(See a transcript below)

Photographing Insects Part 2 - Cameras and Lenses My Gear

I have often heard something like, ‘You take good pictures, what kind of camera do you use?’ I have a friend who responds to that type of question with, ‘You are a wonderful cook; what kind of stove do you use?’

Cameras

I have used a number of cameras and lenses. I have a Nikon DSLR (digital single-lens reflex camera allowing interchangeable lenses on the same camera body). I use it with a macro lens, telephoto lens, fisheye lens. I have used my cell phone. I have an Olympus TG5 high-end compact camera with good macro mode.  While I have friends who get spectacular photos with their cell phone and the Olympus TG5, I have not used them enough myself and am happier with the images from my DSLR. I do take them with me if I am carrying my zoom lens on my camera or just want to go light. It is always good to have options and have a backup. Everything works to a degree. It's all about purpose, opportunity, and portability.

The most important camera is the one in my hand.

Initially I used an Olympus camera with a telephoto lens that my husband gave me as a gift. It worked fine, and I learned the basics of working with a DSLR. But as I learned more about photography, I wanted to try different lenses, particularly macro. Olympus lenses only worked on specific Olympus camera bodies, and there were limited choices.

That's when I decided to switch to Nikon before I invested in more lenses. The Nikon lenses work across Nikon bodies. I considered Canon, but had a friend working with Nikon, and that was an influence.  Some people get hung up on Canon vs Nikon battles the way they do on Apple vs PC. I don’t know that one is better than the other (some of you may already be chomping at the bit), but my thinking is, choose a brand that will be around for the future. Once you go that with that brand, you will probably stick with it because that is what you are familiar with.

I chose a Nikon D7100 based on what options I was seeing at the time. Size, weight, features, cost, megapixels, were important to me. There are full frame and crop sensor cameras. I’m not sure I still understand all the ins and outs, but Nikon offers a line of lenses and camera bodies that may be interchangeable. I have been very happy with this choice.

I can program buttons on the camera to quickly change shooting modes. It has many features, some of which I have played with, such as time lapse, remote trigger release, video, etc. But for the most part, I really only use a small number of the options available. One of the best features is that is holds two cards. I can’t tell you how many times I have left the house and left my primary card in the computer. Fortunately, I had the second card still in the camera.

I even bought a refurbished second camera of the same model. This has come in very handy. I keep one for macro and one for telephoto. If one camera is in the shop for sensor cleaning (which I do annually), I still have another to work with.

Lenses

Your phone may have a good lens, and you can attach an inexpensive phone camera macro lens clip-on. I had trouble with the lens on my new phone. It didn’t fit when the case was on my phone, and my camera has three lenses. These will take good shots and videos, but you have to sneak up close to insects before they skitter away. My shots aren’t great, but one friend has amazing patience and excellent results with her phone. 

The Olympus TG5 has a built-in macro lens. A really nice feature is the built in GPS to tag your photos. Another friend gets amazing results with it. I have not done as well, but have had some serviceable results when I am trying to capture images just for documentation purposes.

My go-to lens for strict insect photography is a 90 mm Tamron macro lens that I bought in 2014. I still use it today as my favorite macro lens. You can shoot from a distance and sneak up better. I use it for in-the-field shots, and it is great at the black-light.  I use it with a Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight and a Fotodiox 6"x9" Softbox. This lens and light are set up on my ‘insect’ camera so that it is ready to grab and go. I have settings of manual, ISO 400, Exposure 1/250 at f14. I adjust the power on the flash to control the exposure.

I sometimes add a Raynox DCR-150 Snap-On Macro Lens to photograph the really, really tiny things. Yes, it is heavy and awkward, and I don’t like it for long hikes, but I love the results.

A friend sold me a Tamron 180mm macro at a price I could not refuse. I've used it a little but find it more challenging to use. It is heavier and harder to hold steady on an image. Someone described it as looking down a straw. With the flash, it is altogether unwieldy for me. I have found a reasonable use for it when I used to do a butterfly survey in the foothills of the Santa Ana mountains. I could carry it and use it without the flash, get decent shots of butterflies from a better distance, and even shoot some birds or other critters. I think I understand why my friend sold it at a discount.

My favorite Zoom lens is a Tamron 150mm to 600mm. This is the lens I use most of the time. I use it mainly for shooting birds, but it is good for insects too. My favorite thing to shoot is insect/bird combinations. This lens also works very well for butterflies and dragonflies, particularly in flight. Distance to the subject helps to catch them in a natural setting without scaring them. My normal setting is to set the camera on aperture mode, ISO 800, f7.1 with shutter speed determined by the camera. I will adjust the ISO as needed to keep a faster shutter speed. For birds or insects in flight, I like a shutter speed of 1/1600 to 1/3200. This is just a rule of thumb.  For closer or smaller insects, I have to back up a lot to get them in the shot. Yes, this too is a heavy and awkward lens. I have tried tripods and monopods, but most of the time I find they only add weight and do not allow me the mobility I want. I shoot handheld regardless of the size of the lens.

I used to have a Nikkor 70-300 VR zoom lens, and I could clip on the Raynox DCR-150 Snap-On Macro Lens. It was smaller, versatile, and easy to carry. I could use it for close birds and insects. It was good, but not as good as the super zoom lens, and not as good as the macro. I tried using the 180 macro I mentioned as a substitute, but wasn’t thrilled. I traded in the 70-300 and got a Tamron 18-400. This was better for birds although still not as good as my 150-600. What I failed to note was that the Raynox macro lens didn’t fit this lens!   There is never a perfect solution. Since this lens is smaller and less unwieldy than my 150-600, I use this for longer walks for birds and insects and for boat trips for birds and whales, of course no ocean insects.

I have found that no matter what camera, lens, and setting you find works for you, you will find someone to tell you that you are doing it wrong or they have a better way. Sometimes I try new things and sometimes I am perfectly content to keep on in my own imperfect way.

Remember, your results may vary.