Macro lens

**caroleallen** · 11-09-2015, 08:28 AM

Morning all. I've been having problems with my Canon DSLR recently. I focus in and then press the button and watch it all go out of focus. I'm using a light box so I don't think lighting is the issue. I'm wondering whether I need a better lens. I know nothing about macro lenses and wonder if anyone can advise me on what to get please.

**ps_bond** · 11-09-2015, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by caroleallen

Morning all. I've been having problems with my Canon DSLR recently. I focus in and then press the button and watch it all go out of focus. I'm using a light box so I don't think lighting is the issue. I'm wondering whether I need a better lens. I know nothing about macro lenses and wonder if anyone can advise me on what to get please.

If you can manually focus accurately, can you turn off the autofocus? I know my macro lens can't af at very short distances, but I usually use manual focus (or focus bracketing) anyway.
Canon have some good macro lenses; mostly it depends on what you want to shoot. I've got a Nikon 105mm (and a much older manual 55mm), Jura at the last count was using the Canon 105mm but if you want to shoot larger objects then a shorter lens (80? 85mm?) or moving further back. Sigma and Tamron have some excellent options too.

**caroleallen** · 11-09-2015, 08:55 AM

Thanks Peter. I'm not using autofocus. Sometimes it focuses fine and then sometimes it just won't work for love nor money. There are times when it just won't take the photo so I switch off for a while and then go back to it and its fine. I just can't work out what's going on.

**Dennis** · 11-09-2015, 09:03 AM

As Peter has said, you can manual focus, and if you are using your screen, there should be a button top right to increase the size of the image, which makes it easier to see.

Automatic focus keeps shifting for two reasons:
1. Your camera is a fraction too close and so can't focus.
2. The part you are focussing on is all white, or all one colour, so that the camera can't find a subject. Regards, Dennis.

**caroleallen** · 11-09-2015, 09:19 AM

I sometimes find that if I have other props in the image, they look well focused, yet the thing I am focusing on doesn't.

**ps_bond** · 11-09-2015, 09:34 AM

Per Dennis' comment, I also use live view to check focus quite a lot - switch the camera to live, then digitally zoom in on the area of interest. While the camera's on a tripod, naturally.
Speaking of which - assuming yours is, vibration reduction is switched off isn't it?
On some of the more automatic modes mine won't take photos until everything is just right. Similarly, if I forget I've left it on remote release mode and I press the shutter release it takes a moment of head-scratching to work out why it won't take the shot...

**caroleallen** · 11-09-2015, 09:39 AM

Oh dear, there's so much to learn! I don't know if vibration reduction is switched off. I don't use remote release.

I use the delay function (what is the correct term?!) and I have it on a tripod.

I also didn't know about live view, so I'll check that out.

**ps_bond** · 11-09-2015, 10:09 AM

VR is great if you're hand-holding, the extra stability gives a little more latitude on longer exposures. On a tripod it'll fight though as there's nothing (ish) to stabilise. On Nikons the VR is a controlled by a switch on the lens (and not all lenses have it); no idea on Canon.
Delay is good, it's a decent alternative to using a remote.