This article features handheld macro photographs captured late last week with the M.Zuiko 90mm Macro lens around the house. As I’ve gained more experience through my experimentation with the M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 PRO IS Macro lens, my approach to this genre of photography has shifted somewhat.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.
As noted in my review of the M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 PRO IS Macro lens my standard set-up for macro photography now includes the STF-8 Twin Macro Flash, as well as either the MC-14 or MC-20 teleconverter.
The M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 PRO IS lens is now my ‘go to’ macro lens, with the M.Zuiko 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens now quite comfortable in its new home in my wife’s camera bag.
I’m finding that I’m capturing a lot more images using the M.Zuiko STF-8 Twin Macro Flash than I ever did in the past. This is due in part to my wife’s suggestion to ‘soften’ the flash by adding some veiling material on the inside of the plastic diffusers on the STF-8. Although not perfect, this has worked quite well.
I still enjoy using the 90 mm macro for handheld in-camera focus stacking. There are specific macro situations when deeper depth-of-field is preferred. In these instances I’ve found that handheld in-camera focus stacking is a better solution than using the STF-8 flash. The images above and below are good examples.
It took some time and ongoing practice to improve my technique in order to be consistently successful with handheld in-camera focus stacking with the 90 mm macro lens. Rather than blame one’s equipment when results don’t meet expectations, I’ve found it is far more productive to assume operator error.
Shooting macro photography around the house can be an enjoyable and sometimes surprising experience. Finding a tiny grasshopper on a leaf in my front yard was one such experience.
It gave me the opportunity to use handheld in-camera focus stacking… as well as the STF-8 Twin Macro Flash in combination with the MC-20 or MC-14 teleconverters.
Being able to get in quite close to this tiny grasshopper and use the S-Macro mode handheld… along with the MC-14 teleconverter and STF-8 Twin Macro Flash… was a liberating experience from a creative perspective.
Even though using the MC-20 has a 2 stop penalty in terms of light loss, I find that I tend to use that teleconverter more frequently than the MC-14. I love the additional flexibility that the increased reach provides from both subject acquisition and creative interpretation perspectives.
As we know, moving away from a subject can help increase depth-of-field in our composition… and getting in closer produces shallower depth-of-field. You can see the amount of depth-of-field with the subject insect in the above image. Now, let’s look at the same subject… but photographed from a shorter subject distance using the same aperture of f/13.
You can see that the depth-of-field is dramatically different, as is the creative interpretation of the subject. Using a lens like the M.Zuiko 90 mm f/3.5 PRO IS that accepts teleconverters, gives us additional creative latitude, and increased flexibility in the field.
One of the beauties of doing macro photography around the house is that subject matter is readily available. When we find ourselves in a bit of a funk we can simply grab our macro photography set-up and explore our own backyards.
I like to do a bit of a scouting mission around the house to identify higher potential areas. Then, I grab my stool, sit down and relax… and observe the tiny intricacies of life that are unfolding right in front of me.
Handheld macro photography is something that we can do with a minimum of camera gear… and still enjoy the creative challenges that it presents to us.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld with the camera equipment noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files or out-of-camera jpegs using my standard process in post. This is the 1,396 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
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I enjoy and learn from reading your articles. You are adept at using your equipment and produce excellent images. When you first got the 90mm macro you talked about experimenting as to settings for hand held focus stacking. It appears that you have mastered focus stacking with the 90 mm. I wonder if you could be so kind as to share those settings?
Thanks.
Joel Leff
Hi Joel,
I’m glad that the articles have been of some benefit. As far as the shutter speed and aperture used for handheld in-camera focus stacking that varies by subject and creative intent. Those details are found with each image. With the M.Zuiko 90 mm f/3.5 PRO IS macro lens I’ve been using a focus stack of 12 images, with a focus differential of 5. This has worked well thus far. As mentioned earlier, I do adjust the aperture and shutter speed as needed.
Tom
Thanks for the wonderful articles about photography! I was surprised to find that I completely coincide with you in choosing technology& Longtime fan of Nikon 1 and now own 1X and 90 macro& The only thing that upsets me about the camera is the shutter speed sinchro when stacking at 1/50 second& How do you find it?
Hi Roman,
I don’t use any flash when doing in-camera focus stacking… only natural light and handheld.
Tom