Some technical help for a university project

[MartinQ]

CandC said:

As has already been suggested, a set of extension tubes is a good way of getting very close.

I'd not bother shelling out for the Canon ones which IMHO are overpriced and optically identical to cheaper alternatives (as there is no glass involved - just air).

Decent ones which fit and work well are made by Kenko (I have a set and am very happy with them).

Amazon link here

The problem with tubes is that you lose aperture control, so stuck wide open which may produce a too shallow DOF.

[DibblyDobbler]

MartinQ said:

The problem with tubes is that you lose aperture control, so stuck wide open which may produce a too shallow DOF.

That's not strictly true - you can buy (very cheap) tubes which don't maintain the connection between camera and lens but for slightly more (such as these which work perfectly well and are a *lot* cheaper than Canon or Kenko etc), you get autofocus + aperture control etc no problem.

[MartinQ]

DibblyDobbler said:

That's not strictly true - you can buy (very cheap) tubes which don't maintain the connection between camera and lens but for slightly more (such as these which work perfectly well and are a *lot* cheaper than Canon or Kenko etc), you get autofocus + aperture control etc no problem.

I do apologise. I stand corrected.

[722Adam]

Little update for you all.

Over the past week I've borrowed a macro lens from the design and print services studio. Being a Nikon lens I had to utilise my departments D3200 to try it out on, but I think it's going to give me what I want. So I've bought an adapter to fit the lens to my Canon body and tried that out, works a treat! Will be getting the images for my project next week as I have the facilities and equipment booked out (don't think I mentioned but I'm doing all this using UV light as it makes removing the noise from the image much easier).

I've also got the MATLAB side of things working so it's really coming together, actually feel like proper progress is finally happening

[DibblyDobbler]

Well done. Is it a 100mm ?

[722Adam]

It's a 60mm f2.8, not the newest lens but the guys I borrowed it from can't remember the last time it was used, as they don't do a lot of macro photography. All my canon lenses are a plastic construction so this thing feels bulletproof to hold compared to them!

[DibblyDobbler]

Nice

[Simpo Two]

I had one of those, then swapped it for a 105mm as the working distance was rather short for me. A very good lens though.

Seems odd seeing a Nikon lens on a Canon body!

[K12beano]

I think I can do this without setting off any tribal wars...

Simpo Two said:

Seems odd seeing a Nikon lens on a Canon body!

...of course it'll make for the very best in photography. Originally named the Nikon-Canon, it'll just take someone to see the sense in using the first letters from one name and the last from the other and deem the best kit be called the "Nik-on"

[phew - I think I got away with that]

I remember years ago getting acceptable close ups by reversing a 50mm Canon onto a Nikon body.....

But - whatever works!

[Simpo Two]

It should be noted that Beano is the man who crossed a submarine with a tambourine and got the Salvation Navy...