Blox
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Just out of curiosity: Does the 350 still permit the use of flash in Supermacro mode?
I've got an SP 550, and it doesn't.
SP350 My Mode Settings - Here ya go!
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Just out of curiosity: Does the 350 still permit the use of flash in Supermacro mode?
I've got an SP 550, and it doesn't.
OP
I just posted a refinement of my SP-350 settings post Cathy Church Photo School and Jack and Sue Drafahl's Digital Photo Adventure:
Eddy's Scuba Blog - Post details: Refining Settings on the Olympus SP-350
On the site, if you hit the "Cathy Church" category on the right side, you will more notes from the classes as well.
Enjoy,
Eddy.
Eddy's Scuba Blog - Post details: Refining Settings on the Olympus SP-350
On the site, if you hit the "Cathy Church" category on the right side, you will more notes from the classes as well.
Enjoy,
Eddy.
Hi Buccaneer,
you are wrong - and you are right!
In Super Macro the camera's internal flash cannot be activated.
If you use an external flash that is connected by the camera hot shoe this flash will work.
If you use the Heinrichs-Weikamp Converter you need the "hard-wired" Oly-TTL-Converter for super macro.The optically-triggered TTL-Converter will not work (because the built-in stobe of the SP350 is deactivated).
Just to clarify...
Regards,
Joerg
you are wrong - and you are right!
In Super Macro the camera's internal flash cannot be activated.
If you use an external flash that is connected by the camera hot shoe this flash will work.
If you use the Heinrichs-Weikamp Converter you need the "hard-wired" Oly-TTL-Converter for super macro.The optically-triggered TTL-Converter will not work (because the built-in stobe of the SP350 is deactivated).
Just to clarify...
Regards,
Joerg
If you are using an optical firing external strobe, you can set your internal flash for slave and manually control the power on a 1-10 scale through the camera, I believe. If you want ttl with an optical strobe, you'll need a strobe with it's own external auto system, like the Z-240. On super macro, however, ttl is pretty extraneous. Just crank the f-stop to 8, up the shutter to 1/200 or more and blast 'em. Manual settings should work fine. I've taken pictures with the subject literally touching the port, as it focuses down to .8". Auto focus is absolute hell at that point, due to lack of light and the fact that the SP's auto focus assist light is, I think, off the lens a bit. Generally, I'll take 5 or 6 of the same shot and hope a couple are sharp. You can use your dive light to assist with focus sometimes, then turn it away for the shot. I haven't been able to get a focus light close enough to the lens to work in that situation.
jlyle
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In SuperMacro mode, you can set the SP-350s flash to "slave" and it will fire. By adjusting the level of the slave (from a low of 1 to a high of 10) you can control the amount of light. The problem with using the on-board flash in supermacro is a lens-shadow. If you are getting a shadow, cast by the lens, move a little further away from the subject.
jlyle
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Hey, Larry. You type faster than I do!
I found that using the regular macro mode with the camera fully zoomed in was as good as using the supermacro without the zoom. This also allowed for the use of the internal strobe, focused faster and was generally easier to shoot.
Hello guys,
that's what these forums are good for - you always learn something new! I must confess that I do not know othe camera in-depth; I bought it for my wife so that she is not bored while I hang around taking photos with my analog Nikonos RS.
Anyhow, I played around with supermacro and slave strobe. My opinion, just as Gary wrote, it will be very (or even too) complicated to use under water (at least for me and my wife)in terms of correct exposure and of strobe placement. I am strict k.i.s.s. guy (as soon as iIget under water, above... well read on) .
Okay this now strays away from the originalquestion (can you use a strobe in super macro?): Why not use a close-up lens instead??? You can either buy the expensive ones from Inon, Olympus etc., or you can do your first tests the cheap way: Try to buy a threaded +10 diopter from ebay (plus, if necessary,a step-up ring if you find a diopter larger than 46mm). Costs almost nothing, less than 10EUR if you take your time to look around!
Last year my wife took some photos with her old mju/Stylus500 this way. (Not with a +10,but with a combined +4 and +2 - but this is not enough,as we found out, under water you "loose" some of the magnification.)
Same for wide angle, on ebay we found a Sea&Sea 16mm lens with a 58mm thread - this one is originally for the Nikonos 35mm lens. With a step-up-ring 46-58mm we now have a real wide lens for 20 EUR! And with very good optical quality. Vignetting is not a problem (at least with the mju500), otherwise just zoom in a small amount.
Our latest purchase (also from ebay,as you may guess now) is a Sea&Sea adaptor ring 67mm to Sea&Sea bayonet. So with another step-up-ring 46-67mm we now can use Sea&Sea macro lenses, which were originally made for the Motomarine II. We bought the 1:2 lens,and the whole setup cost us less than 30EUR. I did not have the opportunity to test it other than in our bathtub, but it seems promising. If the focus distance will be too short for good strobe lightning we will just buy a Sea&Sea 1:3 lens and give it a try.
Regards,
Joerg
that's what these forums are good for - you always learn something new! I must confess that I do not know othe camera in-depth; I bought it for my wife so that she is not bored while I hang around taking photos with my analog Nikonos RS.
Anyhow, I played around with supermacro and slave strobe. My opinion, just as Gary wrote, it will be very (or even too) complicated to use under water (at least for me and my wife)in terms of correct exposure and of strobe placement. I am strict k.i.s.s. guy (as soon as iIget under water, above... well read on) .
Okay this now strays away from the originalquestion (can you use a strobe in super macro?): Why not use a close-up lens instead??? You can either buy the expensive ones from Inon, Olympus etc., or you can do your first tests the cheap way: Try to buy a threaded +10 diopter from ebay (plus, if necessary,a step-up ring if you find a diopter larger than 46mm). Costs almost nothing, less than 10EUR if you take your time to look around!
Last year my wife took some photos with her old mju/Stylus500 this way. (Not with a +10,but with a combined +4 and +2 - but this is not enough,as we found out, under water you "loose" some of the magnification.)
Same for wide angle, on ebay we found a Sea&Sea 16mm lens with a 58mm thread - this one is originally for the Nikonos 35mm lens. With a step-up-ring 46-58mm we now have a real wide lens for 20 EUR! And with very good optical quality. Vignetting is not a problem (at least with the mju500), otherwise just zoom in a small amount.
Our latest purchase (also from ebay,as you may guess now) is a Sea&Sea adaptor ring 67mm to Sea&Sea bayonet. So with another step-up-ring 46-67mm we now can use Sea&Sea macro lenses, which were originally made for the Motomarine II. We bought the 1:2 lens,and the whole setup cost us less than 30EUR. I did not have the opportunity to test it other than in our bathtub, but it seems promising. If the focus distance will be too short for good strobe lightning we will just buy a Sea&Sea 1:3 lens and give it a try.
Regards,
Joerg
jlyle
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Joerg,
Is your wife going to use an external strobe, or just the on-board flash? If it's an external strobe, that can be fired optically (a "slave"), then set up a MyMode with supermacro, slave step 1, and fire away. If she's using the on-board flash, set up a MyMode in supermacro, slave step 8, and fire away - adjust the slave mode if necessary...usually not.
You can set up the 350 with external lens adapters (macro or WA). But, unless you stack the macro adapters, you aren't going to get more than the camera can deliver in supermacro. With stacked lens adapters, you can do really great ultra-macro, but DOF is extremely narrow and it's not easy to take pictures.
Is your wife going to use an external strobe, or just the on-board flash? If it's an external strobe, that can be fired optically (a "slave"), then set up a MyMode with supermacro, slave step 1, and fire away. If she's using the on-board flash, set up a MyMode in supermacro, slave step 8, and fire away - adjust the slave mode if necessary...usually not.
You can set up the 350 with external lens adapters (macro or WA). But, unless you stack the macro adapters, you aren't going to get more than the camera can deliver in supermacro. With stacked lens adapters, you can do really great ultra-macro, but DOF is extremely narrow and it's not easy to take pictures.
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