Steady shooting
Avoiding camera shake is critical when using a macro lens for close ups. To avert this, I use my Nikon’s Exposure Delay Mode. Speaking of which, I use a remote shutter release to avoid jolting the camera body as the shutter is pressed, or use the self-timer option. A sturdy tripod is a given. One thing I had to change was the tripod’s quick-release plate that attached to my D800E. The rotating pin didn’t seem to have anything to locate into and so its stability relied on how tightly it was screwed into the camera’s base. This wasn’t enough to stop the camera from slipping under gravity when positioned at certain angles. The solution was to invest in the Arca-swiss system of a base plate for the camera and a clamp for the tripod head.