[photo] hoverfly macro

* Annika1980 wrote :
On Jul 13, 2:38Â*am, Troy Piggins wrote:

PS - I'm currently in the final negotiations of aquiring the
Canon MP-E 65 1-5x macro lens. Â*Had my eye on it since I started
shooting macro, but been waiting for the right deal to come
along. Â*It's a very specialised piece of glass - can't focus to
infinity, only shoots 1:1 to 5:1 range. Â*Very sharp. Â*Just need
to hide it from fiance until after the wedding is paid for... Â*

Sweet shot! So when's the big date?

October.

P.S. Make offer.

On the lens? Done. It's on its way.

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Helen wrote :
On Jul 12, 11:11Â*pm, Troy Piggins wrote:
[---=| Quote block shrinked by t-prot: 22 lines snipped |=---]
the white balance for this shot.

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?album 08_07_12&imgotos/2008_07...

Make sure you look at the larger size image to view the mystical
properties of the... yadayada Â*

I didn't find the blade of grass bothersome at all, it actually adds
to the pic.
Excellent work Troy.
Let your fiance buy something she really wants and you get that lens.
Consider it wedding gifts to each other. :0)
Helen

Thanks Helen

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Alan Browne wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
This is the closest and sharpest I've captured a hoverfly. I
love these insects, but haven't been able to get that close to
them. Taken at close to 2:1 mag with 100mm macro lens and 68mm
extension tubes. I've been using the tubes a lot lately. To
date I had been using just the bare macro lens to get comfortable
at 1:1 shooting. Decided it's time to practise with the tubes
now.

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...2/img_8539.jpg

Make sure you look at the larger size image to view the mystical
properties of the... yadayada

!! Sharp !!

Great image.

THanks Alan.

I note also the little whitish stub just ahead of the rear leg. This
little 'pendulum' vibrates in flight to act as a stabilizer. (Learned
this recently when looking up some details on mosquitoes)

Yeah, it's fascinating see these sort of details you would
normally miss with the naked eye, isn't it? I love it.

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Paul Furman wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
* Colin.D wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:

Do you have the expensive tubes with the pass-through electronic
connections? If not, how do you manage DoF and exposure with the lens
always wide open?

G'day Colin. Not sure what your definition of "expensive tubes"
is. Mine were about AU$130 IIRC, Kenko brand. There are other
brands similar - Jessops. They do have elec connectors and allow
me to set the lens aperture. There are also expensive Canon
brand ones, but the Kenko ones do fine for me.

I have read that if you have the kind that don't do that, you can
mount the lens on camera without the tubes on, set the aperture
you want, press and hold the depth of field preview button and
remove the lens while held down, mount tubes, re-mount lens and
it'll stay at the previous aperture. Never tried it, no idea if
that works.

I'd rather pay hundred bucks or so and get the ones like mine.


I've got an old Nikon E2 (15mm) extension tube with a plunger that can
be used to open the aperture for focusing with old lenses and used to
stop down new 'G' lenses that lack an aperture ring. There's threading
on the plunger & I got some nuts & bolts to make it adjustable for the
new lenses on a bellows. The 85mm T/S lens has a similar button when
released it lets you focus wide open, pressing it stops down to what the
aperture ring says. It actually has electronics to report the aperture
but metering needs to be done stopped down & untilted. Not as tough as
it sounds, actually.

BTW, I've enjoyed you macro shots & thanks for the technical background.
This hoverfly: I'm not fond of black backgrounds, otherwise I like!

Thanks Paul.

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Rita Berkowitz wrote :
Colin.D wrote:

Ok Troy, thanks for the info. I've seen both versions of the Kenko
tubes, with and without the pass-through electrics, and I have read
about that method of pre-setting the aperture, but I would rather be
able to set the aperture at will. Last price I saw was on TradeMe, a
Kiwi auction site, about $40 for the non-electric, and about $240 for
the good ones. I gotta do it someday!

The Kenko tubes with the electronics aren't bad. They are a bit flimsy
compared to their Canon/Nikon counterparts but they are cheap as hell. I
got a set that I use from time-to-time and you can notice a bit of play when
using a heavy lens. They are still worth the money.

Mine are pretty tight but I don't put big, heavy lenses on them.

BTW Excellent shot, Troy.

Thanks Rita.

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Moose & Squirrel wrote :
Alan Browne wrote:
Troy Piggins wrote:

This is the closest and sharpest I've captured a hoverfly. I
love these insects, but haven't been able to get that close to
them. Taken at close to 2:1 mag with 100mm macro lens and 68mm
extension tubes. I've been using the tubes a lot lately. To
date I had been using just the bare macro lens to get comfortable
at 1:1 shooting. Decided it's time to practise with the tubes
now.

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...2/img_8539.jpg

Make sure you look at the larger size image to view the mystical
properties of the... yadayada

!! Sharp !!

Great image.

I note also the little whitish stub just ahead of the rear leg. This
little 'pendulum' vibrates in flight to act as a stabilizer. (Learned
this recently when looking up some details on mosquitoes)

It also has what appears to be threading, like that of a spiders weblike
material on the underside of its resting place... Very sharp indeed!

- JT
Tony did an excellent job in capturing this one

Thanks mate

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Annika1980 wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:

Sweet shot! *So when's the big date?

October.

You're in luck! D-Mac has that whole month clear on his schedule
(November - September as well) and he works dirt cheap. Give him a
call and tell him I sent ya.

****. I should have seen that coming when you asked that
question...

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

Troy Piggins wrote:


That just too cool, Troy. Awesome. Only critique is when are you going
to show us how you do it.

Russell

"Helen" wrote in message
...
Let your fiance buy something she really wants and you get that lens.
Consider it wedding gifts to each other. :0)

He probably already spent more than that on the engagement ring.
How would you suggest he gets her to pay for the lens though? :-)

MrT.

* Russell D. wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:


That just too cool, Troy. Awesome. Only critique is when are you going
to show us how you do it.

Russell

Thanks mate. Thought the gear and settings was pretty
self-explanatory in my first post. Ok. I'll see if I can get
some shots of my current rig[1] this weekend. It's nothing
special. Just a macro lens, extension tubes and off-camera flash
with diffuser.

[1] Calling it a "rig" makes it sound cool, hey?

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.