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 p.1 #1 · Toadflax Brocade Moth (Calophasia lunula) (Printing Nikkor 150mm) (Part 1) | |
Most comments I make in this forum about the circumstances of my outdoor macro involve wind, rain, equipment failure, etc. It is very pleasing, therefore, to relate how circumstance brought together a number of factors to combine and make the last few days a huge success, with the prospects for this to be the case for much of the future.
1) I have been gradually developing my macro flash setup but the Canon 65mm lens to tripod rings (purchased 2 years ago) have been too loose or two tight for various lenses. With a small modification, these are a perfect fit for my latest lens, allowing two of my FL-300R (RC) (previously fill) flashes to be mounted on the lens barrel.
2) I have been using a Nikon Printing-Nikkor 105mm lens for additional detail at around 1:1. It required around 220mm extension, being a large format lens. It gives excellent results but the f11 I need for most macro is some way off its reputed performance . I bought that off Ebay, at a time when I was saving for a new PC, so I had to let the 150mm version, offered by the same seller get away.
Since then, I have learned that the 150mm version gives amazing performance at f11 (the minimum aperture on both lenses). I was out bit in a second attempt on Ebay, again because my funds were limited. The same seemed to have happened last month but, some considerable time after I was outbid, I was given a second chance (winning bidder backed out). To cut a long story short, the lens arrived last week, looking like it had just been made.
This lens weighs over 1kg, plus 200g off flash mounted on it, making it tiring to use. One additional feature is that the diaphragm can be moved in the barrel to be in optimum position for any magnification. It’s first use (adapter rings having arrived) was on this subject. (When I need to, I have a 62mm hood which fits, not used for the images posted here).
Both versions are fixed focus
3) Just when the lens was mountable (but flash rings not quite sorted) my wife led me out to a patio container to show me some caterpillars. They looked, at first glance like the large Cabbage White but closer examination showed then to be a rarity indeed (Red Data Book listed) and very photogenic.
http://ukmoths.org.uk/species/calophasia-lunula/
http://www.hantsmoths.org.uk/species/2223.php
(I would challenge the “well disguised” comment).
Ours were on Purple Toadflax Linaria purpurea, which self-sows itself in our garden every year. They were about 40mm long, clearly nearly mature although I saw two yesterday and one the day before.
My initial shots were at about the outer magnification limit of the high performance of the lens, to include the whole larva. Most shot were at 1:1 (2:1 with m4/3 crop), the absolute peak of its performance. On the first day I used my usual twin flash but on the second day I used the two barrel-mounted guns with the FL-50R in its usual position on the L-bracket, to provide additional illumination. The camera was on manual at 1/250 seconf and ISO 400. The lens was at f11. All were hand-held.
The final shots were taken just as rain set in, getting the barrel, but not the front element, wet .(Phew!).
So many good images were obtained that I will post them in two set of ten. The second set, which includes four triple-flash images, will be posted tomorrow. Some have been cropped and some have not.
Please allow for the fact that that this was my first use of a tricky and heavy lens to use and my judgment of focus is the main limiting factor.
This subject did not require venturing into the higher magnifications with this lens.
Harold
 © Harold Gough 2015
 © Harold Gough 2015
 © Harold Gough 2015
 © Harold Gough 2015
 © Harold Gough 2015
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