The Panasonic forum is very active in macro shooting. Many are using the FZ8 and FZ50 and adding on close up lenses like the Raynox 150 and 250 to get even closer. My flower macros and April in Arizona galleries were shot with the FZ8. There are many current threads on the Panny forum to look at. Also in the compact range people are having a good time with Macros on the TZ3. I have one also and my london gallery is shot with that camera. However, I made an adapter tube to again handle a close up lens for these.terryhttp://tbanet.zenfolio.com/..
Most point and shoot cameras have macro modes. Not many standard lenses on SLRs do, as you found out..
An SLR will take the best macros, with the right lens. You can buy plenty of different macro lenses, or a general purpose lens like the Sigma 17-70 that has a sort-of macro mode and lets you get really close, besides being an all-round lens like on your little Canon. Just look for the word macro on lenses like this and ones from Tamron..
Otherwise, you have to look for cameras like the Canon S5IS that lets you get really close (0cm!). Or the Canon A710IS for instance. You can focus down to 1cm with that. Trouble is, you get in your own shadow..
The advantage of a true macro lens for an SLR is that you don't have to be all that close to get maximum magnification. If you're photographing a butterfly, this can be a huge advantage..
Androohttp://Androo.smugmug.com..
A few P&S's will shoot macros very close - have a look at teh Canon S3 for example..
However, for a DSLR it's all the lens. Also bare in mind the difference between telephoto macro and wide macro. I think you need to research technique more..
StephenG.
Fuji S9600Fuji S5200Fuji F30Fuji E900Canon A710ISPCLinuxOS..
If you want to take exceptionally good macro shots, you'll want a true macro lens for your DSLR..
My DSLR is the Canon 300D, and my macro lens is the Canon 100mm f/2.8.
Below is a link to a photo I took of sand down by the river. The "largest" stone is about 5mm. The original shot was a RAW file so I could make a large print, the camera was mounted on a tripod positioned about 8 inches above the sand, and I used a shutter release..
Http://picasaweb.google.com/...eSMiscellaneousStuff/photo#5080797303836471842.
Here is a link for the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens too..
Http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...-100mm-f-2.8-USM-Macro-Lens-Review.aspx.
It has a great reputation...and is a macro lens. It will blow away anything you took with your friends lens..
This is one of the keys to great macro photography...next you will want a tripod, and a remote shutter release...and maybe some offcamera flashes...ahhh what a great hobby!.
R/Mike..
Correction to my post above...Sorry...my kids were in the other room fussing!.
The camera was positioned about 18 inches above the sand, NOT 8 inches..
Keep in mind too that this lens has a fixed focal length of 100mm, and with the 1.6x multiplier on DSLRs like the 300D/350/XTi, etc that's an effective focal length of 160mm. So you have some prit-teee good magnification..
Hopefully you get the picture...pun intended! Bahahhahahahahahhahahahhaha.
R/Mike..
I use a canon A640 for macro shooting - although a dedicated macro lens on my 350D would provide better images, I can get shots that I wouldn't be able to with my SLR because of the twist and flip out screen. I had to stretch to capture this shot of a ladybird taken at ISO80..
Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..
That is such an amazing pic with the lady bug. I'm looking between a A710a and an A640 and that is amazing...
Thanks - you can't go wrong with the A640, or even the A630/20 with 8/7 megapixels respectively - still gives you plenty of scope for cropping and making big prints. I got the A640 so I could crop quite a lot and still make 8 by 12 inch pictures, which are quite spectacular when an insect a centimetre or two fills the print...