[ultraviolet]

How are the dollar coins working out in Canada? People here in the US seem to resist the change and stick with paper money.

No choice, we have to. Smallest paper money is $5

[kheldour]

Although I'm not satisfied with the DOF, here is my very first insect macro

[stanislav]

[Jewelltrail]

I love chasing all butterflies, but see something extra special in the Monarch.

[8540tomg]

So many great shots above. Congrats to one and all.

I recently acquired an old AF080C ring flash and experimented with it the other day. Just some tools from my workshop in the basement. I'm still getting used to it but it seems to work fairly well with the 100mm macro.





Tom G

[Ash]

These are beautifully lit macro shots Tom.
What a nicely rendered and contrasting series of results - much better than what I expect, and what I get with the O-flash attachment.

[dadipentak]

These are beautifully lit macro shots Tom.
What a nicely rendered and contrasting series of results.

I agree.

[8540tomg]

Thanks Ash/Dave,

I was seldom happy with my macro shots in the past. By and large I just couldn't seem to find the right time or place for good natural lighting. Now I can carry my light wih me.

If nothing else it gives me an excuse to play around with my macro lens more frequently. That can't be a bad thing.

Tom G

[Digitalis]

more fun with Dragonflies on-the-wing and the Sigma 180mm f/3.5 - incidentally these were taken with manual focus, as an extra challenge.

I tried using flash but the results looked too artificial - no wing blur, so I eschewed the use of flash and stuck to available light.

I was also Participating in an Australian wildlife survey and got the opportunity to photograph an elusive Australian marsupial - the Antechinus
The Pentax AF160FC ringflash proved to be essential for photographing the Animals that were caught as apart of the survey.And The Pentax FA*200mm f/4 ED IF Macro which has a generous working distance was a great benefit as well.

[kheldour]

wow… these shots are great.

[Jewelltrail]

So many great shots above. Congrats to one and all.

I recently acquired an old AF080C ring flash and experimented with it the other day. Just some tools from my workshop in the basement. I'm still getting used to it but it seems to work fairly well with the 100mm macro.





Tom G

Tom:

Great display of the potential introduced with a ring flash to Macro IQ. I have been on the fence in acquiring a ring flash for the Tammy for a couple of years now, but something else always comes up which seems more pressing. One of these days.

Digitalis, great MFing on the dragonfly in midair--I understand how difficult that is to do--cudos.

[Ash]

Thanks for the fine contribution Digitalis. Quite spectacular rendition and clarity.
I've only been successful with landed varieties of the insect:

FA 100 f/2.8 macro:

[Digitalis]

I have been on the fence in acquiring a ring flash for the Tammy for a couple of years

It is a tough decision, for me I was looking at the unique quality of light ring-flash produces the PentaxAF160FC doesn't have the bells and whistles that the sigma,metz and canon units do but the quality of light it produces is what really sets it apart. With the long macro lenses I use it isn't quite as hard to fit lighting equipment in-between my subject and the camera, and the use of ring-flash is more of an aesthetic choice. But with short macro lenses around 50mm~100mm sometimes it is much harder to light a subject without things getting in the way of the subject and the lens, so ring-flash has a more practical rather than an aesthetic application in these scenarios.

[Penmacgal]

Thank you both that is nice to hear you liked them. I actually had plans on selling my Tamron macro since it was ages since I used it but I think I will reconsider that







Pentax K-5 + Tamron 90mm f2.8

Downfall,

If I ever got anything close to these images and never another, I would be completely happy.

They are beautiful, simply outstanding. Thanks so much for posting,

Sharon

[kheldour]

Three is a crowd.

Super-Tak 85 1.9 on 38mm macro tubes. f1:5.6, 1/400, ISO100 - handheld