[MSD]

I love it when they do this

Hey, Tanner, past 3000 posts! Congratulations, and excellent work in setting up this thread. I hope to do some macro work now my half-yearly exams are over.

I'll keep watching for some more great shots from everyone. Some stunners here already.
Isn't it great to see the world past 1:1?

[LeGuillotine]

Hi again!

Some more, these are not artistic ones. This is baby jumping spider [Salticus scenius] eating some mite or tick. That log on picture is spruce tree needle.


LeGuillotine

[Stone G.]

Thanks for comments to my design.

Nice shots all of the above!
Thanks for the setup pics Stone and sample results, it's getting the wheels turning for me.

- sufficiently respectful distance to your spiders?

Amazing detail Stone.
Amazing sharpness you've gotten out of your setup.
Exemplary.

- I think quite some tribute should go to the S-M-C TAK. It is not without a cause that this particualr lens (and its SMC Pentax(-K) successor) have become legendary for their sharpness and resolution.

I wonder what would happen if you reversed the lens

This would/could make sense if you added extension tubes at the lens end to come closer to the subject and project a larger primary image further away from the lens. For very large magnifications this might well be a better approach - but my "mission" was to maintain a comfortable working distance and achieving increased magnification by the much smaller displacements required of the prime image relative to the eyepiece. Well, imaging combining both.....one might soon run into empty magnification where the combined lens+sensor resolution would no longer match the M-ratio achieved????? (Must try it out some day!)

[aliasant]

Thanks for comments to my design.



- sufficiently respectful distance to your spiders?



- I think quite some tribute should go to the S-M-C TAK. It is not without a cause that this particualr lens (and its SMC Pentax(-K) successor) have become legendary for their sharpness and resolution.



This would/could make sense if you added extension tubes at the lens end to come closer to the subject and project a larger primary image further away from the lens. For very large magnifications this might well be a better approach - but my "mission" was to maintain a comfortable working distance and achieving increased magnification by the much smaller displacements required of the prime image relative to the eyepiece. Well, imaging combining both.....one might soon run into empty magnification where the combined lens+sensor resolution would no longer match the M-ratio achieved????? (Must try it out some day!)

Nice setup Stone.

I cant help wondering over the DOF when using that kit?
Is there anyway we can get some sample shots taken of that ruler but from say a 45degree angle?

[jstevewhite]

Not sure who turned me on to it, but I think it was in this thread. The slip-on white diffuser that slips over the lens is my new favorite macro tool. I'm using an actual 100mm f2.8 Pentax macro... hope I'm not breaking the rules:










I'm working on sorting out the FA 35f2 reversed on my 100mm f2.8, but at that level of magnification, a tripod is a must. I've shot some images, but the DOF is so razor thing... stacking is nearly a requirement.

I'll have to get out my tripod and macro stage and give it a shot. I can't seem to get good enough alignment for focus stacks hand-held.

[LeGuillotine]

One more. (stop me if I'm flooding)

This is taken with M 40-80 @16? with 68mm extension. I like this combo. I have to take some test shots to solve magnifications. Normally 40-80 has "macro" position where You can slide the barrel from 1:10 up to 1:4. I dont no what it is with those extensions.
It makes acceptable pics:

[yeatzee]

Crop:



~95 images stacked, El-nikkor 50mm F/2.8 on tubes @ F/5.6. VERY sharp

[jstevewhite]

Crop:



~95 images stacked, El-nikkor 50mm F/2.8 on tubes @ F/5.6. VERY sharp

You're shooting dead critters there, right? Not live ones?

I can get a couple images to stack handheld below 2:1, but @3:1 I have a hard time getting live critters IN FOCUS . Workin' out in the backyard with the macro stage and the 100<->35 for 3:1, and breezes I couldn't FEEL would move stuff out of field. Advice?

[crewl1]

Thanks for comments to my design.

- sufficiently respectful distance to your spiders?

Oh yes, I like the personal space this provides

[crewl1]

Yeatzee can you show us a picture of your setup with the stage? I'm wondering how it works.

[crewl1]

Jstevewhite, glad the diffuser is working for you. The shots look great. Are you using camera flash or external?

[jstevewhite]

Jstevewhite, glad the diffuser is working for you. The shots look great. Are you using camera flash or external?

That's the built-in flash; it works very well for close-up if you can just get the light to the subject. I used my fiber-optic rig with it for a while and it worked well. I may revisit that solution at some point. I've also considered making a foil-lined tube that would attach to it and pipe the flash to a diffuser just above the lens. I'll report back if anything comes of that.

[yeatzee]

You're shooting dead critters there, right? Not live ones?

I can get a couple images to stack handheld below 2:1, but @3:1 I have a hard time getting live critters IN FOCUS . Workin' out in the backyard with the macro stage and the 100<->35 for 3:1, and breezes I couldn't FEEL would move stuff out of field. Advice?

Of course. An image with that level of detail would otherwise be impossible. Believe me, that does not make it easy by anymeans.....

For field stacks at that magnification with any form of breeze I either move the subject to a better place or find a way to hold the branch or whatever its on steady.

Yeatzee can you show us a picture of your setup with the stage? I'm wondering how it works.

Im about two hours away from home..... look up newport 420 linear stage and you'll see exactly what I use. Tripod attached to the bottom and camera ontop.

[Stone G.]

Nice setup Stone.

I cant help wondering over the DOF when using that kit?
Is there anyway we can get some sample shots taken of that ruler but from say a 45degree angle?

Sure thing aliasant - shall do as soon as I am back home. However, I do expect that I shall be using CombineZM (: stacking) extensively in conjunction with this technique...........

[newarts]

Of course. An image with that level of detail would otherwise be impossible. Believe me, that does not make it easy by anymeans.....

For field stacks at that magnification with any form of breeze I either move the subject to a better place or find a way to hold the branch or whatever its on steady.



Im about two hours away from home..... look up newport 420 linear stage and you'll see exactly what I use. Tripod attached to the bottom and camera ontop.

Have you tried a motor drive on the stage? It seems to me a clock motor setup might have low enough vibration so you could automate the process; just turn on the drive & shoot a pic at regular time intervals.

A rubber tube coupling the motor shaft to the micrometer shaft might be ok.

On the other hand what you are doing is not a lot of effort I guess but automation might free you up to do other things while the stacks are being generated.