Welcome to the list, Matthew, and to OM [Macro]photography. Thanks for
sharing your mighty impressive images!
The OM system is to my mind pretty much unsurpassed for its macro
facilities, though you probably don't have any of the macro lenses (unless
your 50mm is either an f/3.5 or an f/2, in which case you have hit the
ground running). The OM2n will do just fine, it's an excellent and easy to
use camera. Not knowing either the Vivitar or the Makita (?better known
here as a grinder brand name - maybe it's Tokina) lenses in question, I
would guess that by "macro" they mean "closer focus than we would normally
make, so let's put a premium tag on it for a premium price", and therefore
you will be pretty much starting from zero as far as macro is concerned.
For a cheap start, perhaps look to a set of extension tubes which fit
between lens and body, and allow much closer focus. More expensive would be
bellows, which extend further, allow you to get closer, but are more
unwieldy.
Next step might be looking at real OM macro lenses which can eventually get
you down to easily ten times life size on the film (in various stages with
different lenses).
Another step would be to consider lighting and the various specialist macro
flashed produced for the OM line.
Perhaps the first step, though, is to look at the excellent Olympus
Macrophotography manual, which you can download here as a free PDF:
http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif/macrophotogroup/manuals/macrophotogr
oup.pdf or http://tinyurl.com/8v8sw
And the range of OM macro equipment is explained here:
http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif/macrophotogroup.htm or
http://tinyurl.com/agau9
--
Piers
-----Original Message-----
From: olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Matthew Bristol
Sent: 17 January 2006 15:38
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] Macrophotography questions
I recently inherited a used OM-2n and a set of lenses . Included are a
Zuiko 50mm, a Vivitar 80-200mm w/ macro, and a Makita 20-80mm w/macro (I'm
not sure about that last one, I'm writing this from work w/o the lens in
front of me and I'm completely new to SLR's).
I have done a bunch of macrophotography with digital point and shoots.
I grow orchids, and they tend to be the subject of most of my shots. I like
shots of individual flowers, which range in size from ~2cm and up, and then
I also enjoy taking extreme close-up shots of internal structures. Here are
some examples of shots I've done before:
Inside of an unidentified laeliocattleya using an HP 215 with a macro
accessory lens. The frame is about 0.5 cm across.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70589161@N00/87546072/
Full flower shot of a oncindium class orchid using a Fuji Finepix 315 in
macro mode. The frame is about 3 cm across.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70589161@N00/87546074/
Both shots were taken in morning sunlight without a flash.
I would like to be able to do similar shots with my new Olympus. What
accessories would you most recommend to get me started? I've seen
accessories like the bellows, and would like to get one eventually, but I am
thinking of starting much smaller scale. Also, can anyone recommend any
good books for starting out in macrophotography with slr's?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm a complete newbie when it comes
to anything other than point and shoot cameras.
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