[baro-nite]

Finally got a reversing ring. Here are a couple with the Pentax-M 1:2.8 28mm on the Pentax Helicoid Extension Tube K at full extension, about 3:1.


Feather
14 image stack, uncropped


Snowmelt
crude 2 image stack, moderate crop

And just for fun, the same feather shot with the same rig on the Q, uncropped:

[crewl1]

Impressive! How many mm extension with the tube?

[baro-nite]

How many mm extension with the tube?

Not quite 50mm.

Edit: the helicoid tube has a range of 26.5mm to 46.5mm.

[baro-nite]

More with the M28/2.8. It's not the greatest lens for extreme macro, as it needs to be well stopped down to around f/8 to perform well, but it's my Single-in lens this month so I'm checking out what it can do. Just got a micro rail (macro rail with a micrometer head) from Hejnar Photo and here is my first stack with it:


Vinca minor
SMC Pentax-M 1:2.8 28mm reversed plus 30-some mm extension for 3:1 magnification. Lens at f/8.
60 shots stacked (PMax) in Zerene Stacker, each shot 100µm apart.
Touched up in GIMP to remove some dust spots (which became dust trails in the stack) and dodge and burn; didn't do a great job with lighting.
Original 4928x3264 pixel file cropped to 4000x3000 then resized for web.

[Nass]

Fun with moth scales. Was really just a tester having not stacked for a few months.

[baro-nite]

Sunset Moth by Johan J.Ingles-Le Nobel

Pretty reasonable for a tester! What a glorious thing is a Sunset Moth and especially so at this extreme magnification -- that is stunning detail. Having played around with various lenses reversed over the last month I'm feeling as though 3:1, maybe 4:1, is about the limit with ordinary camera lenses and typical DSLR pixel pitch. Maybe there are some lenses with sufficient resolution below f/4 for higher magnification, but unless they're 35mm or shorter the amount of extension needed becomes unwieldy. I suppose eventually I shall have to give microscope objectives a try. I wish some third-party manufacturer would duplicate the Canon MPE-65 for other mounts.

Not so extreme, here's the M28/2.8 again (not reversed):



M28/2.8 on the #2 manual tube, f/6.7, 14-shot stack.

[baro-nite]

Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), with multiple stigmas surrounded by immature anthers
As the anthers mature they move away from the center of the flower, reducing self-pollination I would guess
50% crop (K10D) from approx. 3:1 macro
SMC Pentax 1:3.5 28mm reversed on extension
24 shots stacked in Zerene Stacker and retouched

I nearly gave up because the wind was starting to pick up just as I was setting up, but this worked better than I was expecting.

[math guy]

Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), with multiple stigmas surrounded by immature anthers

Nice! Very good detail.

[baro-nite]

My only semi-decent macro shot. Taken with the Samsung version of the DFA 100 non-WR. Left the K-5 on P mode and let it do it's thing.

More than semi-decent -- excellent I'd say! Not only sharp where it needs to be, but also a pleasing composition with vivid color and good lighting. P mode is great, especially for FA and DA lenses that can take full advantage of it (MTF program line).

FYI, there's another macro thread that is for shots taken with true macro lenses, such as this one. This thread is actually for macro shots taken by other means, e.g. normal lenses on extension and/or reversed.

[GSiGuy]

More than semi-decent -- excellent I'd say! Not only sharp where it needs to be, but also a pleasing composition with vivid color and good lighting. P mode is great, especially for FA and DA lenses that can take full advantage of it (MTF program line).

FYI, there's another macro thread that is for shots taken with true macro lenses, such as this one. This thread is actually for macro shots taken by other means, e.g. normal lenses on extension and/or reversed.

My bad,,, should i remove it?

[baro-nite]

More Rue Anemone, this time at 10:1, only slightly cropped:




Nikon CF Plan 10x/0.30 on DA*200, K10D
75 shots stacked and retouched in Zerene Stacker
(This is a wild plant shot in the field)

100% crop from this stack:

[dadipentak]

Impressive, Jeff!

[repaap]

Cool work Baro-nite! Will have to get some more extension tubes for my self...lovely images.

[baro-nite]

Impressive, Jeff!

Cool work Baro-nite! Will have to get some more extension tubes for my self...lovely images.

I thank you both.

Here's a shot using the same microscope objective, this time with the M75-150 @150mm as the converging lens, so 7.5x magnification. It's moss, about which my ignorance is vast, so I can't identify the species, but I've had a suggestion it might be in the Mniaceae family.



48 shots stacked in Zerene Stacker, processed as DMap and retouched from originals

[krispy]

Me thinks I should join this club

My current setup is a reversed 50mm (either Pentax-M 50mm f1.7 of Olympus F.Zuiko 50mm f1.8) on a set of extension tubes and a 2x teleconverter... which looks like this:


As I don't have an external flash (yet), I pieced together a lighting rig something that actually gave me pretty good results:


Here are some results from the session above, which leads to a project I've called "Macro Economy"







The "Macro Tower" also works rather well on insects:






Hope you guys like!