Macro Handout

“Pop-up” Flash Macro Photography
©
Low cost macro shooting offering outstanding quality is easier than you think!
Art Vaughan
Outlined here is a process for shooting macro images using lighting provided only by the
standard "pop-up" flash found on many cameras. Using this simple home-made support bracket
and a variety of close-up lenses, extension tubes, or stacked add-on lenses, anyone can produce
amazing macro images having true "studio quality” lighting, without the need of a system
utilizing multiple flash heads or a ring light, and a factory made support bracket. The set-up
described provides maximum portability... great for hunting down and following small insects
and spiders that aren't likely to sit still for photographers using cumbersome tripods. The short
duration of the flash provides fast exposures, making the use of a tripod unnecessary. Shooting
apertures generally range from f:11 to f:36. Photographers using this type of macro set-up can
produce outstanding images that could be more difficult to achieve using conventional macro
shooting methods. Although I make heavy use of various combinations of add-on items, this
lighting set-up works well with conventional macro lenses, or any lens / camera combination in a
situation where careful control of lighting is required at very close working distances.
My macro gear:
Nikon D40 (6 MP) with or without a Nikon PN-11 extension tube, Nikon AI-S manual focus
105mm f:2.5 AI-S lens, with a variety of front-mounted add-on lenses, all adapted to fit 52mm
filter threads. This camera has a flash-sync speed of 1/500 second, and in certain shooting
situations produces somewhat sharper hand held flash images than the D60, which syncs at 1/200
sec. Somewhat troublesome in bright light situations is the low end ISO of 200.
Nikon D60 (10 MP) with Lester Dine 105mm f:2.8 macro lens (focuses @ 1:1 directly), with the
same variety of add-on lenses used on the D40. A low ISO of 100 is very useful in direct sunlight.
Add-on lenses (partial inventory)... mounted on the Nikon 105mm f:2.5 (focus set to infinity) on
the Nikon PN-11 tube (36mm), on the D40. Listed is the on-screen field width each lens produces.
105 f:2.5 only
f.w. = 2 inches
Nikon 3T
f.w. = 1 3/8 inches, diopter strength... 1.5
Nikon 4T
f.w. = 1 1/16 inches, diopter strength... 2.9
5.5 inch Ilex
f.w. = 17mm, Enlarging Raptar, reverse mounted
SVE slide projector lens
f.w. = 16mm, 5 inch focal length, reverse mounted
Kodak Ektanar C 102mm
f.w. = 15mm, slide projector lens, reversed
Raynox DCR-250 ______________f.w. = 14mm, diopter strength... 8
American Optical objective
f.w. = 14mm, from wide field stereo microscope
10.5cm Tessar
f.w. = 14mm, from junk 1930 folding camera, reversed
105mm Rodenstock Trinar
f.w. = 14mm, from junk 1960's folding camera, reversed
Vivitar 28-205mm front cell
f.w. = 12mm, front lens cell from junk zoom lens, reversed
Sigma 28-105mm front cell
f.w. = 11mm, front lens cell from junk zoom lens, reversed
58mm Rokkor
f.w. = 10mm, fast f:1.4 Minolta lens, used reversed (heavy!)
63mm Zeiss Luminar
f.w. = 9.5mm, Zeiss macro-microscope lens, RMS threads
20X Nikon Profile Proj. lens
f.w. = 8.5mm, long & heavy
50mm APO Rodagon
f.w. = 7mm, enlarging lens, reversed
48mm Bausch & Lomb
f.w. = 7mm, microscope objective, RMS threads
Nikon 35mm f:2.0 AI-S
f.w. = 6.5mm, reversed, relatively heavy, extremely sharp!
Raynox MSN-202 ______________f.w. = 6mm, diopter strength... 25
Revere 1” f:1.6 proj. lens
f.w. = 5mm, from a junk movie projector, reversed
Rolyn-Rau 7:1 objective
f.w. = 4mm, Microscope objective, short (!) working distance
About add-on lenses:
Focusing: Some add-on lenses are quite heavy and will severely stress most auto-focus
mechanisms. Use manual focus and save auto for your more conventional shooting. All my
focusing is done simply by moving the camera forward or backward until the subject is sharp.
When I find a subject it usually gets photographed at low magnification, then for detail shots I
shift to an add-on lens having a narrower field of view.
Nikon 3T and 4T close-up lenses: These are two element highly corrected close-up diopter
lenses offering great image quality. Now discontinued, Canon makes a similar product. These
can be used singly or stacked together, or combined with other add-on lenses.
Slide Projector Lenses: Fixed focal length slide projection lenses make very high quality macro
lenses when used reversed. My favorite is an old Kodak Ektanar C 102mm f:2.8 from a broken
Kodak Carousel slide projector. With a little work a 52mm reverse adapter can be fitted to the
front (lettered) end. The excess barrel length at the other end is trimmed back with a small
hacksaw to within about ¼ inch of the lens surface. This allows more room for light to be directed
around the end of the mounted lens onto the subject.
Movie Projector Lenses: Fixed focal length versions are great for high magnification shooting. Use
these reversed to get any kind of useful working distance. Depth of field will be extremely
shallow. A gem is the Bell & Howell 1 inch focal length “Increlite” f:1.6 projection lens found on
many old B&H regular 8mm movie projectors. Mine came from a broken projector someone was
discarding.
Enlarging lenses: My wet darkroom days are over, but my enlarger's lenses live on, serving as
very high quality macro add-on lenses... which are used reversed with the aperture wide open.
My favorite is an old 7 ½ inch (190mm) Bausch & Lomb 5x7 enlarging Tessar made in 1940.
This is a heavy uncoated lens that produces great results when stacked on a 105, and gives a bit
more magnification, and closer working distance (better lighting) than with the Nikon 4T.
Lenses in Shutters from old folding cameras : These can be great macro add-ons when used
reversed with the aperture wide open. If the lens has front-element focusing, set it at infinity.
Look for old anastigmats, or better yet, fairly wide aperture Tessars.
Front lens cell from junk zoom lenses: Almost always of very high quality, they work just like a
close-up lens. These should be used reversed to give the flattest field and sharpest resolution.
Good examples are front cells from Vivitar's 80-200 macro focusing zooms, and their 28-205
macro zooms.
Microscope objectives: These generally have extremely short working distances and paper-thin
depth of field. Most will produce vignetting which can be cropped away. The easiest to use are
those having relatively wide apertures.
Special Adapters:
Macro Reverse Adapters: used for reverse mounting another lens face-to-face on your camera's
lens... sizes: 52-52mm, 52-55mm, 52-58mm, available from B&H photo, @ $7.95 ea.
Step Down Rings: used for fitting add-on lenses with 52mm mounting threads to lenses having
larger sized threads...sizes: 62-52mm, 58-52mm, 55-52mm, available from B&H photo, various
prices.
Raynox “Universal” adapters: The following close up lenses offered by Raynox come with a
special snap-on adapter that is designed to fit lens filter rings of 52mm through 67mm, a neat
almost “one size fits all” solution: DCR-150, DCR-250, MSN-202, MSN-505. Here's a link to
the relevant Raynox web-site page: http://raynox.co.jp/english/digital/d_slr/index.html
RMS to 52mm Thread Adapter: for fitting a microscope objective having the standard “Royal
Microscopical Society” thread to lenses having 52mm filter threads. Mine is a machined
aluminum disc with the outer edge threaded to fit 52mm, with an RMS threaded hole in the
center. My first was a simple disc made from a piece of mat board, having a hole cut in the center
into which the threaded portion of an objective was screwed or press fitted. Stiff foam or Foam
Core works well too.
Home-made “anything goes” adapters: Some add-on lenses you encounter seem to be unusable
without expensive machine work being done. This is when you have to use a bit of creativity. A
visit to a hardware or craft store might be necessary. I've made lens adapters from paper mailing
tubes, PVC pipe, sump pump fittings, toilet tissue tubes, parts of plastic pill bottles, 35mm film
cans, etc. All sorts of stuff can be adapted to mount an unusual lens onto a filter ring, that will
then allow it to be screwed onto your regular lens.
Macro-flash bracket / light modifier : Uses only your camera's pop-up flash!
The simple camera-mounted light modification system described on the following pages
is an extremely lightweight and inexpensive alternative to much more costly macro lighting units.
Made with a variety of cheap & readily available “bits & pieces”, the quality of lighting and the
degree of control offered by this rig has to be seen to be believed. Because of its light weight,
flexibility, and pop-up flash lighting source, you get maximum “bang for your buck” when
working at lens-to-subject distances from two feet down to as little as one centimeter, or even less.
Working at moderate to high magnifications can result in very short working distances, often so
close that getting light onto your subject becomes very problematic. Using this simple rig you'll
have no trouble redirecting the light from your pop-up flash around the end of whatever lens, or
combination of lenses you're using. Its use is very uncomplicated:
Mount the “direct flash shield” on your lens. Then mount the bracket on your camera's tripod
socket, set the angle of the “arms”, position the reflector cards, and start shooting. After a few
test shots, screen image evaluations, and any necessary minor adjustments to aperture, shutter
speed, ISO, or reflector card positioning, you can “fire away” as long as you like. Adjusting the
angle of one, or both cards offers a high degree of contrast, shadow, and detail control.
The macro-bracket set-up consists of two assemblies: a camera mounted reflector and
support group, and a “direct flash” lighting shield that mounts just like a filter onto your primary
lens, with any add-on lenses being attached to its outer ring. The light from your pop-up flash
fans out from the strobe, strikes the reflector cards, and is redirected around your lens onto the
subject. The lens mounted shield prevents direct flash light from striking the subject. Working at
very close distances, the intensity of the pop-up flash would severely overexpose any shot.
Because a great deal of light is bounced off the cards, you have the ability to operate using very
small apertures, a definite plus when working at higher magnifications. Although I have used
TTL metering and auto-focus with this system, all of my work is now done in the manual mode,
using manual focusing, shooting RAW plus basic jpg's.
Make your own macro-flash rig:
Listed are the parts needed to put one together.
#Req:
Item & source:
1... “Oxo” brand 16” folding aluminum ruler, available @ Staples... $6.95.
2... Flex-Neck book reading light, (Great point Light brand) @ Borders, Barns & Noble... $9.95,
Ocean State Job Lot Store... $3.00 (when available), Tuesday Morning Stores... $2.99,
5 Below Stores... twin pack for $5.00.
1... Knob, 1.5 in. diameter with ½ inch shaft, ¼ x 20 threads, @ Ace Hardware... $2.60.
1... Nylon washer, 1.5 in. diameter, with 3/16 in. hole, @ Ace Hardware... $1.00
(Using drill or file, enlarge hole to ¼ inch, to fit knob shaft.)
1... Fender washer, neoprene, 1.5 in. diameter, with ¼ in. hole, @ Ace hardware... 60 cents.
1... Fender washer, steel, 1.5 in. diameter, with ¼ in. hole, @ Ace Hardware... 23 cents.
2... 4 x 5 in. cards (or whatever size you want to work with), covered with aluminum foil, dull
side out.)
4... Plastic clothespins to hold reflector cards on flex-necks. Plastic pins have better gripping
power than wood.
2... Clothespins, wood, used as wedges for Flex-neck light clips, preventing clip slippage.
Bracket... front view
The primary lens is an old Nikon 105mm f:2.5 AI-S mounted on a Nikon PN-11 tube.
Reflector cards measure about 4x5 inches, covered with foil, dull side out. The add-on lens
pictured is a 10.5cm Tessar from an old broken 1930's folding camera. Because it's an uncoated
lens, I've added a makeshift shade that helps keep reflected flash light from entering the front of
the lens. It's mounted backwards using a standard 52mm filter ring, reversed so the threaded
portion is facing out, cemented into the non-standard lens filter ring as an adapter.
Bracket... back view
Reflector cards can be thin card stock, or any material flexible enough to allow a little
bending when mounted on the flex tubing of the lights. This provides a slight bit of rigidity when
used in a windy situation. Here there's no curve... which could result in the card angle shifting if
there's a strong breeze. Covering the cards with aluminum foil, dull side out, will
provide one stop more illumination. Having the shiny side out makes the cards perform more like
mirrors, resulting in hard edged shadows and annoying reflected “hot-spots”. I generally use
cards measuring slightly more than 4 x 5 inches. The large size of the cards relative to the
sometimes tiny subjects I photograph gives lighting that has true “studio quality”, similar to
lighting you get when working with large soft boxes, umbrellas, or diffusers. In some cases you
can't even tell flash has been used. Lighting ratios can be regulated simply by swinging one or
both cards in or out, or bending them up or down slightly. By adjusting the card and support
arm angles you can provide lighting in situations where your lens is as close as several
millimeters from your subject. This lighting setup works great at lens-to-subject distances
ranging from about 18” down to around 1/3”, providing a quality of lighting at high
magnifications that's hard to match at any price.
Bracket Mounting Knob assembly detail:
I keep a quick-release plate on the bottom of my cameras, using the plate's extra tripod hole to
attach the bracket. Constant tightening and loosening of the knob could accelerate wear on the
camera's threads. The neoprene washer gives a slightly “spongy” grip, preventing the knob from
loosening. The nylon washer allows for smoother angle adjustment of the bracket. There's no
need to tighten the knob to the point where the “arms” are locked into absolute immobility. I find
it useful sometimes to have an amount of tension that allows some adjustment by simply pushing
them in or pulling them out.
The knob shown has no provision for tripod mounting. All my shooting is done hand-held,
bracing and steadying my arms on anything that's handy. In a situation where camera motion
seems to be a real problem, I might support the camera using a stick I pick up along my walk. On
those occasions where I've lugged a tripod along, the camera doesn't get mounted on it. The
tripod legs are used to provide something to brace my hands against while shooting.... very
convenient when following a small moving subject. Sometimes I'll stash the tripod out of sight
somewhere, to be retrieved later, and just go with a short stick. The bracket could easily be
modified to allow tripod mounting for those folks who find shooting unsupported at very short
working distances a bit difficult.
Flex-neck light clip detail, bottom view. Clips should be positioned so the plastic lugs are
firmly seated against the ruler. The small pin found on one side of the ruler can be lined up to fall
within a clip hole.
Clothespins, used as clip wedges, improve the grip of the lugs, preventing clip “roll-over”
(right). Don't use excessive force to seat the clothespins, only what's necessary to create a snug fit.
Depending upon the thickness of your clothespins, you may have to insert the “squeezable” end
in first. Wooden clothespins are best for use as clip wedges. There's enough stress associated with
this application to break plastic clothespins. When rigging the Flex-neck lights, opening the clips
wide enough will eliminate any possibility that the small round plastic lugs might be sheared off
by the ruler.
Direct flash light shield:
Shown in photo: “Staples” Pencil box, two cut shield pieces, filters, filter rings with glass
removed, and the glass retaining clips.
#req.
Item & source:
1... Pencil box, black flexible plastic, @ Staples... 99 cents.
1... 52mm junk filter (non-rotating, not a polarizer... most camera stores.
1... 52mm junk polarizing filter, or any filter having a rotating ring... most camera stores.
For best results use metal filter rings... avoid plastic.
Carefully remove glass from filter rings. Threaded retainers can be loosened and removed.
Caution!!! Clip type retainers must be pried out, possibly splintering the glass, so wear eye
protection when dealing with these!
One pencil box provides two 3x5 inch (or larger) pieces of shield material. Cut a 52mm hole
having its lower edge ½ inch from one end. Trim until just the threaded portion of the nonrotating (standard) filter ring fits into the hole without any binding or slop. This fit is critical, so
practice cutting a hole in cardboard or heavy paper first. Very small curved blade scissors used
for sewing make this job easier. These can be found in a fabric or craft store. When the fit is OK,
screw the filter with its shield piece into the front ring of the polarizer. Really torque it down! The
narrow flat rim of the standard ring locks the shield material against the rim of the rotating
polarizer ring. The lens ring of the polarizer then screws into the filter ring of your primary lens.
All add-on lenses are screwed into the front shield ring. The rotating polarizer ring allows the
shield to be repositioned back in line with the pop-up flash after focusing. The two shield rings
must be firmly locked together so they will not come apart when removing your add-on lenses. A
bit of cyanoacrylate adhesive or epoxy can be applied to the joints where the shield piece and
rings make contact. Keep glue clear of the rotating ring and lens ring interface!!! The completed
shield assembly can easily be swapped from camera to camera.
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For those folks who don't have, or can't locate “sacrificial” junk filters, there's an easy
alternative. “CameraFilters.com” supplies empty filter rings, rotating and fixed, in a wide range
of sizes. Since my primary lenses have 52mm rings and I fit all my add-on lenses to that size, I
order rings in that size through two links.
For the empty non-rotating ring used to lock the shield material to the front (rotating) ring of the
polarizer ($6.00):
http://www.camerafilters.com/detail.aspx?ID=2835
For the empty rotating polarizer: ($6.00):
http://www.camerafilters.com/detail.aspx?ID=2525
Using new empty filter rings means you don't have any broken glass to deal with, difficult to
remove retaining rings, or bad filter threads you might not have noticed. Although ordering these
rings adds a little to the total cost of the bracket, the total out of pocket expense to put it together
is still very trivial when compared to the cost of a Canon, Nikon, or anybody else's off the shelf
macro lighting rig. There's something very satisfying in “going cheap” and getting great results.
Using the plastic “Staples pencil box” material I've suggested isn't an absolute must. Any
material thin enough to allow “sandwiching” between two filter rings will do. Black is best...
especially on the side facing the flash. If you have a white surface facing toward the back of the
camera you'll be seeing spots for quite some time due to the intense reflection being blasted back
at you, much like someone popping the flash right in your face. If you wish, you can have a white
surface toward the subject which will add a tiny bit of fill lighting to shadow areas due to light
bouncing off the subject to the shield, and back again.
Some folks have difficulty in accurately cutting the hole for the filter threads. If an Exacto Knife
or curved mini-scissors doesn't seem to be working for you, someone with a drill press and an
adjustable hole cutter might. Set the hole-cutter dimension to the outside diameter of the filter
threads, sandwich the shield material between two thin pieces of plastic or wood, and lightly bore
your way through.
Sometimes an assembled shield rotates a little too easily, letting it move out of its position directly
in front of the flash. To eliminate this put a doubled over rubber band onto the junction of the
fixed and rotating rings of the polarizer... between the shield material and the end of your
primary lens. The band will provide just enough friction to prevent creep, and still allow
repositioning of the shield if it shifts during lens focusing. It also serves as a good grip for
attaching and removing the shield.
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For those folks who might find the use of a screw-on direct flash lighting shield somewhat
bothersome, there's a relatively simple to construct and much easier to use alternative: a shield
made with any thin opaque sheet material mounted on a Raynox 52mm-67mm universal adapter.
This convenient adapter is the 43mm model supplied with their DCR-150 and DCR-250 macro
lenses, but is available separately (lensless) on-line from Adorama in NYC for $9.55.
Raynox part number: UAC2000.... Adorama stock number: IRXUAC2000.
Raynox adapter with Staples pencil box material attached to front. The bottom of the sheet is cut
to match the edge of the hole.
Raynox adapter light shield back side, showing how the mounting screws are positioned. Small
holes were drilled through the adapter from the back, centered in each of three “cavities”. The
drilled adapter was then positioned over a sheet of shield material, hole positions marked on that
material with a pencil using the drilled holes as a guide. Small machine screws and nuts are used
to mount the material to the adapter. The completed adapter now mounts like a lens cap on any
lens having a filter ring size of 52mm to 67mm. If using only a macro lens, mount the shield
directly onto your lens, using a step-down ring if necessary. When stacking lenses, mount it on
the side of the add-on lens facing the subject. If you're using a reverse mounted standard camera
lens as an add-on, you might need to fit its bayonet mount with an adapter ring of some sort to
provide something for this Raynox based shield to grip. Many times a back lens cap can be cut
out so you end up with a bayonet mounted short cylinder to which the shield can be easily
mounted. If lens focusing results in the shield rotating away from its position directly in front of
the pop-up flash, simply squeeze the two tabs and reposition the shield.
****************************************
The entire concept of using the macro bracket and direct flash light shield described in this
document is based upon the premise that quality lighting for macro photography of small
animate subjects shouldn't cost so much that the average person is economically “locked out” of
this interesting activity. Although many commercially available ready-made macro lighting rigs
are available, they're a bit pricey. Their weight and additional batteries required can be a
disadvantage at times. For me, nothing beats “going light” and knowing that camera batteries
are all I need to carry.
If you already own a multiple flash or ring-light setup, you didn't throw your money away when
you purchased it. There are trade-offs involved in using this “do it yourself” macro rig. Unless
you have another camera body on hand (I always do), should the pop-up flash's tube or capacitor
fail, your flash shooting session is over. My camera's flash has cycled several tens of thousands of
times, and is still going strong. Because this rig is assembled from a variety of “bits and pieces”,
it's possible to forget something, so back-up parts should be carried. Setting up to get perfect
exposure in certain situations might take a few test shots and on-screen evaluations. Shooting in
the manual mode and focusing by moving the camera forward and backward isn't for everybody.
In really high winds, the kind you probably wouldn't want to shoot in, the reflector cards might
be unstable.
One interesting thing about this rig is its “Kluge” factor. It looks really clunky, almost incapable
of delivering what most folks would feel are acceptable results. This, and the use of odd-ball
auxiliary lenses... or parts of lenses, and still getting decent images you wouldn't be embarrassed
to show anyone, is very satisfying. Drop a store-bought flash rig on something hard and you have
the possibility of an expensive repair bill. Drop this home-made unit and there's no harm done,
just the need to pick up some small parts and reassemble them.
If you enjoy “do it yourself” projects, then add this rig to your “to do” list. Build the unit as
described, or use these instructions as a guide in constructing your “better” version. After a little
practice, the results you'll get using just your pop-up flash will amaze you.
***************************************
Please note....
The “OXO” 16” folding ruler shown below, despite what any Staples employee might tell you, IS
available at Staples, but NOT in with their regular rulers! Most folks asking for this item are
escorted over to the standard ruler display, and don't see it anywhere. They're actually located in the
“stand-alone” OXO gadget display located elsewhere in the store.
“Cash-layout” items used in bracket construction: