Macro Photo Tips - Beyond 1:1 With NiSi Close up Filter, and Focus Rail

[@00774797]

You are the best when it comes to macro photography. Thanks for sharing this video. I have a rail, I'll have to take it out now! 🤓

[@mgmoats]

Many thanks you are kind to say so.

[@haroldmassey5966]

Thanks for the tips Mike. Looks like something I would be interested in.

[@oscargonzalez8454]

Excellent video, you’ve a snack to explain this topics clearly. Greetings!!!

[@mgmoats]

Thanks Oscar.

[@Tony-c7z9t]

Hi, just come across this vid, about your rail, have you tried using two rails combined in a cross orientation, then you camera, this would give extrem fine tuning of positioning, especially if combined with a geared central column. One the geared central column height adjustable for vertical alignment, two the rails would give left/right traversing again for horizontal alignment, then of course second rail for front to back focusing adjustments. I feel if you have not tried this style/method of positioning that once you have tried it, you will forever use it from that point on. Hope you do get the opportunity to try it out, it's a real boon for such close proximity work.

[@larrycitra300]

2 Those magnetic filter thread adapters work really well ... Xume is a good brand ... no more crossed or threading problems. Great Video 👍

[@mgmoats]

Thanks for the tips!

[@MaxPhotoGraphic]

Awesome photos, thanx 4 sharin' mate

[@mgmoats]

Thanks Max.

[@MaxPhotoGraphic]

@@mgmoats Pleasure :)

[@eleanordemasco16]

Love your pics. I am just a newbie at macro photography. Please send link to the slide rail.

[@mgmoats]

Thanks, here is a link to sales prices on the NiSi products. -NiSi Close-up Filters and Focusing Rail-10% off: www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/searchresult.cfm?offset=1&criteria=nisi%20close%20up%20lens%20macro%20rail&manufacturer=NISI&sortby=score%20desc&sp=Fg5T6&sp=Fg5T6&sp=k4oxz

[@thom9476]

Divine Mike, thanks for the tips.

[@mgmoats]

You bet!

[@joetagg1961]

Great shots Mike !! I’ve been using a ClosE-up filter made by Nikon for 30 years. They’re easy to use and the results are excellent. If you have a zoom lens like a 55-300 or so, you can put your close -up lens on that, zoom in and get even closer !! Thanks for the video, I loved it !!

[@mgmoats]

Thanks Joseph, I do have an 18-400 that I will be trying it on as well. Glad you liked the video.

[@joetagg1961]

That would be perfect. Don’t know the lens diameter, you might need an adapter ring. But it would be worth it.

[@mgmoats]

@@joetagg1961 They sent me adaptors for my 18-400.

[@joetagg1961]

@@mgmoats , that’s great !! Looking forward to more videos !!

[@mgmoats]

@@lorettas4443 I don't believe so, but you can shoot in a higher magnification when you put this on the front of a macro lens, but on a zoom lens you would probably achieve only a 1:1 magnification which is like shooting a standard macro lens.

[@stevenV57]

Thank you for another quality video and for sharing your experiences with us, will follow the link and check out the rail and filter you used in this vid.

[@mgmoats]

Thank you Steven, it's a great product.

[@mikemitchem4846]

Hate to tell you but to this old Georgia boy, those vines look a lot like poison ivy! I have a Canon close up filter that I use with really good results. Enjoyed the video, thanks!

[@mgmoats]

Hey Mike, a long time ago someone told me that it was poison ivy, but wasn't sure if they knew what they were talking about. but I guess it is. I wonder if you can get poison ivy from touching the vine. I am through poison ivy all the time, but never have had any issues with it. Glad you are having fun with your close-up filter, it's been a blast so far.

[@williamowens5542]

@@mgmoats Those vines are poison ivy. You can get the rash from any part of the plant, even dead vines. Some people are not especially allergic to urushiol, and you may be one of them.

[@mgmoats]

@@williamowens5542 Thanks I found that out later, fortunately I have never touched them.

[@ashstubbings2603]

I think I may have asked you this before Mike, but is that the Nikon D90 you're using? If so it's the same camera as mine.

[@mgmoats]

No, it's a D7000

[@ashstubbings2603]

@@mgmoats Ok, it's a bit better than mine!

[@mgmoats]

@@ashstubbings2603 My most success image I ever produced, which made the most money, won more contests, and was published in photo mags more then any other image, was shot in 2004 with a Fuji S2 DSLR 6meg camera, so you don't need the latest. greatest camera body to produce top quality macro images.

[@ashstubbings2603]

@@mgmoats My brother, who is a semi-professional photographer is always telling me the same thing! I'm beginning to believe it's the case.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

it seemed you were haveing to exert a lot of force to crank the rail which would did not give you a very stable platform. So either you had a limiter on or the rail is just to stiff.

[@Exercises10]

Another excellent video, Mike. I always enjoy being inspired by your work. I purchased the close up lens from Hunt’s Photo so I am looking forward to trying out this new accessory. Have you tried it on a prime macro lens? I know it is meant for telephoto lenses. I am looking forward to see what your subjects will be for winter; will you continue to look outside for subjects or move indoors? Stay safe and don’t stop doing videos. Much appreciated.

[@mgmoats]

Awesome LuAnn, think very tiny.

[@ThomasNighswander]

looks good, what tripod are you using these days?

[@mgmoats]

The new Vanguard VEO3+. Great upgrades to the Alta Pro 2+

[@ThomasNighswander]

@@mgmoats hmm I might have to talk with them, I heard they have "new" management?

[@VisualizeHealing]

Thanks for your wonderful video! Again! I have a question. I have a Fuji 80mm macro lens and am wanting a Fuji 50-140 (70-200 equiv). If I got the 50-140 and the NiSi, would that replace my 80mm macro or would I be disappointed? Thank you so much!

[@mgmoats]

Cheryl everything is based on the sensor size of your camera, the lens you are using, so I would not have any idea if it can do what your hoping it will do. You could buy the close-up lens and see how it works, and then if you are not happy, you could always send it back for a refund.

[@VisualizeHealing]

@@mgmoats Thank you so much for your kind response. I have a Fuji xt-4.

[@montazownianr1]

Thank you, now I know that I don't need NiSi Close up Filter... it's looks like phone camera...

[@maye60]

Great video Mike! Always inspired by your work! My guess is you used the 58mn lens kit?

[@mgmoats]

Thank you Maye, glad you liked the video. I used the 77mm and a adaptor ring to fit the 90 tamron. I also have a 18-400 that I will also do a video on, and that is why I got the 77mm lens, so that it would also fit on my larger zoom lens.

[@maye60]

Thank you for the info!

[@SEPK09]

Have you considered using flash with macro?

[@mgmoats]

No, I've been very successful shooting with natural light for 20 years. For shooting flower and critter portraits, it tends to black out the background which doesn't look natural.

[@peterkemp4372]

Thanks sir, I have been trying hard with my D7100 and 60mm lens, either I am blind!! Or have yet to get my focus sharp by practice. I tried live view and magnify the tree bark area, and view finder as you do, manual focus, very frustrating to view blurry image on play back, I guess it will 20 more years of hard work gulp. Any help on getting tack focus my way. Thanks.

[@mgmoats]

What f/stop are you shooting at?

[@peterkemp4372]

@@mgmoats was trying a full range sir, watching the exposer. To be honest i think i need a sturdier tripod, and more practice. Perhaps turn off camera stabalization? Really enjoy your videos. All the best, thanks again.

[@mgmoats]

@@peterkemp4372 Shoot at the higher f/stops, and make sure you are sharpening in post processing. Yes make sure the stabilization if off, as that can cause soft images if turned on.

[@edboatman2725]

Please provide information about the effect of the magnification filter - how much magnification does it provide?

[@Snapshott1]

I suggest going to the NISI website. The have two lenses. The 77mm thread close up lens say it will go to 1:1 on a 200mm lens. The 58mm thread close up lens is a +5 diopter and the state will shoot 1:1 on a 120mm lens. Sorry but I don't know the magnification you can get on a 1:1 macro lens but it will very based on the focal length of the lens

[@mgmoats]

Ed, I can't give you the exact answer, only a guess. But I'm thinking it's a 2:1 possibly close to 3:1.

[@sleekdigital]

@@mgmoats Easy way to tell, focus as close as you can and take a photo of a ruler then compare how much of the ruler is in frame to the size of your sensor.

[@mgmoats]

@@sleekdigital I have a crop sensor so I'm thinking the senor is probably smaller then the area the lens will cover on the ruler. I' have shot a ruler, and it covers 1 and an 1/8 inch on the long side.

[@sleekdigital]

@@mgmoats Thanks for trying that! From what I have read, what matters for determining magnification is what your sensor can capture, since that is what is going to make the image. And that has also been my experience when testing different lenses against their advertised magnification ratio. For example, these days I use a Laowa 65mm macro lens that is advertised to give 2:1 magnification. The camera I use is a Sony A6600 (also a crop sensor). When I focus as close as I can and take a photo of a ruler I get a little over 1 cm in frame as expected since the sensor is about 2.4 cm . So it seems strange that you would get 1 and 1/8 inches, since that would indicate even less than 1:1 magnification. You focused as close as possible? With a close up filter on a 1:1 macro lens, I would not necessarily expect to get 3:1 and maybe not even 2:1, but it should obviously be more magnification than without the filter.

[@06AUwing]

Do you loose an f/stop when using a close up filter?

[@mgmoats]

Hey Jeff, no.

[@joesb1]

I tried to place order with Hunts for the NiSi rail. Filled out all the information twice and there was not button to place the order. Hunts is hard to buy from.

[@mgmoats]

Hey Joe, I just went through the steps to make the purchase of the rail, and after putting all the info in, there was a button that said place order. Try ordering with a different internet browser. If that doesn't work email me and I'll connect you with Noah to get your order through. [e-mail]

[@joesb1]

It worked using a Visa card. I guess it didn’t like me using AmEx. Thanks for the push. You video was awesome again. I’m getting excited about the higher magnification photography also.

[@mgmoats]

@@joesb1 Awesome Joe, glad it worked out, what did you buy?

[@larrycitra300]

The crank adjustment is really for making tiny focusing adjustments ... moving the camera backwards or forwards to focus.

[@mgmoats]

You have to first get the camera into the framing you want, I can always use the focusing ring on my lens just as I do for all focusing.

[@sleekdigital]

​@@mgmoats Larry does have a point though. It is called a "focus rail" after all. The idea is to use it to take multiple images at very small distance differences so you can stack them (focus stacking) and increase your DOF without resorting to high fstop where you end up with less detail due to diffraction. I recently started playing with focus stacking, and here is a recent example. www.flickr.com/photos/sleekdigital/50413434041/in/dateposted/ If you click to zoom in you can see details in a large DOF you would not be able to get with just a high fstop. It is better to use a rail for this rather than changing the focus for a few reasons. One of which is that many macro lenses have a fair amount of focus breathing.

[@mgmoats]

@@sleekdigitalI'm not sure why they are called focus rails. I believe rails were designed before focus stacking existed. If they were made just to fine tune focus, why are they six inches long, doesn't take that much distance to focus. Plus the originator of focus stacking was helicon focus, and they tell you to set your different focus points through the focusing ring on the lens. I shoot in the highest f/stop ranges all the time, diffraction is only slight, and can easily be corrected with sharpening tools.

[@sleekdigital]

@@mgmoats The length is there for flexibility so you can do stacks of larger objects, and I didn't say focus stacking was the the only purpose, but it is probably the most common. Here is evidence from the very product you are using... petapixel.com/2020/06/17/nisi-unveils-its-first-macro-focusing-rail-for-precise-focus-stacking/ The title says, "for Precise Focus Stacking" I'm curious where you heard that helicon focus was the originator of focus stacking. I'm not so sure about that. They might be one of the first to make dedicated software for it, but I would be surprised if they created the concept. In any case, their basic tutorial is just to give anyone a quick way to get started. It's not necessarily the best way to go in all cases. Both focusing the lens and moving the camera on a rail are valid ways to do focus stacking, but the best approach to use depends on the scenario. Here is a good article that explores the differences. www.photigy.com/school/the-best-way-to-do-a-focus-stacking-macro-focusing-rails-vs-focus-variation/

[@mgmoats]

@@sleekdigital Sure you can use this rail for focus stacking, but focus stacking is to much hassle and almost impossible to do outside, there is to much wind. Works great indoors with no wind, but there is never a day where I live that I could focus stack without the subject moving during most of the shots. I can get all the DOF I need by shooting one image, and can be done in two ways, I have been doing a macro zoom programs for camera clubs and one club recorded it and posted it on youtube, watch it and I'll show you how I do it with one shot instead of the hassle of focus stacking. The rail to me is more practical for framing then focusing, I have a focus ring on my lens, I have used it on every image I've ever shot before I ever used a rail. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIGoe41joKySbK8

[@ArnoldBerger49]

Mike, I hope I'm wrong but that vine looks like poison ivy.

[@mgmoats]

I believe you are right Arnold.

[@joetagg1961]

I was thinking the same thing !!

[@Snapshott1]

It is. I got it just watching the video

[@mgmoats]

@@Snapshott1 A while back someone told me that it was Plosion Ivy, but I wasn't sure they knew what they were talking about.