My tools & techniques for macros

My tools for macrophotography are :

• Evident, the camera, and a UV filter that I set on it permanently - it doesn't do anything about the macro, though. 
• When I can, also my Raynox DCR-150 macro attachment lens, which offers 1.5 magnification, 
• and when in shape, I also take my tripod, the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT, to which I added the SBH100 ball-head. Read about them at the bottom quarter or so of this entry.
• If I cannot or forgot to take with me the attachement, I use either macro or super-macro modes in my camera. The first is for any object 10-300cm away, whilst the latter allows coming close as 1cm, without being as detailed as the attachement's magnification 

Gear - Mono/Tri-pods

There are many situations in which a photographer may need to add to the camera's image stabilization and require either a mono-pod, or even a tripod. 

Gear- batteries

I had initially intended to discuss batteries in the same posts as chargers, but as it lengthened over a few days' composing, I decided to separate but post them at the same time.

I already mentioned I chose rechargeable nimh batteries instead of li-ion ones, for ecological, budgetary and availability reasons, and detailed as much as I could my 2 current chargers, with an emphasis on a maha c-9000 which I use far more frequently.

Gear - Chargers

While searching for a candidate camera, most models in my budget had Li-ion batteries, with small autonomies and short shelf-life, in a consumerist mindset. I learned that these batteries allowed fewer photos than their DSLR counterparts, and far fewer than AA Nimh batteries.

Most importantly, these lithium based batteries are far more damaging to the environment and they get thrown away faster (overall) than nickel-cadmium hybrid (=Nimh) batteries. 

Gear - my past and present cameras

My first camera wasn’t an actual camera, but a webcam that I could detach and use for photography. It’s definition was a mere 2 MP. This webcam was quite small, as you can see.  My photos were quite blurry and with a lot of noise, even in broad daylight. 

I used it for quite a while, but only sporadically. I disliked its limitations, even though I was only a total noob. I felt I needed more than a point-and-shoot-a-blurred-photo camera, and didn’t keep much of the resulting shots once I upgraded. 

Here are its specs. 

On gear & editing

I’v heard many times that photography gear isn’t the most important aspect of a photographer’s expression, but I have to somewhat disagree. One can have lots of artistic yearnings, a great eye and talent, but if the camera is too basic, all the results would normally be quite basic. That isn’t to say that nothing can be used, but we do have limitations inherent to any particular model’s specs.