Getting ready for what they're now calling the "Spooky" season around here. In fact, the local Lowes store had Halloween decorations for sale in early September! 50-135mm.
leighton w wrote:
Getting ready for what they're now calling the "Spooky" season around here. In fact, the local Lowes store had Halloween decorations for sale in early September! 50-135mm.
Ronny, I really do not see what is to be gained by adding a micro lens when you get results like this bee with the 180mm and extension tubes. Super shot.
Ronny Olsson wrote:
Another one with a slightly better background
Andy, These giant ferns look just like the ones where I camped in Binna Burra Australia. They towered over my head, and the fiddleheads were as big as my hand and arm. In Michigan you can eat the much smaller fiddleheads, so I did wonder what they might taste like fried up in a pan. I was in a park and didn't want any trouble with the ranger, but it was tempting.
cadman342001 wrote:
As well as visiting the Chinese Friendship Garden the other day, I popped into the Botanic gardens again.
Being as Cairns is in the tropics and rainforest is abundant as well as the more manicured and arranges areas there are some rainforest glades that have paths and seasonal streams during the Wet Monsoon Season. The harsh overhead sun is mainly blocked out by the canopy in here but was peeking through in exactly the right place.
leighton w wrote:
Getting ready for what they're now calling the "Spooky" season around here. In fact, the local Lowes store had Halloween decorations for sale in early September! 50-135mm.
Are these with flash or direct sunlight ? Pretty harsh light either way in the 1st one, getting better as the series goes on.
If Direct sunlight, maybe try holding a small translucent reflector over the subject (although that can spook them). I know I'm teaching Grandma to suck eggs here as I recall your beautiful green metallic damsel fly and Stag beetle macro shots from years ago so please forgive me if I am.
See those 2 wings on the left in the background in the 1st shot ? Is that a Derbid planthopper I wonder? Not sure if you even get them in Sweden ? Here's one I took here in Cairns, crazy crazy creatures !
If I have to defend it a bit, as I wrote, the bug season is way over in Sweden.. if you see any remaining insects or dragonflies, they are sitting in the sun to warm up.. On Sunday the degrees didn't go above 50 Fahrenheit or 10c so now it starts it will really be autumn in Sweden
Enough about that, it's a good tip to use a translucent reflector
unfortunately nothing that I thought this day . exactly as you wrote .very bright harsh sunlight on the insects and spec on the robberfly fly with the prey .. had to take a few quick pictures then it fly away
the idea with the pictures was mostly to test how these 2 lenses worked with the extension tubes .. of course I remember a bit with 180mm , but it's been quite a while since I had it, I think 180mm works best for slightly larger insects and dragonflies, frogs, butterflies .. then it sometimes it's a bit much to use two tubes with fairly large light loss , especially for handheld photography which I use in 95% of my macro photography
and you don't win so much more against e.g. only 36mm or both 36+20mm as the closest focusing distance will still be quite far from the the motive with 180mm
I have no idea what the magnification will be ? on this lens or 105 f2.5
was still a little surprised how the 105 performed with the extension tubes .. certainly not as good as macro lenses but it's always fun to test .. looking forward to the next season to test a lot more
but you came pretty close with both extension tubes
I am bit rusty with MF as well, since lately I've almost only used AF .. but it's much easier with MF with sony body since you can do the focus magnification in the viewfinder. with the A7R III it is over 12x magnification and compared to the optical viewfinder that you had on the D700 .. of course you relied a lot on the green dot
That " Derbid planthopper " was a cool bug , nice shot
don't know if it exists in Sweden .. nothing I've seen anyway
James Markus wrote:
Ronny, I really do not see what is to be gained by adding a micro lens when you get results like this bee with the 180mm and extension tubes. Super shot.
Good eye! Love this shot. You had the perfect light
leighton w wrote:
Getting ready for what they're now calling the "Spooky" season around here. In fact, the local Lowes store had Halloween decorations for sale in early September! 50-135mm.
The stigma & stamen of a lily in a 17 image focus stack. 5DS-R, PB-4 bellows, micro-Nikkor 105mm f4 ais. Had to cut the vignette off by cropping a bit.
Sorry, didn't mean to be critical, I hope you took it in the way it was intended.
Much better light in this isn't it. It does take a while to get back into macro shooting doesn't it and yes, slim pickings perhaps in off season in Sweden, not a problem as much here in the Tropics but still get lots more bugs in the summer / Monsoon Season.
I always just put the lens at minimum focus and move the camera backwards and forwards for focusing.
I mentioned it because the way they hold their wings is very distinctive. Says in the link that they are widespread worldwide although much more common in the Tropical / sub-tropical regions of the globe.
James Markus wrote:
The stigma & stamen of a lily in a 17 image focus stack. 5DS-R, PB-4 bellows, micro-Nikkor 105mm f4 ais. Had to cut the vignette off by cropping a bit.
James Markus wrote:
Andy, These giant ferns look just like the ones where I camped in Binna Burra Australia. They towered over my head, and the fiddleheads were as big as my hand and arm. In Michigan you can eat the much smaller fiddleheads, so I did wonder what they might taste like fried up in a pan. I was in a park and didn't want any trouble with the ranger, but it was tempting.
Apart from the fact that that sounds weird, I can assure you that EVERYTHING in Nation Parks here is protected
And that's a direct quote I have seen online / on signs
(and Binna burra is part of Lamington NP which is also a World Heritage Area as well )
leighton w wrote:
Getting ready for what they're now calling the "Spooky" season around here. In fact, the local Lowes store had Halloween decorations for sale in early September! 50-135mm.
