Macro Photo thread

[ExPat2B]

Can't decide if I like this one............is the background bokeh too busy ? The perch too intrusive ?

Broad_Bodied_Chaser by Nature Ist, on Flickr

[DibblyDobbler]

Common Blue Damselfly by Mike Smith, on Flickr

[Killwilly]

Nice shot Mike. With results like that, I'm not quite sure why you have become disillusioned with the MP 65.

[DibblyDobbler]

Killwilly said:

Nice shot Mike. With results like that, I'm not quite sure why you have become disillusioned with the MP 65.

Thanks. Yes your point is a good one! I have been finding the combination of FF camera body + MPE65 + MT24ex flash (with extra extenders + diffusers) to be a ruddy faff but I got the above with a 100D + MPE + bit of kitchen roll over the pop-up flash and it appears to work quite well! So I think the Mt24 is for the chop (and maybe even the 6D eventually) but I'll probably hang onto the MPE

Incidentally - I discovered 'live view' works very well for getting the shot sharp and composed when poking about in the undergrowth, is this something you lot do all the time? I've been using the viewfinder which can be very awkward and I can't for the life of me think why I haven't tried live view before!

[ddarno]

Been very quite on the dragon fly front this year so far.

Common Darter Dragonfly by David Arnold, on Flickr


Hoverfly - Episyrphus balteatus by David Arnold, on Flickr


Hoverfly - Episyrphus balteatus by David Arnold, on Flickr

[DibblyDobbler]

Bombus pratorum by Mike Smith, on Flickr

[DibblyDobbler]

I've been boring the ar$es off the macro boys over on Talk Photography - here's a snippet in case of interest...


The below is the best shot I could get with the Tamron 16-300 + Raynox 150 versus an MPE shot. The lighting isn't great but it's just my popup flash with bolt on diffuser thing (ie nothing very fancy).

(For info I also took a few shots with the Raynox on my 24-105 - they were ok but a lot less mag (about half) so not really worth posting)

MPE-65 v Raynox150 + Superzoom by Mike Smith, on Flickr

Sadly the conclusion has to be that it's a comfortable win for the MPE when you look at some of the finer detail - I am also coming to the realisation that I'm never going to get great lighting with popup flash and a simple little diffuser.

So I think the dream is over! You just can't get great macro results with Tamron 16-300 + Raynox lit with a popup flash and cheapo diffuser. (Do I hear cries of 'No $hit Sherlock' ringing in my ears?!).

So time for a new dream I think:

Going to pick up a Tamron 60mm f2 and also work on my MT24-ex diffusion to see if I can get anywhere near some of the work I am seeing on here. If the Tamron works well on my crop body I may well get rid of the MPE as part of a general downsizing drive (I may also get rid of the 6D and some of my L lenses).

More in due course - comments welcome

[madbadger]

Had to crop this down to 5% size.

[DibblyDobbler]

Fly Macro (Explored) by Mike Smith, on Flickr

[ddarno]

Had forgotten how much hard work the MPE can be to use...

Wasp by David Arnold, on Flickr


Southern Hawker Dragonfly by David Arnold, on Flickr

Always remember to smile when having your photo taken...

Common Darter Dragonfly by David Arnold, on Flickr

[Ed_P]

Leafcutter bee doing what it says on the tin ...

Leafcutter Bee (f) by Ed Phillips, on Flickr

[Ed_P]

My current setup with the MP-E lens and MT24-EX Twin-Lite flash ...

Twin-Lite Flash Diffusion by Ed Phillips, on Flickr

[JSS 911]

Skipper by John, on Flickr

[toasty]

A few from the garden today with the 100mm 2.8L


Honeybee on Lavender by Jason Cross, on Flickr


Greenbottle by Jason Cross, on Flickr


Gatekeeper Butterfly by Jason Cross, on Flickr


Messy Eater by Jason Cross, on Flickr

[dinkel]

Ed_P said:

My current setup with the MP-E lens and MT24-EX Twin-Lite flash ...

Twin-Lite Flash Diffusion by Ed Phillips, on Flickr

Good to see what hitech kits are going on. Cool.

[ExPat2B]

Currently a bit stuck trying to identify this insect...I though it was a bee fly, but having spent an hour looking at bee fly pictures, I can't match it to any of them, it doesn't seem hairy enough, the abdomen is not banded, and it has a retractable proboscis with two "horns" on the front...


Bee_Fly2 by Nature Ist, on Flickr

Bee_Fly1 by Nature Ist, on Flickr

[DibblyDobbler]

Giant Tachinid fly perhaps ?

[nre]

Wasp emerging from a pear.

wasp by Nigel, on Flickr

[Ed_P]

DibblyDobbler said:

Giant Tachinid fly perhaps ?

Yes, looks like a tachinid fly of some sort.

[ddarno]

Hoverfly - Eupeodes by David Arnold, on Flickr


Emerald Damselfly by David Arnold, on Flickr