[Purusam]

Hello guys,

I recentrly updated my k-7 for a k-5.

A also bought a macro light ring with adapters for defferent lens siezes.


And now for my questions

I would like to photograph insects in extreme close upp, and flowers.

What lens should i buy,

I have tought about buying this one

Pentax smc Pentax-D FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro Lens

Is that a good buy ?

What more do i need to photograph insects close upps, and extreme close ups.

If you have a pentax k-5 and some lens and have taken extreme closeupps of insects please post images, and write what equpment you have. im in a shopping spree.

Please exuse my english.

[enoeske]

I use a smc K 50mm f/1.4 with 12mm + 20mm + 36mm extension tubes. This gives me slightly more than 1:1 magnification. That 100mm you listed is a great lens but will only get you to 1:1. If you want extreme macro, you will have to modify it with some stuff to get more magnification out of it. A cheap m 28mm lens reversed on a that set of extension tubes above will be quite extreme.

You can browse my insect stuff here and my plant/flower stuff here

[Ubuntu_user]

Eric, very nice macros you've got there! I've been trying to find a good set of macro extension tubes (not the $10 ebay ones) but to no avail...

[Purusam]

That 100mm you listed is a great lens but will only get you to 1:1. If you want extreme macro, you will have to modify it with some stuff to get more magnification out of it

So what stuff should i modify it with i have extension tubes in different siezes, (cheap ones)

Your pictures are looking great.


What would be best the lens im talking about (Pentax-D FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro Lens )with extension tubes, or smc K 50mm f/1.4 with extension tubes ?

And if someone would buy new "extreme macro eqipment" what would you choose?

[Purusam]

A cheap m 28mm lens reversed on a that set of extension tubes above will be quite extreme.

Could you someone else explain this a little bit more too me. what equpment do i need for this ?

If someone could opost linka to the equipent i would be very happy., and im sorry for that fact im just a rookie. from sweden

[enoeske]

This is the kind of magnification you can get with a 28mm reversed on extension tubes.


Flickr: Thomas Shahan's Photostream

You say you already have extension tubes. Then you just need a 28mm and a reverse ring

You would stick the extension tubes on you camera, then snap on the reverse ring and screw on the 28mm lens backwards onto the reverse ring threads.

You will be able to get extreme macro shots, but you have to be about 1" from the subject

[tunarudi]

Hi,
You must read Closeups in Nature by John Shaw's. In this book clears up all your questions about the close up photography, including equipment matters.
I highly recomend you to check it up.
Some macros here tumerudi Photos - Snapixel
Good luck

[Purusam]

ly

You say you already have extension tubes. Then you just need a 28mm and a reverse ring

Ok thank you very mutch.

Just to confirm.

i need:

1 pentax k7
1 reverse ring
1 cheap 28 mm lens

?

If i do this with the pentax 100 mm pentax macro lens what would happend ?

[enoeske]

Ok thank you very mutch.

Just to confirm.

i need:

1 pentax k7
1 reverse ring
1 cheap 28 mm lens

?

If i do this with the pentax 100 mm pentax macro lens what would happend ?

Do you have the extension tubes? I have vivitar autoextension tubes, but any will do, even the cheap $12 ones. They are just spacers.

You won't get as much magnification with a 100mm reversed as you would with a 28mm reversed. If reversed, wider is better.

[LenWick]

I picked up the sigma 24mm 1.8 macro (it's not 1 to 1 though). The lens itself is heavy, but a nice range for walking around and then I can use it with a reversing ring to get shots like this one - as mentioned in other posts, the working distance is really short - .5 to 1.5 inches

[kryss]

Ok thank you very mutch.

Just to confirm.

i need:

1 pentax k7
1 reverse ring
1 cheap 28 mm lens

?

If i do this with the pentax 100 mm pentax macro lens what would happend ?

You need to be at least 10-20" away for macro insects,as they tend to fly/jump if too close + DOF is very very shallow at high Magnification.Macro photography can be frustrating but keep at it if you don't first succeed.I have been into macro for quite a number of years and your easiest route would be Pentax bellows + cheap, cheap enlarging lenses 50mm_80mm. or any brand 28mm on reversing ring. Good luck.

[kryss]

You need to be at least 10-20" away for macro insects,as they tend to fly/jump if too close + DOF is very very shallow at high Magnification.Macro photography can be frustrating but keep at it if you don't first succeed.I have been into macro for quite a number of years and your easiest route would be Pentax bellows + cheap, cheap enlarging lenses 50mm_80mm. or any brand 28mm on reversing ring. Good luck.

Here is what I would suggest.
Pentax M42 bellows.(you will be in full manual mode anyway)
Enlarging lenses are flat field (great)usually M39 thread.
M39 to M42 adapter (lots on Ebay)
Best thing about bellows is you can micro focus instead of moving back and forward if mounted on tripod which you will probably doing.
Also you may find remote release handy.

[JeffJS]

Ok thank you very mutch.

Just to confirm.

i need:

1 pentax k7
1 reverse ring
1 cheap 28 mm lens

?

If i do this with the pentax 100 mm pentax macro lens what would happend ?

The DFA100mm f2.8 WR macro does not have an aperture ring. So, first off, any shot you make with it, reversed, would be taken with the aperture stopped all the way down. That's not a bad thing but at f32, you're going to need a LOT of light. As to does it play well with a ring flash, Any shot here (see the exifs) where a flash is used, was done with the Pentax AF160..

Pentax DFA 100mm f2.8 WR - a set on Flickr

[gofour3]

I use the following and can get up to 6.7:1 magnification.
-K28/3.5
-Pentax Bellows K
-52mm reverse adapter

A sample picture is posted in my review of the K28/3.5.

Phil

[aliasant]

There are some things that might need some thought before throwing down the money.

Are you going to shoot live in nature or inside in a controlled enviroment?
Are you going to use a stand or freehand?
Are you going to use a flash or not?
Are you ok with the short distance like 1-2 inches from the subject or do you need distance not to frighten the critters ( and flowers... )


Personally I love to shoot fairly close without a stand but with a diffused flash or two. A big part for me is the actual hunt to get into a good position without scaring off the bug.

Here is one I shot using that method:
I used a Tamron SP 35-80 at 3.2 (i think 3.2) with a 21mm extension tube and a flash.


Heres another way that uses a Tokina 90mm f2.5 with a reversed Mamiya SX 55mm at f8.
This rig gives about 2:1 and for me that is about as large as I can go and still manage to take usable shots. Not possible to focus with the aparture open though so this needs plenty of surrounding light to be able to even see the subject.



Heres a shot of a small screw laying on a ruler using the above rig. The screw is about 2mm long.
I cropped the image and resized it to about 25% of the crop. Notice the very thin depth of field.

As you can see this isnt a great picture...... Getting a nice, smooth DOF is quite hard. Some use stacking to achieve greater DOF but I dont really have the patience for that. It also requires the use of a stand and a lot more work, both before the shot and after.
The critters will have flewn to another forest before I'm done with the setup



Heres another using the same setup.

This might have been a good shot if it had been a critter doing another critter... or something... but it at least shows the amount of detail at 2:1.
I marked it with the estimated sizes.


When you use a reversed lens on a bigger like this you have to use the aparture on the reversed lens. The 90mm in this case can be at 2.5 or maybe a little smaller but it wont do any difference to the DOF. It will however vignete if you use a to small aparture.