Camera Body
I’ve always used Canon SLRs, starting with an older Canon Elan film body. I’ve traded up many times over the years as newer camera bodies became available.
My current camera body is the Canon 60D, which I purchased in October of 2010.
Canon EOS 60D 18 MP Digital SLR Camera Body
Before that, I was using the Canon 40D, which I purchased in the Fall of 2007.
Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera Body
Lenses
I primarily use just these two lenses:
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens
Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens
Flash
Lighting is always a challenge for macro, and for years now I’ve been mostly relying on this specialty flash:
Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite Flash
It’s nicer than a ring flash because the lighting doesn’t come face on, but directionally from the sides. I can easily move the flash heads around the lens to control the direction of the light. I almost always change the ratio between the flash heads so that, for example, I direct more light towards the head of the subject.
I’m still often unhappy with the lighting, especially for highly reflective subjects. I’ve been experimenting with different ways to diffuse the light, with varying results.
EXIF
If you’re curious about what equipment and settings were used for a specific photo, just check the EXIF info embedded in the image. Make sure you’re checking the full-resolution image though and not one of the automatically generated smaller images. Just follow the image link to the full-resolution image.
