Best way to shoot macro with new SB800

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

In article <2vWdnYbGOtJI4ibfRVn-hQ@comcast.com>,
Sheldon <sheldon@XXXXXXXXsopris.net> wrote:
>Well, I finally got my new SB800, and I'm still recovering from reading the
>manual. Anyway, I'm trying to think of the best ways to use it for macro
>photos. I'm thinking I should get the cord that allow you to move the flash
>away from the camera, and use it in Automatic mode since my macro lens does
>not have a chip. It's either that, or bounce it off something. And maybe I
>can use it with the diffuser right on the camera and see what happens.
>
>What does everybody else do? I notice many macro shots are taken with
>flashes. Just make a tent? I'm using a D70.

For quick and dirty macros, using the D70 and the 28-105mm
f3.5-4.5 D lens (which *does* have a CPU), I mount the SB-800 on the
camera, fit the diffuser dome, and angle the flash about 30 degrees
short of vertical.

Here is one example (part of a web page documenting a project
for making the parts shown here), with perhaps a bit too little depth of
field. I should have shot these closer to vertical, but I was working
with a handheld camera and the items on a laptop table.

http://www2.d-and-d.com/tinas/Butt [...] c_1750.jpg

If you want to see the image before resizing for the web page,
simply delete the "smaller/" from the URL above.

Use this as an indication of lighting from the setup described
above -- not as an example of proper depth of field. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: <dnichols@d-and-d.com> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

"Sheldon" <sheldon@XXXXXXXXsopris.net> skrev i meddelandet
news:2vWdnYbGOtJI4ibfRVn-hQ@comcast.com...
> Well, I finally got my new SB800, and I'm still recovering from reading
> the manual. Anyway, I'm trying to think of the best ways to use it for
> macro photos. I'm thinking I should get the cord that allow you to move
> the flash away from the camera, and use it in Automatic mode since my
> macro lens does not have a chip. It's either that, or bounce it off
> something. And maybe I can use it with the diffuser right on the camera
> and see what happens.
>
> What does everybody else do? I notice many macro shots are taken with
> flashes. Just make a tent? I'm using a D70.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Sheldon
> sheldon@sopris.net
>
>

You need a ring flash!
There use to be equipment like that from Nikon that fit your DSLR.
Search with www.google.com


Pepe

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:37:09 -0600, Sheldon wrote:

> Well, I finally got my new SB800, and I'm still recovering from reading
> the manual. Anyway, I'm trying to think of the best ways to use it for
> macro photos. I'm thinking I should get the cord that allow you to move
> the flash away from the camera, and use it in Automatic mode since my
> macro lens does not have a chip. It's either that, or bounce it off
> something. And maybe I can use it with the diffuser right on the camera
> and see what happens.
>
> What does everybody else do? I notice many macro shots are taken with
> flashes. Just make a tent? I'm using a D70.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Sheldon
> sheldon@sopris.net

I haven't tried this with the SB-800 but now I'm curious to know if it
will work. If you set the flash to slave mode and the pop-up flash to
manual mode with minimal output, it might fire the SB-800.

I know the slave mode works in iTTL with the camera as master, but I
wonder if it works in manual mode too? Worth looking at.

--
Save photography | shoot some film today!
email: drop rods and insert surfaces

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

Sheldon wrote:

> Well, I finally got my new SB800, and I'm still recovering from reading the
> manual. Anyway, I'm trying to think of the best ways to use it for macro
> photos. I'm thinking I should get the cord that allow you to move the flash
> away from the camera, and use it in Automatic mode since my macro lens does
> not have a chip. It's either that, or bounce it off something. And maybe I
> can use it with the diffuser right on the camera and see what happens.

I've used a shoot through white umbrella about 12-18 inches, and to the
side, with manual power setting. This is easiest (to me). Images are
nice, crisp and clean.

One idea would be to mount a white card (about 10"x10" ) to the lens at a
45° angle such that a flash shooing towards the lens from the side would
reflect towards the subject. The card would have a hole for the lens,
of course. A blocker would be needed to prevent direct spill to the
subject and care to not flash onto the lens/filter. I've had this idea
for a couple years but never tried it.

Cheers,
Alan.

--
A beaver and a rabbit are sitting in the woods near Hoover Dam.
"Did you build that one?" the rabbit asked.
"No, but it was based on an idea of mine," the beaver replied.
-Jack Kilby on his invention of the IC.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

"DoN. Nichols" <dnichols@d-and-d.com> wrote in message
news9hha1$gpo$1@Fuego.d-and-d.com...
> In article <AbednYNo-pq-DCbfRVn-iA@comcast.com>,
> Sheldon <sheldon@XXXXXXXXsopris.net> wrote:
>>
>>"DoN. Nichols" <dnichols@d-and-d.com> wrote in message
>>news9g2nq$36n$1@Fuego.d-and-d.com...
>>> In article <2vWdnYbGOtJI4ibfRVn-hQ@comcast.com>,
>>> Sheldon <sheldon@XXXXXXXXsopris.net> wrote:
>>>>Well, I finally got my new SB800, and I'm still recovering from reading
>>>>the
>>>>manual. Anyway, I'm trying to think of the best ways to use it for
>>>>macro
>>>>photos.
>
> [ ... ]
>
>>>> It's either that, or bounce it off something. And
>>>> maybe
>>>>I
>>>>can use it with the diffuser right on the camera and see what happens.
>>>>
>>>>What does everybody else do? I notice many macro shots are taken with
>>>>flashes. Just make a tent? I'm using a D70.
>>>
>>> For quick and dirty macros, using the D70 and the 28-105mm
>>> f3.5-4.5 D lens (which *does* have a CPU), I mount the SB-800 on the
>>> camera, fit the diffuser dome, and angle the flash about 30 degrees
>>> short of vertical.
>>
>>So, it sounds like you're only using part of the light coming from the
>>flash
>>to allow for being so close.
>
> Correct. The diffuser spreads just enough out to the sides to
> cover what I was photographing -- and unlike the built-in pop-up flash,
> I don't get shadows of the end of the 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 D in macro mode
> up close.
>
> The objects in the photo are about 1" long, to give you an idea
> of the scale. (And if you care *what* they are -- they are replacements
> for broken buttons for a Wheatstone concertina. During the 1950s,
> Wheatstone was using a plastic for the button bodies which got too
> brittle over time and started to break.
>
>> I need more light to get more depth of field
>>on my bug shots, but not so much that they wash out.
>
> This should work for the purpose. And I think that you can
> increase the illumination a bit by tilting the head closer to horizontal
> -- but that might be too much, even with the diffuser.
>
> You could try wrapping a kleenex around the diffuser and see
> what that does.
>
> Enjoy,
> DoN.

Thanks. I think wrapping a tissue around the diffuser will so no good if in
automatic mode. It will just pump out more light to compensate.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

I thought about this too. But, will it work outdoors in daylight? Only one
way to find out.


"Roxy d'Urban" <not@home.com> wrote in message
newsan.2005.06.24.05.39.44.336000@home.com...
> On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:37:09 -0600, Sheldon wrote:
>
>> Well, I finally got my new SB800, and I'm still recovering from reading
>> the manual. Anyway, I'm trying to think of the best ways to use it for
>> macro photos. I'm thinking I should get the cord that allow you to move
>> the flash away from the camera, and use it in Automatic mode since my
>> macro lens does not have a chip. It's either that, or bounce it off
>> something. And maybe I can use it with the diffuser right on the camera
>> and see what happens.
>>
>> What does everybody else do? I notice many macro shots are taken with
>> flashes. Just make a tent? I'm using a D70.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Sheldon
>> sheldon@sopris.net
>
> I haven't tried this with the SB-800 but now I'm curious to know if it
> will work. If you set the flash to slave mode and the pop-up flash to
> manual mode with minimal output, it might fire the SB-800.
>
> I know the slave mode works in iTTL with the camera as master, but I
> wonder if it works in manual mode too? Worth looking at.
>
> --
> Save photography | shoot some film today!
> email: drop rods and insert surfaces

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

"Alan Browne" <alan.browne@FreeLunchVideotron.ca> wrote in message
news9h4kv$ih4$1@inews.gazeta.pl...
> Sheldon wrote:
>
>> Well, I finally got my new SB800, and I'm still recovering from reading
>> the manual. Anyway, I'm trying to think of the best ways to use it for
>> macro photos. I'm thinking I should get the cord that allow you to move
>> the flash away from the camera, and use it in Automatic mode since my
>> macro lens does not have a chip. It's either that, or bounce it off
>> something. And maybe I can use it with the diffuser right on the camera
>> and see what happens.
>
> I've used a shoot through white umbrella about 12-18 inches, and to the
> side, with manual power setting. This is easiest (to me). Images are
> nice, crisp and clean.
>
> One idea would be to mount a white card (about 10"x10" ) to the lens at a
> 45° angle such that a flash shooing towards the lens from the side would
> reflect towards the subject. The card would have a hole for the lens, of
> course. A blocker would be needed to prevent direct spill to the subject
> and care to not flash onto the lens/filter. I've had this idea for a
> couple years but never tried it.
>
> Cheers,
> Alan.

Well, the head rotates side to side, so it would be easy to setup or even
hold a white card to the side and fire the flash into the card. I can also
make a tent out of an empty plastic jug. The flash also has a built-in
white card that pulls out of the flash head. Might be just enough to fill
in shadows when natural lighting is from the rear.

I think this is going to take some sperimentin. :-)

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

"Frank ess" <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote in message
newsK2dnZPHRvG4NCHfRVn-3A@giganews.com...
> Sheldon wrote:
> <snip>
>>
>> Well, the head rotates side to side, so it would be easy to setup or
>> even hold a white card to the side and fire the flash into the card. I
>> can also make a tent out of an empty plastic jug. The flash also
>> has a built-in white card that pulls out of the flash head. Might be
>> just enough to fill in shadows when natural lighting is from the rear.
>>
>> I think this is going to take some sperimentin. :-)
>
> Ain't it fun?
>
> I was going to mention the plastic milk or juice jug. I use the
> gallon-size for informal indoor shoots, but not tent-wise: as a diffuser
> (GIANT ProFen Strobo Thing attached to the flash head) it makes for a wide
> light source and although it takes a bit of energy for each flash, shadow
> edges are indistinct, and it might work for macro. Makes for lots of
> smiles, too.
>
> --
> Frank ess

I'm pretty lazy. Gotta link?

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

Sheldon wrote:
> "Frank ess" <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote in message
> newsK2dnZPHRvG4NCHfRVn-3A@giganews.com...
>> Sheldon wrote:
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> Well, the head rotates side to side, so it would be easy to setup
>>> or
>>> even hold a white card to the side and fire the flash into the
>>> card. I can also make a tent out of an empty plastic jug. The
>>> flash also has a built-in white card that pulls out of the flash
>>> head. Might
>>> be just enough to fill in shadows when natural lighting is from
>>> the
>>> rear. I think this is going to take some sperimentin. :-)
>>
>> Ain't it fun?
>>
>> I was going to mention the plastic milk or juice jug. I use the
>> gallon-size for informal indoor shoots, but not tent-wise: as a
>> diffuser (GIANT ProFen Strobo Thing attached to the flash head) it
>> makes for a wide light source and although it takes a bit of energy
>> for each flash, shadow edges are indistinct, and it might work for
>> macro. Makes for lots of smiles, too.
>>
>> --
>> Frank ess
>
> I'm pretty lazy. Gotta link?

I'm lazier. Link to what?

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

"Avery" <avery@ramblingsnail.net> wrote in message
news:1119674044.160851.105780@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>I use a SB800/D70/60mm micro or 105mm micro setup. Took this shot using
> the SB800 w/diffuser hanging off a Really Right Stuff B85 flash arm.
> With the flash arm I can really bring the flash to my subject. I was in
> a hurry taking the picture so I didn't bother with a second flash.
> However with a second light source or just another flash and creative
> use of flat white surfaces to bounce light you can kill all shadows.
>
> http://www.ramblingsnail.net/forum [...] si&img=231
>
> Best,
> Avery

Interesting piece of equipment. Do you live in Colorado?

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.slr-systems (More info?)

Sheldon wrote:
> "Frank ess" <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote in message
> news:JoydnV7Yr5CKcSHfRVn-pg@giganews.com...
>> Sheldon wrote:
>>> "Frank ess" <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote in message
>>> newsK2dnZPHRvG4NCHfRVn-3A@giganews.com...
>>>> Sheldon wrote:
>>>> <snip>
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, the head rotates side to side, so it would be easy to
>>>>> setup
>>>>> or even hold a white card to the side and fire the flash into
>>>>> the
>>>>> card. I can also make a tent out of an empty plastic jug. The
>>>>> flash also has a built-in white card that pulls out of the flash
>>>>> head. Might
>>>>> be just enough to fill in shadows when natural lighting is from
>>>>> the rear. I think this is going to take some sperimentin. :-)
>>>>
>>>> Ain't it fun?
>>>>
>>>> I was going to mention the plastic milk or juice jug. I use the
>>>> gallon-size for informal indoor shoots, but not tent-wise: as a
>>>> diffuser (GIANT ProFen Strobo Thing attached to the flash head)
>>>> it
>>>> makes for a wide light source and although it takes a bit of
>>>> energy
>>>> for each flash, shadow edges are indistinct, and it might work
>>>> for
>>>> macro. Makes for lots of smiles, too.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Frank ess
>>>
>>> I'm pretty lazy. Gotta link?
>>
>> I'm lazier. Link to what?
>
> A link to the tent you are talking about. Can't find it on Google,
> but I'll keep looking.

I'm sorry: I meant the milk jug acts as if it were a fictitious but
real "(GIANT ProFen Strobo Thing attached to the flash head)".

--
Frank ess