Macro Photo thread

[ddarno]

Not true macro, but couldn't think of an alternate thread.


Female Banded Damselfly by ddarno, on Flickr

[ExPat2B]

I managed to bag one of those, not the sharpest shot as I was carrying my son at the time. Used my 400mm with an extention tube like a big Macro lens. I was thinking of starting a separate thread, had some good success getting butterflies that are too easily spooked by true macro lenses. I want to try getting some bird headshots with insane levels of detail next !

Damselfly by natureiser, on Flickr

[JSS 911]

Who's watching who! by sinky 911, on Flickr

[Ed_P]

Blue Mason Bee in my garden today:

Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens)? by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr

[DibblyDobbler]

ExPat2B said:

I managed to bag one of those, not the sharpest shot as I was carrying my son at the time. Used my 400mm with an extention tube like a big Macro lens. I was thinking of starting a separate thread, had some good success getting butterflies that are too easily spooked by true macro lenses. I want to try getting some bird headshots with insane levels of detail next !

Damselfly by natureiser, on Flickr

Interesting! I have pondered trying this with my 400 - what size tube(s) did you use please? Was the above at minimum focus distance - and do you know what that was (with no tube it's around 11ft I think)? Thanks

[RobbieKB]

Ed_P said:

Blue Mason Bee in my garden today:

Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens)? by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr

[ddarno]

It's OK, I'll be back to my day job next week rather than spamming this thread


Ladybird by ddarno, on Flickr


Fly by ddarno, on Flickr


Blue-Tailed Damselfly by ddarno, on Flickr


Shield Bug by ddarno, on Flickr


Blue-tailed Damselfly by ddarno, on Flickr

Anyone know what this one is please? (full body shots on flickr to help with the ID)

Unknown Damsel Fly by ddarno, on Flickr


Blue-tailed Damselfly by ddarno, on Flickr


Fly by ddarno, on Flickr

[WelshChris]

Go easy on me here - my first decent (?) macro photo taken using a 50mm 2.8 Sigma macro lens bought from eBay for my other half to take close ups of flowers. This is a surprisingly sharp lens for the price, but I'm still honing my technique ;-) - camera is a D7000, and given that it was an older lens it needed chipping by Sigma to function - 37 quid and great service - lovely.

[JSS 911]

Speckled Bush Cricket by sinky 911, on Flickr

[ddarno]

Bee Wings by ddarno, on Flickr


Fly by ddarno, on Flickr

[ExPat2B]

DibblyDobbler said:

ExPat2B said:

I managed to bag one of those, not the sharpest shot as I was carrying my son at the time. Used my 400mm with an extention tube like a big Macro lens. I was thinking of starting a separate thread, had some good success getting butterflies that are too easily spooked by true macro lenses. I want to try getting some bird headshots with insane levels of detail next !

Damselfly by natureiser, on Flickr

Interesting! I have pondered trying this with my 400 - what size tube(s) did you use please? Was the above at minimum focus distance - and do you know what that was (with no tube it's around 11ft I think)? Thanks

Hi Dibbly. I did some tests today with tubes. Results are interesting, almost no loss of sharpness, only loss of effective aperture. :

Nikon 400mm 5.6 on Nikon D3200.

Minimum focus distance is 375cm with no tubes, to infinity. Magnification is approx. 1:10

With Nikon PN-1 tube of 50mm length added :

Minimum focus ( from front of lens ) is 190cm,
Max focus 405cm. Magnification is approx. 1:5.
Depth of field ( using lens aperture ) is approx. 1cm at f8, and approx. 5mm at f5.6.
Effective loss of light 1 stop.

With Nikon PN-1 and PN-2 and PN-3 and PN-4( 50mm + 55mm = total 105mm extention )
Minimum focus ( from front of lens ) is 142cm.
Magnification is approx. 1:2.8.
Depth of field ( using lens aperture ) is approx. 5mm at f8, and approx. 2.5mm at f5.6.
Effective loss of light 2 stops.

Conclusion : Very useful working distance and magnification for larger, more easily spooked insects like dragonflies and butterflys. Requires effective aperture of F11 and handheld shutter speed of 1/200 to 1/500 for optimum results so bright sunlight only for quality shots.

I will try it out in the field and hopefully post some shots soon.

[DibblyDobbler]

ExPat2B said:

DibblyDobbler said:

ExPat2B said:

I managed to bag one of those, not the sharpest shot as I was carrying my son at the time. Used my 400mm with an extention tube like a big Macro lens. I was thinking of starting a separate thread, had some good success getting butterflies that are too easily spooked by true macro lenses. I want to try getting some bird headshots with insane levels of detail next !

Damselfly by natureiser, on Flickr

Interesting! I have pondered trying this with my 400 - what size tube(s) did you use please? Was the above at minimum focus distance - and do you know what that was (with no tube it's around 11ft I think)? Thanks

Hi Dibbly. I did some tests today with tubes. Results are interesting, almost no loss of sharpness, only loss of effective aperture. :

Nikon 400mm 5.6 on Nikon D3200.

Minimum focus distance is 375cm with no tubes, to infinity. Magnification is approx. 1:10

With Nikon PN-1 tube of 50mm length added :

Minimum focus ( from front of lens ) is 190cm,
Max focus 405cm. Magnification is approx. 1:5.
Depth of field ( using lens aperture ) is approx. 1cm at f8, and approx. 5mm at f5.6.
Effective loss of light 1 stop.

With Nikon PN-1 and PN-2 and PN-3 and PN-4( 50mm + 55mm = total 105mm extention )
Minimum focus ( from front of lens ) is 142cm.
Magnification is approx. 1:2.8.
Depth of field ( using lens aperture ) is approx. 5mm at f8, and approx. 2.5mm at f5.6.
Effective loss of light 2 stops.

Conclusion : Very useful working distance and magnification for larger, more easily spooked insects like dragonflies and butterflys. Requires effective aperture of F11 and handheld shutter speed of 1/200 to 1/500 for optimum results so bright sunlight only for quality shots.

I will try it out in the field and hopefully post some shots soon.

Great info thanks! Certainly beats getting 3 inches away with the MPE-65 I will give this a go too.

[2seas]

I had my first ever go at macro today using some cheapo extension tubes and a nifty fifty lens. Does anyone know what this cool little guy is?

[RobbieKB]

2seas said:

I had my first ever go at macro today using some cheapo extension tubes and a nifty fifty lens. Does anyone know what this cool little guy is?

What a first shot!

[GravelBen]

Good stuff! I think its some kind of weevil.

[ExPat2B]

DibblyDobbler said:

ExPat2B said:

DibblyDobbler said:

ExPat2B said:

I managed to bag one of those, not the sharpest shot as I was carrying my son at the time. Used my 400mm with an extention tube like a big Macro lens. I was thinking of starting a separate thread, had some good success getting butterflies that are too easily spooked by true macro lenses. I want to try getting some bird headshots with insane levels of detail next !

Damselfly by natureiser, on Flickr

Interesting! I have pondered trying this with my 400 - what size tube(s) did you use please? Was the above at minimum focus distance - and do you know what that was (with no tube it's around 11ft I think)? Thanks

Hi Dibbly. I did some tests today with tubes. Results are interesting, almost no loss of sharpness, only loss of effective aperture. :

Nikon 400mm 5.6 on Nikon D3200.

Minimum focus distance is 375cm with no tubes, to infinity. Magnification is approx. 1:10

With Nikon PN-1 tube of 50mm length added :

Minimum focus ( from front of lens ) is 190cm,
Max focus 405cm. Magnification is approx. 1:5.
Depth of field ( using lens aperture ) is approx. 1cm at f8, and approx. 5mm at f5.6.
Effective loss of light 1 stop.

With Nikon PN-1 and PN-2 and PN-3 and PN-4( 50mm + 55mm = total 105mm extention )
Minimum focus ( from front of lens ) is 142cm.
Magnification is approx. 1:2.8.
Depth of field ( using lens aperture ) is approx. 5mm at f8, and approx. 2.5mm at f5.6.
Effective loss of light 2 stops.

Conclusion : Very useful working distance and magnification for larger, more easily spooked insects like dragonflies and butterflys. Requires effective aperture of F11 and handheld shutter speed of 1/200 to 1/500 for optimum results so bright sunlight only for quality shots.

I will try it out in the field and hopefully post some shots soon.

Great info thanks! Certainly beats getting 3 inches away with the MPE-65 I will give this a go too.

Not the best light today, I took these handheld at f5.6 and ISO 800, and 1/200 second with the 50mm extention tube. So from the tests I ran today, I know these could be a lot sharper and closer. In practice it was very effective with plenty of working distance.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/nveyx5]
Canada_Goose_Macro[/url] by natureiser, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/nMr1Gz]
Gosling_Macro[/url] by natureiser, on Flickr

[DibblyDobbler]

My first Damsel of the year, many more to come I hope



Brown Damselfly by Dibbly Dobbler, on Flickr

[JSS 911]

Two from my walk yesterday

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) by sinky 911, on Flickr

Common Lizard by sinky 911, on Flickr

[ddarno]

Blue-tailed Damselfly by ddarno, on Flickr

Still no idea what this green thing is.

Unknow Bug of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr


Bee by ddarno, on Flickr


Ant by ddarno, on Flickr


Hover Fly by ddarno, on Flickr

And a non-bug one to finish on.

Flower by ddarno, on Flickr

[nre]

A couple from the weekend

bee on hogweed 2 by NRE, on Flickr

damselflies mating by NRE, on Flickr