I've had the Vivitar Series 1 105mm f/2.5 macro for a little over a week now, and I've got to say that it is one of my favorite photography "toys" to date! As echoed by others on this forum, it is one smooth and very nice lens, and for the money, the price to value ratio is just ridiculously good. I grabbed a couple of the "New, Old Stock" items from ebay and gave one to my son yesterday to use with his K100D... he's a very happy camper!

I am now completely hooked on macro!

Here's a few of my keepers. Comments and critique appreciated as this is all just an extremely fun "experiment" for me right now. I'd love to hear any suggestions for better technique or settings. I did notice that most of my shots are at ISO400. Is there a best ISO to use for flash?

All shots are hand-held (I'm seriously considering a tripod) and those at shutter speed of 1/180 were taken with the 540 flash.

Thanks for lookin'!

Crane fly "hangin' 4" from a hummingbird feeder
Exposure Time 1/180 sec , Aperture f/8 , ISO Equivalent 400


Crane fly crop


Harvestmen arthropod (Daddy Long Legs) hidden in the Butterfly Weed
Exposure Time 1/200 sec , Aperture f/8 , ISO Equivalent 400


Some kind of hopper on a salvia bloom
Exposure Time 1/180 sec , Aperture f/13 , ISO Equivalent 400


Hover Fly sipping some salvia... succulently
Exposure Time 1/180 sec, Aperture f/10, ISO Equivalent 200



Young Praying Mantis... preying
Exposure Time 1/800 sec , Aperture f/8 , ISO Equivalent 400


One mantis snacking... two watching
Exposure Time 1/180 sec , Aperture f/11 , ISO Equivalent 400


Mantis in Vivitar bokeh
Exposure Time 1/500 sec , Aperture f/4 , ISO Equivalent 200


Tiny, scary spider
Exposure Time 1/180 sec , Aperture f/11 , ISO Equivalent 400


Another spider, with some nice colors and contrast
Exposure Time 1/180 sec , Aperture f/13, ISO Equivalent 200


Hollyhock Weevils... making more Hollyhock Weevils. These little guys and gals are no more than 1/8 of an inch long. If you have hollyhocks, have a look... they're probably somewhere on the flower buds.
Exposure Time 1/180 sec , Aperture f/11 , ISO Equivalent 400

[Martynas]

Some very fine captures, liked number 6, 7, 8 best ,because of angle is not from above, and espacially that bokeh with bugs (number 6).

[Vertex Ninja]

I love the mantis shots. I walk my yard every day looking for one, but can never find them and here you've found 3 in close proximity to each other. Well done. Macro addiction seems to be spreading around the forum lately.

I love the Bokeh from this lens... so creamy.

[scott-devon]

Great shots, love the one of the small mantis contemplating the size of that fly....

[roy]

bud,
need another son?? just kidding. i've had my 105 for a couple of years now and i still love playing with it. your hopper above is a katydid. i just did a series of them. it'll get a lot bigger.. i don't think anyone needs to give you suggestions on your style. a couple of technique i can help with. i find getting the flash off camera gives a more modeled image. also i use a grip with the flash mounted on it to the side. for support get a 6' , 1/2'' rod that will slip thru your hand. you can put the end on the ground and hold it and the grip in your left hand. i was very surprised at how much this helps. here's one katydid shot.



LOVE the harvestman shot..

[HowLowCanYaGo]

These are absolutely gorgeous shots.

5 and 7 are top notch!

[Bud]

Some very fine captures, liked number 6, 7, 8 best ,because of angle is not from above, and espacially that bokeh with bugs (number 6).

Thank you. I am finding that different perspectives make for some interesting shots. I really like the bokeh of this lens.

Thanks for your comments!

Bud

[Bud]

I love the mantis shots. I walk my yard every day looking for one, but can never find them and here you've found 3 in close proximity to each other. Well done. Macro addiction seems to be spreading around the forum lately.

I love the Bokeh from this lens... so creamy.

The mantis shots are available most of the summer around here as we've used them for pest control for a few years now. I've never enjoyed having them as much as I do with a macro lens, though I purchase, at least, 10 egg cases every winter and put them out in late spring. When the temps warm up above 65 for 10 or more days, 100-200 tiny mantids emerge from each egg case. By the end of the summer, there may only be 5-10 adults left, but hey will have completed their assignment here, devouring aphids, mosquitoes, house flies, each other, and a variety of beetles and other garden pests.
Once bitten by the macro addiction, it's hard to shake, especially if you're a bug and nature freak like me!

Thanks for your comments.

Bud

[Bud]

Great shots, love the one of the small mantis contemplating the size of that fly....

Thank you. I watched the cat and mouse game between those two for about 3 minutes. The mantis would lunge, the fly would take off, circle and return to the same spot. The mantis never caught the fly, but he gained some good experience and the fly probably won't be so lucky the next time!

[Bud]

bud,
need another son?? just kidding. i've had my 105 for a couple of years now and i still love playing with it. your hopper above is a katydid. i just did a series of them. it'll get a lot bigger.. i don't think anyone needs to give you suggestions on your style. a couple of technique i can help with. i find getting the flash off camera gives a more modeled image. also i use a grip with the flash mounted on it to the side. for support get a 6' , 1/2'' rod that will slip thru your hand. you can put the end on the ground and hold it and the grip in your left hand. i was very surprised at how much this helps. here's one katydid shot.


LOVE the harvestman shot..

Roy,

Thanks for the comments, ID assist and suggestions! Your katdid shot is incredible! My son was over tonight and we had a little "Macro 101" and he's now concluded that he needs a 540 flash.
Together, we concluded that his summer job will pay for it

I've never had so much appreciation for the "Daddy Long Legs" I grew up with and so many of the other insects that were just garden bugs until they were blown up on a my computer screen.

This macro thing ROCKS!

[Heinrich Lohmann]

You have some very, very nice macros here Bud. Thanks for sharing,

Heinrich

[Bud]

These are absolutely gorgeous shots.

5 and 7 are top notch!

Thanks for the very nice comments!

As much as I like pulling out details with the flash, it's the non-flash, "creamy bokeh" shots that I really like, too, and the area I think I'll probably try to focus in the future. This lens does a nice job rendering the OOF backgrounds.

[Bud]

You have some very, very nice macros here Bud. Thanks for sharing,

Heinrich

Thank you for the very kind words... I really appreciate your compliment.

[jezuit 60]

Your Macro Shots Are Incredible, I Hope The Day Comes When I Can, Take Pics Half As Good As Those, . Regards Kc

[gpaual]

nice lens, some really good shots there........