Photography  at  1X  to  4X  Magnification

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Much of the material in this section is also applicable to photography at magnifications above X4.  Some of it will be repeated in that page, which will also include material not presented here.

Photography at more than life-size is not really practical in the field, except with simple static subjects.  It requires special equipment to hold camera and subjects, with the means of smoothly adjusting relative positions in three dimensions.  Quite a lot can be achieved with cheap and simple materials, such as chipboard, but for adjustments there is no substitute for screw adjustments.  A microscope can form a good basis for a system if the lenses and the barrel can be removed.

The picture shows a stand made of chipboard, with a means of sliding the camera vertically.  A bellows or extension tubes can be used to set the magnification.  Extension tubes with 42 mm thread can be obtained cheaply.  Adapters to 42 mm can be obtained for numerous different cameras.  The tubes need not be automatic, because the lens will be reversed.  The lens will require an adapter from its filter thread to 42 mm.

The back of the lens, furthest from the camera, should be shrouded by a lens hood.  A short extension tube will do nicely.  It should not obscure the light source.  Parts of the support that could reflect light on to the lens or the subject should be matt black.  Black paper or blackboard paint will do.  A white reflector can be added when required, but in fact getting adequate contrast, rather than filling in shadows, is usually the problem.

To see the subject the lens should be set to a wide aperture, and a torch can be used to make the image visible in the viewfinder.  The torch can be used to find the best position for the illumination of the photograph, which is as vital in macro-photography as in any other kind.  Don’t forget to set the lens to the taking aperture before making the exposure.

Illumination can be provided by a dedicated flash-gun with TTL metering.  A more simple type can be used, but some calculation will be need to work out the distance from flash to subject for a given aperture.  Bracketing of exposure will be necessary.

At this magnification many subjects will be opaque, but some, such as insect wings, will be transparent or translucent, affording opportunities for interesting and creative back-lighting.

A very good source of advice on many topics in close-up photography is John Shaw’s Closeups in Nature (Amphoto), ISBN 0-8174-4052-6 paperback, -4051-8 hardback.  This book includes many photographs of high quality.

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