Some recent discussion got me thinking about taking better Macro Photos with Smart Phones (Apple & Android). Mine just happens to be an Android Samsung. Posts by members with Apples are welcome. This isn't Apple vs Android. It's really about freeing us from the bonds of a digital SLR and taking full advantage of the phone we take with us everywhere!
For the record, I have a Canon EOS Rebel T3i SLR, (15Mp) and old Canon A1. I don't use the A1 anymore because it is film only but I keep it because I loved it in its day and I have a nice range of lenses for it including a really nice dedicated macro lens. I don't have a dedicated lens for the T3i but do have a 1.5 meter macro mode built into a 75-300 EF zoom lens. Not really a fair comparison.
But, this this thread is about better macros on a smartphone. My phone is a Samsung S21. It does not really have a macro setting either. But it does have a laser focussing system that allows fairly nice closeups that rival some of the macro photos I've taken with my SLRs.
Here are a few examples. Note you can further improve them by zooming in.
This a photo of my bluejeans.
And here is one of a honey bee with pollen on it on my tractor.
And here is one of a few grains of table salt. This is 1x in macro focus mode.
To take macro photos on my Samsung, you set your magnification to 1x, then get up close until the camera displays two small yellow dots on the lower left of the screen. That signifies that the laser focus photo enhancer has been turned on. Now you can get MUCH CLOSER - right up close and personal. Sometimes you have to tap the image to refocus. Then take your photo.
For cameras that don't have a close range focussing system, you can zoom out to the farthest non-digital zoom setting (usually someplace around 1/3 of the full zoom) and then get as close to your subject as the camera can focus. Quite often this will be surprisingly good.
Here is a zoomed out closeup taken with my phone.
The advantage of the zoomed out close up photo is significantly greater depth of field. Note my watch in the upper right corner above. This trick works on any phone with a built in zoom lens. In fact, it will work to some extent on any phone or camera. It's just a matter of figuring out how close you can get and still maintain good focus.
It's hard to beat the convenience of a phone that is always in your pocket. It's just a bit harder to take complicated pictures.
Love to hear from others and see what magic you have come up with!
For the record, I have a Canon EOS Rebel T3i SLR, (15Mp) and old Canon A1. I don't use the A1 anymore because it is film only but I keep it because I loved it in its day and I have a nice range of lenses for it including a really nice dedicated macro lens. I don't have a dedicated lens for the T3i but do have a 1.5 meter macro mode built into a 75-300 EF zoom lens. Not really a fair comparison.
But, this this thread is about better macros on a smartphone. My phone is a Samsung S21. It does not really have a macro setting either. But it does have a laser focussing system that allows fairly nice closeups that rival some of the macro photos I've taken with my SLRs.
Here are a few examples. Note you can further improve them by zooming in.
This a photo of my bluejeans.
And here is one of a honey bee with pollen on it on my tractor.
And here is one of a few grains of table salt. This is 1x in macro focus mode.
To take macro photos on my Samsung, you set your magnification to 1x, then get up close until the camera displays two small yellow dots on the lower left of the screen. That signifies that the laser focus photo enhancer has been turned on. Now you can get MUCH CLOSER - right up close and personal. Sometimes you have to tap the image to refocus. Then take your photo.
For cameras that don't have a close range focussing system, you can zoom out to the farthest non-digital zoom setting (usually someplace around 1/3 of the full zoom) and then get as close to your subject as the camera can focus. Quite often this will be surprisingly good.
Here is a zoomed out closeup taken with my phone.
The advantage of the zoomed out close up photo is significantly greater depth of field. Note my watch in the upper right corner above. This trick works on any phone with a built in zoom lens. In fact, it will work to some extent on any phone or camera. It's just a matter of figuring out how close you can get and still maintain good focus.
It's hard to beat the convenience of a phone that is always in your pocket. It's just a bit harder to take complicated pictures.
Love to hear from others and see what magic you have come up with!
