www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I have been enjoying looking through this forum for the last couple of weeks and particularly looking at the great pictures.
Over the last few years I have really enjoyed stalking butterflies with my Canon compact camera (Ixus 970 and previously an Ixus i) and trying to get decent pictures. I find that there are limitations to the camera, such as the auto-focus not recognising some butterflies such as blues. The depth of field is rather short and it is impossible for it to focus on small eggs or caterpillars on stems, etc. However, I find that it is great being able to sneak up on a butterfly and then slowly extend my arm towards it to get a close-up, as well as being nice and small to carry around.
If I was to use an SLR, then presumably I would have to get my whole body behind the camera and this would presumably be more likely to scare the butterfly away. Do you use some sort of zoom with macro capability? And if so, do these really capture detail as well as a conventional macro.
I am afraid that I am no expert at all on photography, but I would be really interested to hear what the opinions are of members of the forum as to what is the best sort of camera to use.

Hi Nick,

DSLRs will give you the best results but you will have to buy additional lenses to cover all options and this can be expensive. I use what was termed as a 'bridge camera'; a sort of mid point between a compact and a DSLR. They are now referred to as a 'micro four thirds' camera and can give very good results without the need to buy additional lenses. I use a Panasonic FZ18 which is a couple of years old but can, with its combination of digital and optical zoom, offer a focal length of 500mm. A 500mm lense for a DSLR would cost serious money. The latest Panasonic FZ100 offers 600mm and reviews are very positive but it will cost around £450. I have a bought teleconverter for my FZ18 which effectively doubles the focal length to 1000mm which is excellent for bird photography. Ultimately it's about how serious you are. Do you want to invest in a DSLR or just buy something that will give you good results for a reasonable amount of money. You pays your money and takes you choice, as they say.

Hi Nick

NickMorgan wrote:If I was to use an SLR, then presumably I would have to get my whole body behind the camera and this would presumably be more likely to scare the butterfly away

No, in fact the exact opposite. In most cases people use a long macro lens, that would give a frame fill working distance of around 2 to 4ft depending on size of the Butterfly.

NickMorgan wrote: Do you use some sort of zoom with macro capability?

Some people do use zoom lenses that claim to have a macro capability, but those lenses are usually the manufactures budget lenses, and won't preform as well as a dedicated macro lens.

Regards Gruditch

I have been using a Canon SX20 IS for the last couple of months, and though it is good, I wish that I had gone for a DSLR. I find it difficult to find the butterfly through the viewfinder and the focusing might be better if I could control it. One can but by the time I have fiddled around with manual focus the insect had legged it to another flower.

Keep in mind that is you go the DSLR route then it is not the camera that matters but it is the lens!
Usually the lens lasts many many years (some of mine are 25 years old and still alive and kicking) while the DSLR camera gets outdated/replaced every couple of years. Conclusion: if you have a limited budget, consider long-term investment in good quality lenses rather than in super-hyper-top camera body of the month.

my 2 cents

I've always used a Canon Powershot when photographing butterflies with a compact, the one I mainly use is an A400 which is probably quite cheap if it is still on sale anywhere. It has always taken pictures of exceptional quality and is particularly good for close ups. Some of my butterfly photographs can be viewed by searching for this same username on epz, Ed

I've discovered using my compact (Canon Powershot A720 IS) that using the manual focus mode, while slightly hit or miss, gives much better results (when you get it right) than the macro mode does - it has a nasty habit of focussing on entirely the wrong things.
J

Josephiah wrote:I've discovered using my compact (Canon Powershot A720 IS) that using the manual focus mode, while slightly hit or miss, gives much better results (when you get it right) than the macro mode does - it has a nasty habit of focussing on entirely the wrong things.
J

I use the same camera and find the macro mode almost never misses a focus. You need to set the auto focus to central, rather than intelligent, and just make sure the object you want to focus on is in the middle of the viewfinder.

Guy

Thanks guys for the responses. It does seem that to jump from compact to a decent DSLR with a good lense is a big investment. I think that I will have to keep plugging away with my little Cannon. I have to say that I am amazed at the results that can be achieved from a compact. I only wish that I could get a slightly better depth of field. Some times it is so difficult to get the whole butterfly in focus!
There are a few tricks that I have learned over the years, as Guy says, I use the Centre option for focusing and often when taking pictures of eggs or caterpillars I have to let the camera focus on the background and then move the camera back to focus on the subject. The best thing about digital is not having to waste film trying to get a good shot!

hi nick
you might be able to get a second hand dslr body quite cheap , alot of camera shops part ex canon and nikon bodies. might even find a macro lens if lucky
even 4 year dslr will blow away a compacts image quality. long term a good investment.

phil

padfield wrote:I use the same camera and find the macro mode almost never misses a focus. You need to set the auto focus to central, rather than intelligent, and just make sure the object you want to focus on is in the middle of the viewfinder.

Guy

Thanks Guy, I had tried that briefly but got better results with the manual mode so I stuck with that. I'll give the macro another try sometime soon.
Cheers,
Jo