Advice on macro photography

[dive2617]

I've been enjoying learning uw photography over the past few years and feel I have learned a ton and improved a lot. I am shooting on a canon rebel SL1 in an ikelite housing with a single DS51 strobe. I now understand most of the settings on my camera and when I take a shot I don't like I know which way to move the iso, f and shutter speed and others to make the next better.

Some of my early pics:
Early pics

And pics from my current trip:
New Pics

I am in belize and took a few macro pics that made me feel like I would have fun giving macro a try. So my question is would I be well served by getting a 60mm lens (only 5mm more than the kit lens) or going all in and getting a 100mm? Also is a flat port necessary for proper macro or can you use a dome port with the extensions that ikelite sells?

Side note as well, do my pics look like they may be better with a second light source to reduce the shadowing? I've been thinking about getting a second DS51.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Chris Ross]

Depends on what you are shooting, many people do quite well with the 60mm macro on APS-C cameras. The 100mm macro is more suited to very small subjects and for larger stuff you have too much water between you and your subject. The 18-55 kit lens and the 60mm macro are not comparable as the 60mm lens focuses much closer and will achieve 1:1 magnification, the 18-55 lens is probably about 1:4 max magnification so can't fill the frame with objects smaller than maybe 80-100mm in length, the 60mm macro can fill the frame with a 20mm long subject.

A dome port will work but because the lenses focus so close you may find that some of that working distance is taken up with the dome. You also don't get the additional magnification provided by the flat port. Plus the dome can restrict you getting in close to your subject physically and is prone to scratching when getting very close.

 

[dive2617]

Depends on what you are shooting, many people do quite well with the 60mm macro on APS-C cameras. The 100mm macro is more suited to very small subjects and for larger stuff you have too much water between you and your subject. The 18-55 kit lens and the 60mm macro are not comparable as the 60mm lens focuses much closer and will achieve 1:1 magnification, the 18-55 lens is probably about 1:4 max magnification so can't fill the frame with objects smaller than maybe 80-100mm in length, the 60mm macro can fill the frame with a 20mm long subject.

A dome port will work but because the lenses focus so close you may find that some of that working distance is taken up with the dome. You also don't get the additional magnification provided by the flat port. Plus the dome can restrict you getting in close to your subject physically and is prone to scratching when getting very close.

Thank you for the reply, that all makes a lot of sense. I didn't realize that about the 60mm but it makes sense since it is a designated macro lens. I'll look more in to the 60mm since I have been frustrated coming out of the water with blurry macro shots cause the 18-55 has trouble handling them which is why I am looking.

 

[JackConnick]

You might want to check out our free Handbook on Macro Photography, it should help with some of your questions.
https://www.opticaloceansales.com/files/Basics-of-Macro-Photography.pdf