Thread: Post your close encounters

Reversed lens - Im guessing you need an adaptor to be able to fit the lens onto the body, plus you loose auto focus etc etc - youll be working fully manual mode.

Originally Posted by Chucaro

Not yet Derek I am thinking in a Tamaron 180 macro or a Sigma 150.
I love the Nikons macro with VR but $$$$
An extetion tube in any of them will be a fantastic set-up with plenty reach.

I have the Sigma 150 and am pleased with it. I did contemplate the Nikkor 105 VR but I thought the reach of the 150 was a better option. It's also a very nice telephoto prime. The only downside I've found is that it has a smaller diameter front ring to my Nikkors and so I have to use a step down ring for any filters.

Originally Posted by stooge

Reversed lens - Im guessing you need an adaptor to be able to fit the lens onto the body, plus you loose auto focus etc etc - youll be working fully manual mode.

Yes, full manual mode - every things the wrong way round to talk to a camera. You screw an adaptor mount in to the lens' filter thread.

e.g. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-BR-2A-Reverse-ring-thread/dp/B00009R8RS]Amazon.com: Nikon BR-2A - Reverse ring Nikon F - 52 mm thread: Camera &…[/ame]

Originally Posted by dmdigital

I have the Sigma 150 and am pleased with it. I did contemplate the Nikkor 105 VR but I thought the reach of the 150 was a better option. It's also a very nice telephoto prime. The only downside I've found is that it has a smaller diameter front ring to my Nikkors and so I have to use a step down ring for any filters.

Now I got you If you have a macro lens then please star your contribution here

Have just bought a set of Camray macro adapter rings on EBay [from China]. There are four in the set - 1,2,4,times and a macro looks about 10x. All solid glass.

The photos are with the Macro lens. Haven't tried the others yet. Jees what a job to focus with the wind blowing and the subject not co-operating!

Any hints/comments would be appreciated.

Tony


Young Preying Mantis?


Hover Fly?

A tripod, ballhead and a focusing rail with screw adjustment are the ideal setup. Also an off camera flash with a softbox or a ring flash on the front of the lens will aid in pushing the aperture up to something more reasonable.

Wind is just a problem, though I have been known to tie down branches so they don't move.

Whilst this is directly aimed at marketing RRS equipment, they have some very good "how to" and equipment setup information on their site. This is the link to the Macro page: Really Right Stuff ... Closeup & Macro Photography

Keep posting mate, you will get better and better and thank you for sharing the images with us.

Your second image it is not a Hover fly, it is a Green Long Legged Fly I - Heteropsilopus or Sciapus sp.
Family Dolichopodidae

You can get a flash ring adapter in Oz HERE.

If you call macro adapter rings to a diopter I recomment to you to upgrade them to a double glass diopter like the Nikon and Canon models.

I do not use light on my images because I do not do macro photography, only close-up shots with the diopter.

I believe that only the Canon ones are available nor so the Canon 500 will be the option.

Diopters have a very shallow DOF, my Nikon 6T on the 70-300 lens only have about 4mm DOF !!

Also they work very well in lens 100mm and over.

I have the Canon 500D. If you are buying one get it from the USA as they are a lot cheaper over there (about 1/3 the price). They also come in large sizes (e.g. 77mm). The Nikon 6T is almost impossible to find now as it's been discontinued for some years. They do appear form time to time second hand.

These +2 diopter close up filters are designed for 70-300mm lenses and reduce the infinity focus of the lens down to a smaller range of about 500mm. As Arthur has said, very narrow DOF results as well. But this applies to any "macro" or close-up photography due to the fact you are so close there is a very small window of hyper-focal distance.

These two images are with the Canon 500D and 70-200mm f/2.8. Both are at 200mm.




For Arthur, these are using the Sigma 150 f/2.8 Macro.

Nice shots Derek, the 500D performs very well.