harold_gough

<p>I also have a camera (Olympus) with sensor cleaning but the kind of sticky bits from the natural environment don't shake free and a clean once or twice a year is required. It will depend on where you change lenses.</p>

<p>To respond to the question of how users get on with m4/3:<br> I started of with an Olympus EP-2. Although capable of good images, it was an appalling camera to use. In fact when my EM-1 was away for repair, I picked up the EP-2 and just couldn't understand how to use it. That rear screen was awful anyway and I could not use both the hot shoe VF-2 and flash at the same time, hopeless for macro.<br> These things were overcome with the EM-1, plus it used RC flash, my normal use being off-camera. I welcome the stop-smaller aperture effect for macro. Even down at effective aperture of f22 and f32, any diffraction is difficult to see and is easily removed by software. I have no interest in updating to EM-1ii.<br> I have a full frame Sony A7R which will make good use of my heritage wide and ultra-wide angle lenses and my full frame 1:1 Printing Nikkor 105mm macro. (I am considering a Laowa 12mm with shift, which will give 24mm with shift on m4/3).<br> I am not a shallow DOF enthusiast, wide-angle work being mainly buildings and landscapes.</p> <p> </p>

<p>I have a couple of Nissin di700a flash guns and the Air Command unit. They work very well TTL with my A7 (i) off camera e.g. for macro. Each has a drop down diffusion grid which does a good job.</p>

<p>Here is the setup (flash and camera excluded) I am now using for such close shots:<br /><br /><br> <img src="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/92/1404292.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="471" /></p>

<p>Yes, it's tempting to do something colourful via photoshop.</p>

<p>Here is one of the moth flies, FOV ca 4mm wide.<br> <img src="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/87/1401687.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1014" /></p>

<p>I shot these in the recent cold weather. I was testing my first high magnification macro setup with full aperture focusing.<br> I wanted to improve on some recent shots of Mothflies which live in my compost bin. I was using my EM-1 with an Olympus 4/3 50mm f2 with the a matched x2TC behind it and a Raynox MSN-202 (25 diopters) on the front. The effective aperture was f18 (f9 on the lens). The FOV was 5mm wide. Hand-held with some support.</p> <p>I like to use triple flash but I struggled to get a second one aimed well enough.</p> <p>As I was about to lift the lid off the bin, I noticed what I though were two extra large, slightly dark Mothflies on top of it. It was only when I saw the first one in the viewfinder that I realised that they were Heteropteran bugs. And it was not until I saw the first flash-lit image that I was the colours.</p> <p>As with the Mothflies, I could not get the low angles I wanted because of the shape of the top of the bin. However, this shows how little DOF was available at f18.</p> <p><img src="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/83/1403483.jpg?ts=1484080541" alt="" width="1024" height="666" /></p>

<p>Try pressing the Info button until you get several of your settings displayed. There should then be a number in the extreme bottom right, which is the number of shots left. Check by firing a waste shot and it should decrease by 1.</p>

<p>Here is a closer shot.<br> <img src="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/97/1365897.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="812" /></p>

<p>In October I bought (£180, a low price for this) an Olympus 4/3 Digital 50mm f2 ED macro. I did this based on its reputation. I already had a 4/3 to m4/3 adapter for use with an OM to 4/3 adapter and OM lenses.<br> I have been using it for moderate macro (life size with m4/3 crop) and it at least matched the Kiron (Lester Dine) 105 I had found to give superb results (better than OM 50mm macro and Leitz Elmarit 60mm macro, etc.). It is equally good with 43/ TCs, although I have only recently started using them. I also have a 4/3 25mm extension tube. These are some of the lower power shots.<img src="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/98/1363798.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /><img src="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/97/1364697.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /><br> <img src="http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles/34/1365134.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="1227" /></p> <p> </p>

<p>The shorter registration distance gives enormous scope for using legacy lenses and that includes e.g. enlarging or copying lenses.</p>

<p>I have just be advised, in another Olympus forum, that the Olympus 4/3 70-300 was a modified Sigma full frame macro lens.</p>

<p>Here are a couple of shots, for my own satisfaction, and not to prove anything to anyone else. They were both handheld at 300mm (maximum aperture) and a proper test would have used a tripod. One is of a house across the road and another at about 8 feet, inside a sunlit window.<br> I have a system x 1.4 TC, should I want to use a smaller aperture.<br> Having seen what the 50mm would do, I tried the 70-300mm. That is all there is to it.<br> The images are uncropped and have had no in-camera adjustments. I have processed them as I would any other "keeper" images. (My images are currently only for posting on websites). These are hosted by this blog.<br> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18310579-sm.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="133" /></p> <p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18310580-sm.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="133" /></p>