New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

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mikemike
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New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

Post by mikemike »

I've never really been into inverts (except jumping spiders) as some of you may know (*Cough* Natalie), but once I started looking around my yard while being bored and not able to herp, I've started to realize the potential photography subjects just hangin' out. I've never taken to invert photography by any means, but I decided to give it a shot yesterday.

I shot these with a fully manual Nikkor 55mm Micro and a Nikon extension tube (both from 1969) mounted to a Nikon D7000, shot in M.
Lighting comes from a Sunpak PZ42XN hotshoe mounted flash, diffused with a homemade diffuser made from an empty Old Spice body wash bottle. (The ladies love it.)

Due to it being kind of cold yesterday, not a lot was out but some tiny beetles, ants, and some flies. Anyhow, here are a couple shots from my very first go at invert macro photography..

I have no idea what kind of fly(flies) they are...

Image
F/8
1/200
ISO 100

Image
F/8
1/125
ISO 200
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Natalie McNear
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Re: New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

Post by Natalie McNear »

Awesome... What sort of magnification are you getting with the extension tube? Is the 55mm lens a true macro to begin with? Thems are some pretty sharp photos.
mikemike
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Re: New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

Post by mikemike »

It's not a "true" 1:1 macro, which is why it was produced with the extension tube. With the extension tube and the lens, however, I'm getting approximately 1:1. With the straight lens, I'm getting 1:1.32 or something like that. I looked into it a while back by looking up the model and serial number of the lens and tube, I'm just too lazy to do it again. It's the exact same lens I shot the whole time you were here, I just don't use the extension tube with herps.

Everything is handheld, no VR, and no insane cropping either. Just a steady hand, a few shots to get the focus. I basically rest my focusing hand on the fence or wherever the subject is, use that to stabilize the lens (always at max magnification) and lean my body forward or back to control the focus, all the while, keeping the lens supported on my other hand (mere inches from the subject).

Flies have a tendency to, well, fly away, too.. it took quite a few to find some that wouldn't just bail upon even looking at them.
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Natalie McNear
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Re: New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

Post by Natalie McNear »

Sounds similar to how I usually shoot insects with my camera... I just set the lens to 1:1 magnification and focus by moving the entire camera. I figure it's good practice in case I ever want to get the 65 mm 1-5x macro lens. Haha, if you want to be super nerdy when photographing insects, you just capture them, put them in a small container or sandwich bag, and stick them in the fridge for half an hour or so. Makes them more photogenic. :D
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

Natalie McNear wrote:Sounds similar to how I usually shoot insects with my camera... I just set the lens to 1:1 magnification and focus by moving the entire camera.
I hope you're using a macro slider :-)
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Daniel D Dye
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Re: New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

Post by Daniel D Dye »

That's awesome work, Mike. Bringing the old and the new together is working well for you. :thumb: Which extension tube are you using with the 55mm?

Your fly is a Flesh Fly, Sarcophaga spp.

Daniel
mikemike
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Re: New camera, OLD macro, and no herps equals _____

Post by mikemike »

The extension tube is just an old Nikkor from right around the same time the lens was made. It had actually come with the macro when I picked it up recently. It doesn't say anything about size or anything else, however, so I don't know any of the technical details on it.
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