count_chocula

<p>Thanks for everyone's great responses. @Edward - yep, I do take most macro shots to blur the background as you mention. And yes, now I'm looking to do something a little different.</p> <p>Regarding adding extension tubes to a wide-angle lens: wouldn't that effectively change the focal length, thereby reducing the angle of view (AOV), and thus kind of compromising the whole point of this exercise, ie macro + wide angle background?</p> <p>I wonder if there might be other creative solutions that could involve multiple lenses, even multiple cameras, stitching together images digitally...</p>

<p>Thanks for your replies, Jos & Paul. Sounds like this will be a project; I'll keep my eyes open for some of these suggested solutions, and I'll keep thinking creatively.<br> <br /> It does seem that there's a 40mm Nikkor (http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Camera-Lenses/AF-S-DX-Micro-NIKKOR-40mm-f%252F2.8G.html), but I wouldn't really call that "wide angle". It'd be nice to find something around 18mm or so.<br /> <br /> Regarding the foreshortening of the maximum focus distance, do you mean that, with wide angle lenses, they'll have a hard time focusing at infinity, when also focusing up close? If so, and especially given that f32 might lead to diffraction and hence blurry macros, do you think DOF image stacking might be an option? Just snap one pic focused up close, and another far away? And if SLR's aren't the way to go here, i really like canon point and shoots for their ability to run the CHDK firmware that you can program to do things like DOF stacking. Don't know if there's a canon that would fit the bill though.</p>

<p>Hi Folks,<br> <br />I take macro pics of insects, fungi, etc in tropical forests whenever I get the chance. I have a Nikon D7000, 105mm Nikkor Macro, a not-much-used Gitzo carbon fiber explorer tripod, and am about to pick up an R1 flash setup (since I'm not using the tripod much). But...<br> <br />I've been really wanting to expand my macro shots. Instead of just focusing on a small subject to the exclusion of everything else, I've been wanting to include more of its surroundings, while not losing the macro nature of the shot (i.e. keep the small subject up close and in focus, though perhaps not quite as up close as before). I imagine, for example, a shot of an insect on a leaf, where you can really see the insect quite well, but you also get the rainforest and big trees in the background, and perhaps in focus as well.</p> <p>This is obviously not an easy shot to pull off (hence my query here). It involves a combination of up-close focus, relatively wide angle, and large DOF. What do you think the most likely way to pull this off would be?</p> <p>Are there any wide-angle lenses that allow very close focusing, and also allow a very small aperture to increase DOF? Another option might be extreme DOF stacking.</p> <p>Any thoughts would be much appreciated!</p> <p>Thanks,<br> Allie</p>

<p>Hi Folks,</p> <p>I'm looking for a tiny circular fisheye camera that i can attach to a pole to take pictures up in a tropical forest canopy. It's for scientific purposes. I saw the "Little Cyclops", but it's all sold out. Not sure, but I think it might use a CCTV lens? Anyway, if any has any leads on suppliers for a tiny fisheye, I'd be very grateful!</p> <p>thanks!</p>