A Guide for Starting Macro Photography on a Budget

150mm	180mm
S6	Canon 11-24mm
Q	Sigma 12-24mm

Have you ever considered shooting macro but don’t consider yourself invested enough in the genre of macro photography to purchase a dedicated macro lens? If this is the case, then you might consider using a ‘close-up’ filter. The theory behind these filters is that they enable you to shoot much closer to the subject than you normally would. This effectively allows you to shoot a subject at much higher magnification than you otherwise would. Here are some tips for using the NiSi 77mm close-up lens:

Consider the cost of a macro lens (often near $1000) vs a close-up filter ($210 AUD for NiSi 77mmclose-up lens). If you have a tight budget and do not solely shoot macro, the close-up filter may be a good option for you to have.

@ Dylan Toh Shot with NiSi 77mm Close Up Lens

Consider the weight of a lens vs close-up filter. This lens has particular appeal for me on backpacking trips since I can use this filter for detail shots instead of packing a separate lens which undoubtedly weighs more.

@ Dylan Toh Shot with NiSi 77mm Close Up Lens

I find that the best focal length to use NiSi 77mm close-up lens is in the range of a 70-200 lens. The filter allows you to shoot from approximately 20cm away from the subject which is far closer than 1.2m, the minimum focal distance for the Canon 70-200mm F4 lens for example.

@ Dylan Toh Shot with NiSi 77mm Close Up Lens

Focal plane is very narrow meaning that with any slight movement of the camera or your subject, it may well shift out of focus. For this reason, I would recommend using an aperture upwards of F11 to maximise your depth of field. If you are shooting a stationary object and can set up a tripod, this would allow you to set up for taking multiple shots at different focal points. You could then create a focus stacked image during post processing which would produce an image of even larger apparent depth of field.

Once this pillbug moved, the eyes and legs would move rapidly out of the focal plane

@ Dylan Toh Shot with NiSi 77mm Close Up Lens

Shutter speed will need to be very fast for shooting up close at long focal lengths. I would recommend shooting at a shutter speed which is equivalent to double the focal length. For instance, if shooting at 200mm, try to use a shutter speed of 1/400. I prefer to use a tripod for photographing stationary objects such as fungi.

@ Dylan Toh