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i was wondering if there was anything i could do to get really small macro shots on this camera. i know it's already pretty big with the subject being able to get so close but i want to get shots of insects and such. is it necessary to do something like this:
megaweb.clubsnap.org/articles/a70_reversed_35mmf2/
and if it is, what converter should i use?

also, are the macro lenses i've seen on ebay any good? or the telephoto lenses? here are the links...


macro
cgi.ebay.com/10x-HD-Pro-Macro-Lens-for-Canon-PowerShot-S3-S2- IS_W0QQitemZ280035494275QQihZ018QQcategoryZ106842Q
QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

3x telephoto - i can't settle for the 2x that the company recommends

cgi.ebay.com/HD-3X-TELEPHOTO-LENS-FOR-CANON-POWERSHOT-S3-IS-S2- IS_W0QQitemZ120038998846QQihZ002QQcategoryZ116186Q
QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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I'm not familiar with your model of Canon, but I shoot a lot of macros and I use both the Canon Powershot G3 with the reversed Canon 50mm 1.4 FD lens sometimes or I use a Canon 250D closeup lens. If you can purchase a ring or rings for your camera then by all means do it because in order to add any of these lenses, you will need one or the other. I also shoot with a Canon 20D DSLR and I use a Canon 100mm 2.8 USM along with a set of Kenko extension tubes. Macro shooting is a specialized form of photography and it will cost you more money. Here is a sample of what I can get with my setup.

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/...php?ppuser=4513

Here's another site where I obtained many of my ideas and the nice thing about this site is that the photographer tells you where to purchase the equipment, which I did too.

http://www.mplonsky.com/photo/article.htm

Good luck!

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thank you sooo much that's exactly what i needed! but one more question:

if i zoom in with the camera's built in lens with the reversed lens attached, will the view actually be zooming in or out?

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In answer to your question, you must zoom to almost the maximum optical zoom because the step up ring and the fact that the reversed lens will create a tunnel effect. With my G3, I purchased a special conversion ring plus the step up ring. The only way to minimize the tunnel effect forces me to zoom to 4x optical zoom.

A reversed 50mm lens will give you a macro lens equal to 25 power which is extreme and which also will force you to use a tripod because at this power of magnification the least bit of movement will blur your image. When the camera is attached to the tripod, you will find that you have to move the camera itself closer or farther away from your subject matter too. If you have manual focus, this will help you focus, but using this type of setup is not the easiest thing to master. For me the fact that I have an LCD that flips out and can turn almost 180 degrees really help, when I'm shooting at ground level too.

Lastly if your camera will allow you to attach a wireless or wired cable release, that piece of equipment is worth it's weight in gold as I use my wired release with my Canon 20D much of the time. I use my 2 second timer with my Canon G3 because the wireless remote is worthless and the 2 second timer gives the camera just enough time to settle before the shutter is tripped.

This dandelion was shot with the reversed normal lens.
http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/...=500&page=2

Good luck!

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is there also a mini tripod for really low shots?

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There are many tripods for sale, but the one I like for my Canon Powershot G3 is the Slik Sprint Mini Tripod, but this tripod can't handle my Canon 20D because the camera is too heavy.

Here is a link to the one I own.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...egoryNavigation

You'll find that you need a medium duty tripod, a smaller one like the Slik Mini Sprint and then maybe even a table top type.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...egoryNavigation

All of my tripods are Slik's except a Majestic I purchase over 20 years ago when I used to shoot with a 4x5 view camera in the studio.

My regular medium duty Slik is also over 20 years old and I just recently purchased a ball head for it which made a worlds of difference over the old pan head.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...egoryNavigation

There are many brands of tripod, but the Slik is well made and can be purchased for a reasonable price.

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yeah i'm using one that doesn't even have a level let alone a ball head lol

i've thought of that before but i didn't know they had those

*bows down to the camera god*

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Just a quick thought...

Have you tried using the Super-Macro mode on the S3 IS?

I do not know how small your subject is, but this mode has been working great on my S3 IS. I have had very clear shots of subjects such as a penny and the tip of a match.

Now, I am not an expert on photo quality, but they have looked very good to me and I am impressed with what it produces. You can not zoom in Super-Macro mode, however. You need to get the lens right up tight, which can make it tricky for certain subjects.

Just tossing my 2 cents out there in case it has any value...

Being relatively new and inexperienced as a photographer I am reluctant to offer tips or advice to those with more experience than me... but I figure it does not hurt to spill your beans and then people can use it or not. =)

All the best!

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My home on the web... www.geocities.com/mcnultybooks

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I recently got my S3 and played around a little with the macro setup. Here's a practice shot I took just to see if macro worked. Obviously this is one of the seals on a dollar bill.

picasaweb.google.com/gregory.d.smith/CanonS3ISTestPractice/photo#5031554943420437218

No where near the quality of that dandelion, but shows that a newbie can pull it off no problem.

Before you go creating a huge rig to take a couple shots, try it without the rig and see if you can pull it off.

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Greg

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