Question re: Digital Rebel XT and closeups

[radici]

I am extremely new to SLR cameras, so bear with me. I have a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a Sigma 28-300mm F3.5-6.3 DG Macro lens attached. My question is, how do I take close-ups .. like for example a picture of a photo? When I try to do such the camera/lens (as i said i'm new, bear with me) makes a clicking sound and no picture is taken. help? :confused:

[forno]

How close are you to the subject and what mode are you in?

[radici]

i'd say about a foot or so off, tried it in Auto M mode

[noyjimi]

You could be too close and the lens is not focusing, hence, the clicking. The minimum focusing distance for that lens is about 20", so guesstimate that from your forehead (ok, not really that far) to the subject.

I'll say, though, that you might be better off with a scanner to "copy" the photo... ;)

[24Peter]

Sounds like the camera isn't locking focus - hence the shutter won't operate. noyjimi got it right. You'll need to back off your subject or get a lens that has closer focusing.

[radici]

thanks, we talking something like an 18mm perhaps then?

[JTL]

thanks, we talking something like an 18mm perhaps then?
You can't go by focal length.

The stat you need to look at is the minimum focusing distance for any particular lens. The minimum focusing distance for your lens is 50cm (19.7 inches)...meaning you can't be any closer than 50cm and have the subject be in focus (and/or get a reliable focus-lock)...got it?

[cdifoto]

Minimum focus distance is a specification that varies from lens to lens. Macro lenses have closer focusing distances than a non-macro lens of the same focal length. There are non-macro or labelled-macro-but-not-really-macro lenses that would probably work for what you need to do.

Magnification is another factor. You need something with greater magnification to get something small to appear bigger. True macro lenses are 1:1, some not-so-macro-but-marketed-as-macro-anyway lenses are 1:2 or 1:2.5, sometimes even less.

You just have to look at lenses on a per-item basis to determine what you need.

[JTL]

Minimum focus distance is a specification that varies from lens to lens. Macro lenses have closer focusing distances than a non-macro lens of the same focal length. There are non-macro or labelled-macro-but-not-really-macro lenses that would probably work for what you need to do.

Magnification is another factor. You need something with greater magnification to get something small to appear bigger. True macro lenses are 1:1, some not-so-macro-but-marketed-as-macro-anyway lenses are 1:2 or 1:2.5, sometimes even less.

You just have to look at lenses on a per-item basis to determine what you need.Yeah...his lens is 1:3 mag and is 50cm mfd across the range...including at the "macro" setting. Hardly a "macro" at all. Just another example of more over-activity (being kind here :D ) at the Sigma marketing department...