Martyn

This thread is turning into a positive mine of useful information, keep all the good ideas coming! As for what I'm going to do; A dedicated macro lens is more expensive than my camera which I scrimped and saved for ages to get, and considering this is a new hobby for me, maybe I should not get too carried away with throwing money at it. I will be keeping a close eye out on Fleabay for all things camera related and will end up cobbling something together. After all, photography is engineering combined with vision and imagination. Problem solving is half the fun!

Boo - Meringue >>>>>> Boomerang!

Meringue

Inlet

I really dig your self portrait Chris!

I've never heard of a lens reversed onto another lens, must give that a try sometime!

Thanks Bugs, I haven't forgotten about the light problem, I intend to discus this in another thread at a later date. As you can see from the number of replies already, optics on their own create enough discussion to fill a thread

The only problem I see with manual tubes is the inability of the lens to stop down automatically since I use the G series lens from Nikon, there is no manual aperture ring!

Wow, thank you for all the replies! All this is really helpful. Ah yes, I've heard of these Coke-in filters!

Hi Steve, welcome to the forum. I love north Wales, spent many a happy day there visiting friends and family. Look forward to seeing your pics!

I can understand removing blemishes and improving complexion, but to change the shape of a face.............that's a step too far for me!

Since getting my camera and joining this forum I've found myself taking a few close up shots and wishing I could get closer. I've been studying up on gear, but thought I would seek the opinions of you good folk on here. These are the options as I see them: 1. Dedicated macro lens such as Nikon's AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED. Excellent performance, but as with any macro lens, it's over my budget. 2. Lens reversing adapter ring. I already have one of these. The magnification factor with an old 50mm lens is fantastic but I loose my auto focus and exposure control. Good for static objects. Needs a tripod and some extra lighting because I need to get so close. 3. Close up filters. Relatively cheap. Fiddly to swap and change when out and about. Introduces an extra optical element to the lens which may be of poor quality. Better quality is available but at a price. 4. Extension tubes. Tubes are cheaply available but lack the connections to allow the lens to operate automatically. Tubes with the connections to allow auto lens functions are also available but are more expensive. Kenko seem to have a good reputation at around £150. Other makes are available from around £60 but what is the quality like? These don't add any extra optics to the lens so picture quality should be good. 5. Raynox DCR-250. Much like a close up filter on steroids,these are available for around £50 and fit a range of lens diameters. They seem to have a good reputation despite the fact that they clip onto the end of the lens and add an extra optic. I would love to hear your opinions, views and reviews of any of these.

Congratulations Blackrox! Feel free to celebrate with something a little stronger

I've only got a trial version of Lightroom 5 but it prompted me to download the upgrade. The 30 day free trial has started over again!

sick

I just discovered this and thought it may be of interest to some of you http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?EID=e7f60a9c-6e04-48a6-be6e-288d0bfba863

I don't buy any magazines or news papers at all. There is so much information on the web I do all my reading on line. I seem to spend most of my time watching Youtube videos!

Hi Paul and welcome to TIPF from just up the road in Morecambe!

station

Congratulations John, there were a lot of excellent pics this week so this win should taste extra sweet to you!

Bulletin

Well for what it's worth, I've only been here for a few months. Since I joined I've seen at least two others join in and become regular contributors. I make that one active member a month joining TIPF, that seems ok to me!

After another email to the Nikon help desk I got another reply, " If the suggested steps do not work all I can advise is that you consult an IT technician to resolve the issue with the computer or switch to using another machine. I apologise that we cannot assist you any further. " Maybe I should switch to another software; I'm wondering about Lightroom 5 as a replacement!

Paparazzi

Shooting musicians and bands is right up my street, not that I've had a great deal of success. This is one area where shooting raw files can really help rescue that badly exposed, but brilliantly composed, picture. Looking forward to seeing the pics Leon.