I like the colour of this butterfly. For my taste it's a bit small in the frame, or is background a bit too distracting (especially those white blobs and curved grass blade).
Cheers,
Marko
Posted by Peter Barritt on August 28, 2007 at 2:43 AM
thanks for constructive comments.added some usm and a tighter crop, Peter
I am afraid that no amount of sharpening is going to correct a photo that is not in focus in the first place or is suffering from camera shake and I think this is the problem here.
It now looks way too sharpened now (as distinct from 'sharp') although the crop is better.
To be honest, a 50mm is about 100 or 150mm too short for butterfly photography in my opinion. Once you enter their "circle of fear", you have had it, hence the need for a greater lens to subject distance and yet still be able to fill the frame. I'd recommend a 180mm macro or a 300mm with tubes
Nice to see one of these though - very scarce now in the UK and yet ironically, their foodplant is common and the species is common on mainland Europe
Barrie
Posted by Peter Barritt on August 28, 2007 at 8:35 AM
that's a good point Barrie. Actually I've got a Canon 300mm and a canon extension tube so I'll give it a try. That's one reason I've not committed to a decent macro lens as my gear already weighs a ton and I mainly do landscapes and travel. which tubes do you use for butterfly work? It's the depth of focus that's seems problematic with butterfly photography, are you likely get more DOF with say a 180mm macro? Having all the shots with the wings flat seems a bit limiting somehow.
Thanks for the advice. Peter
Posted by Sean Bolton on August 28, 2007 at 3:01 PM
Hi Peter
I agree with the above comments, and I would say the 50mm macro is a bit too short for butterflies due to the working distance, a 100mm or even better 150mm to 180mm is best. I would look around for a good buy on a Sigma 150mm f2.8 as the best value option for an in-the-field macro lens.
Extension tubes are another option, but they have some downsides too (see your other post for my thoughts...)
Also wind and movement is the biggest hassle for any macro photographer. Even if you can get the shutter speed high enough keeping the subject in focus is difficult as if it (or you) moves even a small amount the pinsharp focus will be lost.
Discussion
9 repliesBit of a windy day hence high shutter speed.
Rene de Heer
I suspect the windy conditions have slightly taken the edge off the overall sharpness, in this instance {which is a shame}.
Alan
David
Cheers,
Marko
I am afraid that no amount of sharpening is going to correct a photo that is not in focus in the first place or is suffering from camera shake and I think this is the problem here.
It now looks way too sharpened now (as distinct from 'sharp') although the crop is better.
To be honest, a 50mm is about 100 or 150mm too short for butterfly photography in my opinion. Once you enter their "circle of fear", you have had it, hence the need for a greater lens to subject distance and yet still be able to fill the frame. I'd recommend a 180mm macro or a 300mm with tubes
Nice to see one of these though - very scarce now in the UK and yet ironically, their foodplant is common and the species is common on mainland Europe
Barrie
Thanks for the advice. Peter
I agree with the above comments, and I would say the 50mm macro is a bit too short for butterflies due to the working distance, a 100mm or even better 150mm to 180mm is best. I would look around for a good buy on a Sigma 150mm f2.8 as the best value option for an in-the-field macro lens.
Extension tubes are another option, but they have some downsides too (see your other post for my thoughts...)
Also wind and movement is the biggest hassle for any macro photographer. Even if you can get the shutter speed high enough keeping the subject in focus is difficult as if it (or you) moves even a small amount the pinsharp focus will be lost.
cheers
Sean
cheers
Sean