Beyond 1:1 Macro... but

[aaronfoo]

Well.. I took out my new Sigma 70-300 F/4-5.6 DG Macro out for a spin with my Raynox.. and the results were bad. Photo aint as sharp as the kit lens and it was pretty much dissapointing.

I think the photos went beyond 1:1 macro as a sample 1:2 macro shot showed so much diffrence. Though... the photos are soft :(

Shot at 70mm without macro on, with raynox dcr-250 on. Kit lens is still sharper. ISO 400
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/462444436_6340a74e17_o.jpg

Shot at 300mm macro on, with raynox dcr-250. Compleat let down. ISO 1600
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/462444454_d3c537898a_o.jpg


Am I not doing something right? :S

[ShaolinTiger]

Shutter speed?

[aaronfoo]

Ermm First pic its shutter speed was 1/400, at F10

The second pic was 1/250, at F29

Owh... and they were taken under the afternoon sun lol.

[ddkwh]

maybe mount camera on a tripod. looks a little like handshake in the 2nd shot. and i think the f number is too big...a smaller one like f8 perhaps? dont own a raynox but i do know a 400D coupled with the sigma at 300mm can be sharp with macro mode turned on.

good luck with next try mate.

[alancheong7]

Aaron,
They're pretty good for your first try with that combo.
We need to remember with that set-up, the DOF becomes ultra thin - look at the flower stamens. Options:
a) play with the zoom - however, zooms always have limitations, compared with primes, especially where aperture is concerned
b) move back or forth to get better overall sharpness
c) JPEG (L/M/S) or RAW?
d) at that magnification, the 2nd pic, even with tripod, image may blur a bit due to shutter or mirror slap - why such high ISO? We might be looking at noise - NEAT or NoiseNinja would come in handy.
e) shoot more ! :D:D and in the process, get to know your gear :D

[QuickShare]

should turn on mirror-lockup..

[Crazymalaysian]

Aaron, try shooting with the camera on a tripod at a stationary object at max focal length, at F29 again. The blurriness may be due to the lens being soft at that end, or because you used too small of an aperture.

[aaronfoo]

I just took some samples... yes it goes soft lol. Will post the samples up later lol.

Even the macro mode of the 200-300mm without the DCR-250 is slightly not sharp enough lol.

[mitmivec]

me lagi cham.... i still get soft picture from my tamron 90 and still havent master it maybe due to my shacky hand alway vibrate mode :(

[ShaolinTiger]

f/29 will likely be soft on that lens due to diffraction and it's not meant to focus that close.

Try around f/11-f/16 and try using Shutter speed of around 1/450 and above and use a tripod or monopod, mirror lock-up and self-timer to keep it steady.

DoF at that focal range with a magnifying diopter is really small, so be careful of your focal plane too.

[aaronfoo]

Yea... I gotta agree

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/462707951_0ed79a20af_o.jpg
Taken with the DCR-250 at 70mm

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/462707953_59cee45992_o.jpg
With the DCR-250 F5.6 at full 300mm

Will test it out more later :)

[mitmivec]

can see some colour fringing or what issit call already :P i think u need a lens hood

i like the 70mm shoot the colour is nice did u use photoshop?

remember when u zoom at 300mm its 420 on our canon body and u need to put at least 1/450 to get something sharp if hand held :D

[aaronfoo]

hehe color was preseted in my in the 400D. only resize the photo :) Lens hood ahahah... okay! Will use the lens hood later lol. Walau 300mm.. only can shoot in day light LOL ahahha