Please help with 105 mm Macro!

Cacia · Feb 20, 2006

I don't shoot macro too often and so I did yesterday. This time, because my 105. lense hunts so much in low light and it was very dark and overcast, I set it in manual focus (I do not think you can change that after you have made the call and put it in the Ike housing). I was told to use the modeling light by a pro. Next time, I will try that and hope to focus better. can anyone give me a few pointers with this lense? Early on I got some very nice results and evidently they were flukes because I cannot replicate what ever technique I used. aloha.

the first ones I shot a year ago, I cannot get the same results. I now see I can right click and see the settings.... why am I having trouble focusing now? The last two look "soft" and I had trouble with the focus. Is there anything else I am missing? I have not graduated into photoshop or RAW yet. Why could the color look so much worse in the ones shot yesterday? Are there any little "decision tree-algorithms" anywhere that might make me help mutiple variable decisions?

alcina · Feb 21, 2006

Not sure but on the last two it doesn't look like you got anything but natural light on the subjects?

What were your settings for the ones you aren't happy with?

mjh · Feb 21, 2006

You do need a focus light with this lens and as alcina mentioned seems you are not getting much strobe light on the subject. Strobes should basically be positioned alongside your port. Pointing straight ahead to slightly pointing inward. Those of us who dive in darker waters typically end up buying the 60mm because of these reason.

Warren_L · Feb 21, 2006

I had similar problems when I first started shooting macro as well. What worked well for me was making sure I was in AF-S mode, with the focus area centered and locked. I think before I hadn't locked the focus area down and I was changing it unknowingly. And it is also important to make sure there is enough light to focus properly if shooting dark water or at night, so having a modeling light on the strobe was important.

Tortuga Roja · Feb 21, 2006

I use the 105mm in Hawaiian water a lot. My preference is manual focus 95% of the time because I hate waiting for the lens to lock on and I usually don't want the center of the frame to be the focus point. Locking and reframing is tough with the thin DOF in UW macro shots. I also like to avoid focus lights when possible.

If you have the Ike with the focus port (you have to to shoot manual), you can change between focus modes UW fairly easily. You have to flip the camera switch and turn the lens switch but both are available.

As others have said, there was no strobe on the COT and the S E Nudi. It looks like they may have a some focus but hard to tell since the pix are so small and the strobe free. Either your strobe(s) was(were) way off in aiming or it(they) didn't fire at all.

I love this lens and probably use it more than any other.

Hint: quit stalling and graduate to raw and PS. You are wasting half of the advantages to digital without them. It really isn't that hard.

Cacia · Feb 21, 2006

Thanks everyone! wow, you gave me a lot of good input. Well, I guess my strobe did not fire. ...or it was aiming somewhere else. You would think I would notice that.The current was a bear. MIke I need to come take your class before Bali. This annoying friend is cramming and I am suddenly feeling motivated. I need to get another hard drive I guess, the thought of those huge RAW files is intimidating.

Mike, I have to search for that button, thanks.

AF-S does that mean Shutter priority, auto focus? I really don't know much.

justleesa · Feb 21, 2006

Yeah, I was just gonna say....no strobe in the last pictures....what'cha doing tomorrow or Thursday?

Diver Dennis · Feb 21, 2006

Annoying?

Warren_L · Feb 21, 2006

AF-S mode won't release the shutter until AF has focus lock on the focus area(s), if you are using autofocus. AF-C will shoot continuous and will not wait for focus lock. This is if you are using AF. For manual focus, you need to have the proper port to allow it with the Ike setup.

justleesa · Feb 21, 2006

Diver Dennis:
Annoying?

:11: who??

Please help with 105 mm Macro!

Please register or login

Cacia

Contributor

alcina

Missing Diva.

mjh

Contributor

Warren_L

Contributor

Tortuga Roja

Guest

Cacia

Contributor

justleesa

Neither here nor there

Diver Dennis

Contributor

Warren_L

Contributor

justleesa

Neither here nor there

Similar threads