a-peer

<p>As long as you are willing to take a hit on crisp details the teleconvertor option will work. The better option would be buying extension tubes, a set of three - 36mm, 24mm, and 12mm). 12mm will get you ~1.2:1 magnification, 24mm will get you ~1.4:1 magnification, and the 36mm will get you in ~1.6:1 magnification. Stack all three and you'll achieve ~2.2:1 magnification. When using tubes you will take an illumination hit but you are photographing a static subject so strobe pulse duration isn't an issue. You'll probably need to open up aperture a stop or two, 2:1 on an APS-C I'd start at f/8 or so and see if diffraction is starting to eat into your details. Haven't shot jewelry so I'm not sure how far you can push it, maybe f/10 or f/11...</p> <p>The best option for maximum magnification and IQ is a 65mm macro lens, the MP-E 65mm. It's strictly for macro use, i.e. doesn't focus beyond ~4 inches. It has a native magnification of 1:1 through 5:1. It would allow you to fill the frame as much as you want and has excellent IQ. That said you will be limited to what you can fit in the frame, nothing larger than 22.2mm x 14.8mm. Then again if you have larger pieces the 60mm macro lens can handle those subjects. Cost maybe an issue with the lens, ~$1050 new. If it is tubes are your best option IQ wise. If you can justify the MP-E cost and your subject size(s) fit the magnification criteria it is the best IQ option and ease of use for capturing macros greater than 1:1 in the Canon system. </p>

<p>A Simple Column - This image was taken using a medicine dropper to disperse the water drop. The drop falls through a laser trigger which fires the camera at a user defined time. I have started experiment with food colors, paints, and thickening agents. This drop is clear water with xanthan gum. The hint of blue is from dye in the water pan from a previous session. With my simple setup I am able to capture water drop collisions but not on a consistent basis.<br> <br> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18201707-md.jpg" alt="" width="453" height="680" /></p>

<p>Walk the Line:<br> I was quite excited to share some images I took of a true bug on a daisy but the raw files aren’t quite what I expected. Seems like shooting f/16 at ~3:1 just doesn’t cut it in the detail and crispness department. I know better but I had to try…<br> Ladybirds are still plentiful in the fields near the bayou, so I’m using the abundance to fine tune my diffuser setup. So far so good and I hope the ladybirds are abundant for a few more weeks so I can work out the potential kinks with the new rig. <br /><br />Image specs: Canon 5D-3, MP-E 65mm @ ~3:1 - f/13 SS 1/200 - ISO100 - 600EX-RT with DiY Diffuser.<br> <br> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18201709-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" /></p>

<p>30D will fire the ML-3 at full output. There is no way to control flash output level other than diffusing the head(s), flagging the head(s), powering one of the tubes off, etc. You can "work" around this in camera with aperture selection and to a lesser extent ISO but in some (many) cases this will only take you so far. </p>

<p>Photographed a couple weeks ago in a water retention basin along the bayou. A simple sign that spring is on the way...<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18197135-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" /><br> <strong>Image Specs: 5D-3, 180mm Macro, f/5.6, SS 1/125, ISO100, Ambient light.</strong></p>

<p>Spring has sprung early in Texas. Insects of all sorts are showing up in the fields on the bayou. I found this wee weevil on Sunday morning on a weed stalk. It's ~ 5mm long. I enjoy shooting these as they are quite animated and full of details. <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18197107-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="680" /><br> <strong>Image Specs: 5D-3, MP-E 65m @ ~ 3:1m, f/13, SS 1/125, ISO 200, Flash with DIY diffuser - Square Compositional Crop </strong> </p>

<p>John Farrar - You are most welcome and you may regret letting me know your a botanist as I may pick you brain on plants I encounter in the field... Nice photo BTW, rude of me not to mention that earlier. Curious about the Palar 40mm f/2.8 enlarger lens you are using. I'm not familiar with it and a Google search results are coming up blank. Please tell me about this lens. </p>

<p>I found tiny hoppers on on weed stalks. At first glance, I thought they were odd colored seeds but upon viewing through the macro lens I recognized they were indeed hoppers, I believe immature candy stripped leafhoppers. I tried to use in camera focus bracketing with a wider aperture and faster shutter speed but there was a slight breeze that foiled my attempts so I settled for a slower shutter speed and smaller aperture. </p> <p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18194192-lg.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="700" /></p>

<p>Photographed Saturday morning in an open field along the bayou. Ladybirds are coming out early this year. I suspect our mild winter has something to do with their early arrival. <br> Shot with MP-E 65mm @ 4:1 on a full frame sensor with compositional crop.</p> <p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18194183-lg.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" /></p>

<p>@ John Farrar - the insect in your photograph is a male midge fly. Antennae plumage on these is quite beautiful when shot at higher magnifications, i.e. 2:1 or 3:1.</p>

<p >I am very fortunate to live a few hundred yards from a large urban park system. Much of the park is centered around a bayou and riparian forest. Since I was a child I have hiked the bayou trails and found solace in it’s natural offerings. It is my favorite place to photograph. Down on the edge of the bayou foot trails cut through forest. It’s a path less travel as many prefer the wider hiking and biking trails on the upper banks. The entire ecosphere is quite diverse given the fact it is located in the middle of a city. On Saturday, I noticed the Blue Bonnets were blooming early so I returned on Sunday with a proper lens to photograph one. </p> <p ><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18194166-lg.jpg" alt="" width="504" height="700" /></p>

<p>Accidental double post.</p>