Macro Drops and Roses

Drops and Roses · 06:44 PM

Hey guys, I opted to buy some extension tubes instead of a macro lens for the time being and so far this is my handy work:

Feel free to critic and give advice! Once again, many thanks to those who contributed to my last thread.

Adam · 05-19-2010, 07:09 PM

I love the first and the last shots- they make for great abstract. How did you make that 'wintry' effect in the first one? A bit of PP? Or did the colors look like that straight out of the camera?

Praestigium · 05-19-2010, 09:09 PM

Yeah the first shot is definitely my favourite. That winter feel was from some PP yes, I gave it a slightly bluish tint, because that was the affect I was after, however I'll post the originals once I get back from work.

Thanks for the comment!

Praestigium · 05-19-2010, 11:54 PM

Here's the original, you can get an idea of the actual colouring:

JesseDavis · 05-20-2010, 11:56 AM

great job on the first one nailing the 'right' focus!

Praestigium · 05-20-2010, 10:34 PM

Originally posted by JesseDavis

great job on the first one nailing the 'right' focus!

Thanks! It was a bit of a challenge, passive body movements kept moving me in and out of focus, so I had to time my rocking back and forth to try and snag a good picture. Really should have just taken out of the tripod methinks >.<

JesseDavis · 05-21-2010, 05:55 AM

Macro (handheld) shooting is probably good sniper training, and vice versa. Sometimes I put the camera in burst and just fire away while holding my breath on the assumption that one of the shots will have the focus plane at a good depth.

Does using extension tubes give you better depth of field than you would expect from the set aperture? Or does it get even shallower? Is the effective aperture smaller than set as you move the lens away from the body?

Tubes are high on my shopping list you see.

Last edited by JesseDavis; 05-21-2010 at 06:22 AM.

Praestigium · 05-21-2010, 10:22 PM

Originally posted by JesseDavis

Macro (handheld) shooting is probably good sniper training, and vice versa. Sometimes I put the camera in burst and just fire away while holding my breath on the assumption that one of the shots will have the focus plane at a good depth.

Does using extension tubes give you better depth of field than you would expect from the set aperture? Or does it get even shallower? Is the effective aperture smaller than set as you move the lens away from the body?

Tubes are high on my shopping list you see.

It really depends on the brand you buy, I purchased the official Pentax brand and was informed that they were capable of much better quality pictures than the majority of cheap extension tubes which plagued ebay.

I really can't comment on the other types of extension tubes but I find the depth of field to be quite good, but the loss of light is definitely there albeit not drastic.

In my opinion, it won't hurt to buy them and experiment a bit, my set of 13/21/31 cost me $70AU and the results are better then what I expected, my one gripe would be having to move in quite close to my captures.

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05-19-2010, 07:09 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	I love the first and the last shots- they make for great abstract. How did you make that 'wintry' effect in the first one? A bit of PP? Or did the colors look like that straight out of the camera? Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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05-19-2010, 09:09 PM	#3
Praestigium Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 139 Original Poster	Yeah the first shot is definitely my favourite. That winter feel was from some PP yes, I gave it a slightly bluish tint, because that was the affect I was after, however I'll post the originals once I get back from work. Thanks for the comment!

05-19-2010, 11:54 PM	#4
Praestigium Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 139 Original Poster	Here's the original, you can get an idea of the actual colouring:

05-20-2010, 11:56 AM	#5
JesseDavis Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Yokohama Photos: Albums Posts: 180	great job on the first one nailing the 'right' focus!

05-20-2010, 10:34 PM	#6
Praestigium Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 139 Original Poster	Originally posted by JesseDavis great job on the first one nailing the 'right' focus! Thanks! It was a bit of a challenge, passive body movements kept moving me in and out of focus, so I had to time my rocking back and forth to try and snag a good picture. Really should have just taken out of the tripod methinks >.<

05-21-2010, 05:55 AM	#7
JesseDavis Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Yokohama Photos: Albums Posts: 180	Macro (handheld) shooting is probably good sniper training, and vice versa. Sometimes I put the camera in burst and just fire away while holding my breath on the assumption that one of the shots will have the focus plane at a good depth. Does using extension tubes give you better depth of field than you would expect from the set aperture? Or does it get even shallower? Is the effective aperture smaller than set as you move the lens away from the body? Tubes are high on my shopping list you see. Last edited by JesseDavis; 05-21-2010 at 06:22 AM.

05-21-2010, 10:22 PM	#8
Praestigium Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 139 Original Poster	Originally posted by JesseDavis Macro (handheld) shooting is probably good sniper training, and vice versa. Sometimes I put the camera in burst and just fire away while holding my breath on the assumption that one of the shots will have the focus plane at a good depth. Does using extension tubes give you better depth of field than you would expect from the set aperture? Or does it get even shallower? Is the effective aperture smaller than set as you move the lens away from the body? Tubes are high on my shopping list you see. It really depends on the brand you buy, I purchased the official Pentax brand and was informed that they were capable of much better quality pictures than the majority of cheap extension tubes which plagued ebay. I really can't comment on the other types of extension tubes but I find the depth of field to be quite good, but the loss of light is definitely there albeit not drastic. In my opinion, it won't hurt to buy them and experiment a bit, my set of 13/21/31 cost me $70AU and the results are better then what I expected, my one gripe would be having to move in quite close to my captures.