallow DoF it wasnt very successful. With the 150mm, what do you think the slowest shutter speed is I can use on the monopod - I am guessing about 1/200. However in order to get get best DofF I need around f8-f11 or smaller but even in dappled sunlight I couldnt achieve this. Flash is too harsh - and I dont have the right gear anyway - but I would prefer to master day light if possible. With all this in mind, I am now thinking a tripod would be better, albeit a little cumbersome. Can anyone recommend something that is ideal for this set up? I think it needs to drop down as low as possible and be able to open / close legs to desired length as quickly a possible so I can get the shots before they fly off.

Oh, and I also know a number of you use the Manfrotto 234RC head on the monopod - but I found I couldn't quickly change from portrait to landscape format without turning the camera 90degrees on the plate (based on the fact that, for safety, I assume that the quick release plate should be in contact with the lens bracket in such a way that the entire plate is in contact with the lens bracket surface - as opposed to 90 degree turn which means there is less contact between the lens/camera and the plate - if you know what I mean ) How do others get on with it - I am thinking that i should have gone for something else?

Mark

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Mark - what camera are you using?

The general guidance for handheld shutter speed is 1/lens focal length. For 150mm, that's 1/150s. However, if you don't have a full-frame sensor, then you need to take into account the 1.6 magnification factor - giving 1/(150 * 1.6), which is 1/240s minimum.

If the light isn't there, then your best bet is to increase the ISO setting (to increase the sensitivity of the sensor). You should then be able to close the aperture down to get more DoF.

At the workshop, Rogerdodge recommended:

Manfrotto 488RC2 Midi Ball Head
Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre Tripod

... both of which I've just ordered

Not sure I understand the base plate issue. I thought that, in order to move from landscape to portrait with the 150mm, you just rotated the camera within the collar (which is attached to the plate).

Cheers,

- Pete

[eccles]

Unless there is something drastically wrong with your new lens then it is a good choice for butterflies, and it is very, very sharp. What shutter speed you can get away with, and whether to hand hold or use a tripod depends a lot on your choice of camera, and how steady you can hold it. I'm a great believer in portability, and the means to move a camera around quickly to suit the wildlife, and for me that means hand held or a monopod. I find a tripod to be too cumbersome, but other UKB members will use one by preference. We're not all wrong - it's a matter of preference, and of course image stabilisation in whatever form you can get it helps enormously - but if you hand hold then you should look for dodges to make it easier. Crouching down and resting my elbows on my knees while shooting means I have a relatively firm support. My monopod is the cheap Jessops model 330 and the pan/tilt lever acts as a convenient shoulder brace and I often make use of that by using the monopod with the leg segments retracted.
Using my beercan zoom + close up lens or Sigma 105mm macro in decent sunlight I can quite easily get a faster shutter speed than 1/200 at iso 200 and f8. F11 is perhaps a better aperture because diffraction isn't too much of a problem at that aperture, and you get a more usable DOF, but shutter speed may be struggling in weak sunlight or overcast conditions. In such instances just up the iso to 400 or 800.

[Chris]

Hi Mark...

I use a similar set-up to that Pete suggests, perhaps a little more heavy duty - the Manfrotto 055BPro tripod with a 322RC head. I find this very flexible. I also add a flash gun to the mix, softened with a Stofen diffuser... this gives me a couple more f-stops of DOF and also livens up the colours on dull days. Finally, try using a remote-switch... it's the cheapest gadget of the lot, but makes the most difference.

The fact of the matter is though, regardless of your set-up, it's about getting used to it and practising your fieldcraft! Tripods aren't cumbersome once you're used to using them... take a look at the reptiles thread in the sightings forum. I approached the grass snake and the lizard to within 15" using the above set-up.

[Gruditch]

As Pete said, the lens will rotate within the collar. If you look at the lens from above, you will see a white line on the lens, and a white line on the tripod collar. When in the landscape / normal position, these should line up. If you turn the knob on the tripod collar, it will allow you to rotate the lens within the collar, there is of course another line, that lets you know where to rotate to.

Gruditch

[Rogerdodge]

Mark
A picture (or two) is worth a thousand words.
Look the orientation of the shoe, head and the collar here.
HTH

Also - on a Monopod I use ISO 400, and AV at f8 or f11

Roger
(Good kit choices by the way!!!)

[bugmadmark]

Thanks all for the recommendations and advice. Practice is what it's going to be about. I was trying to ensure I could get the apertures small and shutter speeds as high as poss. I use the Canon 400D with the 150 so based on the advice above I need to ensure I keep speeds > 1/250 for hand/monopod use. Even at the f8 / 11 settings I think that the reason for poor focus is simply movement of the monopod withthe camera and lens on, coupled to the excitement of grabbing my first shots!

Roger - the monopod and head were on your and other folks recommendations last year - I see a lot of photographers on the Wildabout britain website use it also.

I was considering the tripods this afternoon and came across a couple of useful links demonstrating the Manfrotto 055XPROB fitted with the Manfrotto 488RC2 Midi Ball Head. Apart from the irritating wind chime in the video link, it sugested that this was a real workhorse, but heavy - so poss not so good for walking around with. Carbon fibre is lighter and more expensive - but I was wondering if they are sturdy enough in the field for macro - I assume so by the very fact that its being used here.

Take a look at these - the ball head demonstration is good considering the size of his equipment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF38sOYW ... re=related

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/sho ... p?t=529785

Oh and I also read the buyers guide by Andy Rouse which gave some food for thought and some ideas for macro (not that I am endorsing this particular supplier over any of the others)

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/home/?/ ... guide.html

[bugmadmark]

Roger, Pete, Gruditch
Thanks for the photos of the set up and comments on orientating camera from landscape to portrait. I hadnt appreciated that I could rotate the camera/lens around the lens mount like that - i assumed the collar was in a fixed location and so was swivelling the lens mount 90 degrees on the quick release plate and when attached via camera base plate, again swivelling it 90 degrees to allow me to use the tilt function in the head.

[Chris Pickford]

Re the comment by Peter above:-

The general guidance for handheld shutter speed is 1/lens focal length. For 150mm, that's 1/150s. However, if you don't have a full-frame sensor, then you need to take into account the 1.6 magnification factor - giving 1/(150 * 1.6), which is 1/240s minimum.

Don't forget that many macro lenses increase in length as you approach 1:1 (ie the centroid of the optical assembly moves forward), meaning that you have to add an additional factor to the above rule.....ie instead of 1/240s, you will need 1/480 sec in theory.

Chris

[JKT]

Don't forget that many macro lenses increase in length as you approach 1:1 (ie the centroid of the optical assembly moves forward), meaning that you have to add an additional factor to the above rule.....ie instead of 1/240s, you will need 1/480 sec in theory.

I may be picking nits again, but the focal length of the macro lenses decreases somewhat and that would make the situation easier. However, there is another factor due to magnification, which has to be consider as well. If I recall correctly the factor was 1/(1+r)^2, where r is the magnification ratio. That would suggest of 1/600 for the 150 at 1:1 with full frame and 1/900 with crop camera. Actually somwhat lower due to the shorter actual focal length.

[eccles]

When using autofocus with a close up or macro lens, I find that if it's difficult to get your eye in because of camera movement between focussing and shutter release, it sometimes helps to purposely defocus by pointing the camera at something nearby. Then switch back to the subject and mash the button. The A/F will snap into focus followed immediately by the shutter release. It doesn't always work because you may need adjustment to the precise point of focus but it's worth a try when you're struggling.

[Markulous]

I will always try and use my tripod (with remote), a Benbo Trekker with joystick ball head one end and standard ball head the other. Failing that, my monopod. Always manual focus unless the subject is moving quite quickly - this with Sigma 105mm (preferred as MF is easier) or 150mm (if rapid landscape/portrait changes might be needed). Prefer to work with available light as I dislike flash - this despite having a Sigma 140