New Macro Experiments

[got ants]

Originally Posted by tropterrarium

Have you tried exposure correction (specifically around -1 f-stop) to get the light levels down? The rather large area of very dark background fools most cameras into overexposing the shot.

I think Trop has the right idea here. Especially if you are using Arpeture Priority, Shutter Priority, or just regular Automatic. The camera will adjust and then over correct.

This is why I like manual lenses for close up work, and the obvious, a tripod is a must.

Using your f-stop push method, you can always trick the camera to over, or under expose a shot.

It's a digital you're using, right? Bracket a bunch of shots using the f-stop push just to get an idea how it works.

Another thing in close up work, most digital cameras automatically go full frame meter, rather than spot. See if you can set the meter to SPOT or CENTER SPOT.

My first early experiments with macro was with an all manual Yashica camera, hand held meter, and an old Pentax lens flipped and manually held against the body, and having my finger pushing in the f-stop pin. That was around 1969 (I was ten then).

[Ray]

Of course all of the advice is appropriate - and thank you - but don't you folks read?

As I said earlier - I completed the assembly, mounted it on the camera, and shot. I was just trying to gauge the effectiveness of the lighting, so did not bother to even think about any of the other parameters.