56 replies to this topic

[nurbs]

Right, but you never answered what phone you have? Any modern cell phones with the past 2-3 years should work. Before I got the iPhone X this year, was shooting all images and video with a macro clipon and a giant 2 year old ipad. 

 

But sure, if you want to get that camera setup it will work great. That setup still comes with a learning curve. Was just trying to save you money and frustration.

 

As I said before. This is not my phone. I won't have full access to it at all times so that's the exact reason I need a camera. It's one of my family members phone and they aren't too keen on letting me using it for my ant obsession. All of my devices have terrible cameras. But thanks anyway nurbs! It was highly appreciated.

[Barristan]

Post your results with your IPhone X I haven't seen any good macro shots of living ants taking with a smartphone yet. By the way I use a smartphone which I bought new for 80€, how much is an IPhone X new without any contract?

This will also be the last time I'm giving here any advice about chosing a camera. Do what you want.

For several month now I only use Rawtherapee which is free, I also don't use a tripod for stills. As another person here pointed out it is not of much use because ants move too fast.
 

You can call the Raynox "achromatic" lenses or whatever, but I've tried them all, and they are all essentially magnifying glasses that reduce the minimum focusing distance on a lens. When you buy Raynox, you're paying for the name and the "made in Japan" label. Not trying to be difficult with you, but I'm a working photographer and have been doing this for over two decades and have tried all kinds of macro devices for DSLRs.

It doesn't matter if you are a pro photographer, this statement shows me that you have no idea what you are talking about in regard of simple close-up lenses vs achromatic lenses. Achromatic lenses consist of several lenses which are engineered to correct different type of optical errors like achromatic abberation. Cheap close-up lenses are usally only a single lens with now further correction. It is like saying: "it doesn't matter if you use a Canon L lens or a cheap Chinese one with the same focal length, in the end all they provide is exactly the same since both have the same focal length".

Please do some research before you spread such misinformation. For further reading: http://extreme-macro...closeup-lenses/

Edited by Barristan, August 8 2018 - 10:54 AM.

[Major]

Thank you everyone! This thread and all the people who have took the time and effort to reply have helped me immensely. As I am a begginer and know next to nothing about photography will probably take a few classes. I did buy a macro lens for my phone but I didn't enjoy it too much and wanted to up my game.
I would probably only use my camera for macro shots so I will take Barristan's advice about superzooms. A DSLR seems a little bit too advanced for a person who only knows how to use a phone camera. My final desicion will most likely be the Canon Powershot SX60 HS: https://tristatecame...s=&sti=27705527Raynox DCR- 250: https://tristatecame...s=&sti=27705529 Yongnuo 560-ii Flash: Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon. GN58. https://www.amazon.c...i_fDnABbBC70944
So it's just Barristan's setup. His photos are the exact type I am looking for and since he has been having such good luck since 2012. Thank you for sharing your setup.
And thank you everyone else for all the advice and recommendations. I will take this all into consideration when purchasing a more advanced camera in the future.

 
 
What kind of phone do you have? If you're not getting the results you want, it is most likely your lighting. That's SO IMPORTANT. The great thing about the LED lights is that it is continuous lighting, whereas a flash is not. You can position the lights how you wish in realtime and see the results.
 
Not knocking Barristan's setup, which is great, and his pics are not just the camera - he has some skill and experience and you are going to need to learn camera settings.
 
When Drew, our illustrious forum owner, first got his real nice Sony mirror-less camera, he asked me tons of questions, at times almost frustrated and raging because he couldn't figure things out.  
 
Just saying you are not going to be able to just take that camera out and get pics just like Barristan. I looked up the Canon SX60 camera, and it is uses the same kind of small sensor on phones, so image quality will be similar, if not less (it's not a Sony sensor, but one made by Canon).

I understand that I won't just be able to pick up a camera and start taking amazing photos. I also know that lighting is a HUGE part of photography. I'm currently trying to do a bit of reading up on photography and I will hopefully take some classes. I agree, clip on macro lenses are great for their price, but what annoys me is that the focus distance is very low, so I have to hunch over my subject, thus covering it in shadow. I use one of my family members phones as all my devices have terrible cameras. I use an iPhone X which I have to admit, has a very good camera. I'm getting better results with a magnifying glass then a macro lens. I can't light properly with a macro lens. And not all of my subject is in focus.
Magnifying Glass:
Macro Lens:
See the difference? Neither photo is very good but I think that the magnifying glass had a better result.

Barristan's these are some of my phone pics. Not that great but they are sorta ok.

Nurbs I have a really old ipad, a kindle, and my iphone (which is currently missing, oops). They all have very bad cameras and buying a macro lens for any of them would just be a waste. They can't even take a pic WITH a macro lens. So yeah, a Canon SX60 HS would be a big step up.

[nurbs]

Post your results with your IPhone X I haven't seen any good macro shots of living ants taking with a smartphone yet. By the way I use a smartphone which I bought new for 80€, how much is an IPhone X new without any contract?

This will also be the last time I'm giving here any advice about chosing a camera. Do what you want.

For several month now I only use Rawtherapee which is free, I also don't use a tripod for stills. As another person here pointed out it is not of much use because ants move too fast.
 

You can call the Raynox "achromatic" lenses or whatever, but I've tried them all, and they are all essentially magnifying glasses that reduce the minimum focusing distance on a lens. When you buy Raynox, you're paying for the name and the "made in Japan" label. Not trying to be difficult with you, but I'm a working photographer and have been doing this for over two decades and have tried all kinds of macro devices for DSLRs.

It doesn't matter if you are a pro photographer, this statement shows me that you have no idea what you are talking about in regard of simple close-up lenses vs achromatic lenses. Achromatic lenses consist of several lenses which are engineered to correct different type of optical errors like achromatic abberation. Cheap close-up lenses are usally only a single lens with now further correction. It is like saying: "it doesn't matter if you use a Canon L lens or a cheap Chinese one with the same focal length, in the end all they provide is exactly the same since both have the same focal length".

Please do some research before you spread such misinformation. For further reading: http://extreme-macro...closeup-lenses/

 

 

I never knocked your setup Barristan. Your shots are great, and I even told Major you had skill in shooting which he had to learn. This thread isn't about you. All I am trying to do in this thread is save him money and frustration.

 

Some of the made in China macro adapters also claim CA correction, but it is irrelevant when you get that close. The bigger issue is the shallow DOF. I have the Raynox for my Canon. I realized it wasn't that great when I bought a $15 macro adapter for the ipad and realized it did the exact same thing. Just because you post a link on the Internet doesn't mean it's true. How do we know that is also not misinformation? On the right side of that page you linked is an AD TO BUY the Raynox 

 

Here's a video I shot with an iPhone X and a macro clip on. Keep in mind those workers are about 2-3mm:

 

 

Another with iPhone X. But as I said in my original reply, you don't need the latest, just a modern cell phone made within the past few years with a Sony sensor. Most high end Samsung phones use them as well as all iPhones.

 

 

Same colony a few months earlier before I got iPhone. Shot on a two year old ipad.

 

 

ipad again, only difference is the ipad did not shoot 4K.

 

 

another with Ipad:

 

Edited by nurbs, August 8 2018 - 1:48 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Yeah the Raynox reduced depth of field quite a bit, and working distance compared to my macro lens.

But when paired with a zoom lens that does not telescope it does allow for magnification without actually having to move the camera like you do with a macro lens

Handy for run and gun video work, and tripod video, as moving the whole camera is not feasible most of the time.

 

The smaller sensor sizes allow for greater depth of field, so that counteract this effect.

While a small focal length lens also has greater depth of field.

 

I like a Micro 4/3 based camera as it is a nice middle ground with 2x magnification over full frame

 

The phones are good for video, due to the great depth of field of the small sensors, but I don't think they do as well for stills, where you need high shutter speeds to freeze the motion of ants, and be able to shoot hand held, as using a tripod for moving ants is a pain, especially out in the field

Edited by CoolColJ, August 8 2018 - 1:57 PM.

[nurbs]

The phones are good for video, due to the great depth of field of the small sensors, but I don't think they do as well for stills, where you need high shutter speeds to freeze the motion of ants, and be able to shoot hand held, as using a tripod for moving ants is a pain, especially out in the field

 

 

No, still images would look amazing.

 

I don't have the time right now, but if I were to setup still shots, they would be way way better than my video. My videos suck in comparison to what I can do with a still image.

 

Like I mentioned earlier, get the Pro Camera app. Gives you have full manual control and allows the phone to shoot in RAW.

 

You can shoot up to 1/16,129 of a sec with the iphone. That's more than most DSLRs, because there is no mirror box.

 

 

[sirjordanncurtis]

So basically it's shooting skills that are most important?

[nurbs]

So basically it's shooting skills that are most important?

 

 

Maybe I'm not typing loud enough. 

[CoolColJ]

You would need a flash though

[nurbs]

You would need a flash though

No you don’t. God, are any of you actually reading my original reply?

[CoolColJ]

 

You would need a flash though

No you don’t. God, are any of you actually reading my original reply?

 

 

To use a fast shutter speed + small apeture.

You need a ton of light

Edited by CoolColJ, August 8 2018 - 5:13 PM.

[nurbs]

You would need a flash though

No you don’t. God, are any of you actually reading my original reply?

 
To use a fast shutter speed + small apeture.
You need a ton of light

Correct. Did you read my original reply to this thread? Haha I have so much to do today, why am I even replying.

[CoolColJ]

 

 

 

You would need a flash though

No you don’t. God, are any of you actually reading my original reply?

 
To use a fast shutter speed + small apeture.
You need a ton of light

Correct. Did you read my original reply to this thread? Haha I have so much to do today, why am I even replying.

 

 

Well I did say you need a fast shutter speed to freeze motion, and you said phones can do high shutter speed,

and I added, you need a flash to use high shutter speed.

 

Then you said you don't or something

[nurbs]

Are you trolling? You can’t be seriously that dense. Haha. Maybe you don’t know what a flash is?

And no, you don’t need a flash.

Original reply:

http://www.formicult...ameras/?p=99157

Correct. Did you read my original reply to this thread? Haha I have so much to do today, why am I even replying.

 
Well I did say you need a fast shutter speed to freeze motion, and you said phones can do high shutter speed,
and I added, you need a flash to use high shutter speed.
 
Then you said you don't or something

[Major]

Are you trolling? You can’t be seriously that dense. Haha. Maybe you don’t know what a flash is?
And no, you don’t need a flash.
Original reply:http://www.formicult...ameras/?p=99157

Correct. Did you read my original reply to this thread? Haha I have so much to do today, why am I even replying.

 
Well I did say you need a fast shutter speed to freeze motion, and you said phones can do high shutter speed,
and I added, you need a flash to use high shutter speed.
 
Then you said you don't or something

It must be a misunderstanding. I am sure that CCJ knows what a flash is as he has some amazing photos. don't get into an argument over cameras, we all have our opinions.

[Major]

I've almost saved enough for a camera. I changed my mind and am now young with the Nikon D3400. I'm looking for a good macro lens and once I've found a good one I'm almost ready to buy. Does anyone know any good Nikon macro lenses? Under $400?

[AntsMaryland]

 

Right, but you never answered what phone you have? Any modern cell phones with the past 2-3 years should work. Before I got the iPhone X this year, was shooting all images and video with a macro clipon and a giant 2 year old ipad. 

 

But sure, if you want to get that camera setup it will work great. That setup still comes with a learning curve. Was just trying to save you money and frustration.

 

As I said before. This is not my phone. I won't have full access to it at all times so that's the exact reason I need a camera. It's one of my family members phone and they aren't too keen on letting me using it for my ant obsession. All of my devices have terrible cameras. But thanks anyway nurbs! It was highly appreciated.

 

Your system works terrifically. I probably missed this and I apologize if I have. But, by any chance, do you have a 'tutorial' (in writing), for how to get good lighting for those shots? I'll try to just google it anyways. Just wondering if you have any tricks.