AARRGGHH......Extreme Macro

[Fettator]

I have an MP-E65. I am looking at doing some macro on a table at home. It is roughly about 100w 100d 100h.

I have tried my Manfrotto adjustable tripod but just can't seem to get it to work properly.

Is there a suitable 'table' macro that is out there that I can get? I already have a 4-way bracket and a photo 'booth' kit from Teds.

GB

[ricktas]

what do you mean by 'cant get it to work properly'?

There is no reason you should not be able to take macros with your setup. So when you say you cannot get it to work, what exactly is the issue?

[farmmax]

I use an MP-E65 which I love. Not being much of a tripod person, I'm afraid I just shoot freehand with it.

What I do have is a gorilla pod like thingy tripod screwed into the bottom of the camera. Two of it's legs are bent back onto my chest for support. The other leg is bent forward to be right in front of the lens at the right distance, and I rest my left hand on it. I hold what ever I'm photographing in fingers in my left hand and move my fingers (supported by my hand on the tripod leg), minutely back and forth to get focus. The advantage of this is, any movement of the camera, the object and my left hand move with it. I shoot totally in natural light. I just turn my body around depending where the sun and light is to get the lighting I want. The other advantage of this is speed and it's easy with practise. While you set up your tripod, I have photographed 100 photos I often photo stack and this is the method I use to do it. It takes concentration to keep the camera lined up on one tiny spot in the photo whilst I minutely move my fingers to move the object further and further away from the lens, clicking as I go.

I started with a $10 closeup lens on my panasonic fz20 and graduated up from there. This had the advantage of a fair bit of practise at manual focus by the time I bought the MP-E65.

If you want to work on a table, you may find the gorilla pod type tripod on the table much easier than fiddling around with a full size tripod. Just make sure you buy one sturdy enough to hold your camera and lens firmly.

If you have not already done a lot of macro, the MP-E65 would probably be a difficult lens to use. It is probably best to start on something easier and graduate up.

The photo attached was taken by the MP-E65 using the method described above. From memory it was probably a stack of about 7 photos and probably took a total of 10 seconds to do from picking the flower up to finish. It is the stamens from a Paulownia flower just opening to spill their pollen.

[Steve Axford]

To be able to use the MPE effectively you need some extra gear (in my experience). You can use a good flash, like the Canon Macro Twin Flash plus adaptor ring, and then use it hand held. This is good for small animals, like insects. Alternatively you can use a macro focus rail, but it needs to be a good one like RRS or similar, with a good tripod. Either way it does cost some more money, but the results can be spectacular. The choice really comes down to - is the subject alive or not? ie will it move. If there is no movement then I would go for the macro rail. If it does move you will need a macro flash.
Here's a sample taken with a tripod.