GardenersHelper
In Memoriam
- Messages
- 6,344
- Name
- Nick
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I am currently doing an exercise to explore the use of very small effective apertures to get greater depth of field than I can currently get with my close-up lens setups, with which I use f/45 full frame equivalent when photographing insects, spiders and other invertebrates. The eight images below used effective apertures varying between f/32 or so to f/132 full frame equivalent.
The first four images were captured with a Venus Optics KX800 twin flash mounted on a full frame Sony A7ii mirrorless camera, using a Laowa 25 mm macro lens set at f/22 to give effective apertures around f/72 to f/100 for the magnifications of 2.5X to 3.5X that I was using. Images 5,6 and 7 were captured with a Yongnuo twin flash front-mounted on a Sigma 105 mm macro lens with a 2X teleconverter on a Sony A7ii, with the aperture set to f/45 to give effective apertures up to f/132 at 2X magnification. (Image #7 used effective f/132. Images 5 and 6 probably used slightly larger apertures). Image 8 was captured with the Yongnuo flash front-mounted on an Canon MPE-65 on a Canon 70D APS-C dSLR with the lens set to f/16, to give an effective aperture no larger than 1/32, and probably much smaller. (As with images 5 and 6, I don't recall what magnification I used for image 8, so I can't work out the effective aperture for any of these images.)
The thinking behind the exercise and some of the issues involved in this approach are described in this post in my Journey Thread.
#1 These flies were quite small, I think around 3mm from head to the tip of the wings when folded back along the body. Some animals take their time when mating, but not these. It was quick, and they were moving around as well. I think I was rather lucky with this one. I didn't have time to reduce the magnification so I could get the subjects fully inside the frame.
1647 1 1642 13 2020_06_02 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02305_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-DNAIc-DNAI-PS-AISh by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#2 These long-legged flies were hyperactive, generally settling for only a few seconds. You have to be quick with these. The magnification and flash power (the KX800 is a manual flash) were set for the small flies and so it was tricky when one of these larger flies turned up briefly to get it completely inside the frame.
1647 2 1645 19 2020_06_01-05 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02444_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-DNAIc by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#3 The working distance of the Laowa 25mm macro is only 40mm or so. I was surprised that such a large subject as this hoverfly let me get that close, especially as they are quite jumpy.
1647 3 1642 16 2020_06_02 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02332_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-DNAIc-AISh2 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#4 This was another of the small flies. However, since it was grooming it stayed in one place for longer, making it possible to have a number of attempts.
1647 4 1645 23 2020_06_01-05 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02451_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-2DNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#5
1647 5 1644 01 2020_06_07 A7ii+2X+105 DSC02819_PLab3 SP9LR 1300hDNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#6 This Wasp beetle was in motion and quickly disappeared back into the foliage.
1647 6 1644 10 2020_06_07 A7ii+2X+105 DSC02835_PLab3 SP9LR 1300hDNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#7 This Cucumber spider was moving around as it worked on its prey.
1647 7 1644 15 2020_06_07 A7ii+2X+105 DSC02874_PLab3 SP9LR 1300hDNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#8
1647 8 1645 04 2020_06_01-05 70D+MPE-65 F16 IMG_8498 ISO100_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-2-DNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
The first four images were captured with a Venus Optics KX800 twin flash mounted on a full frame Sony A7ii mirrorless camera, using a Laowa 25 mm macro lens set at f/22 to give effective apertures around f/72 to f/100 for the magnifications of 2.5X to 3.5X that I was using. Images 5,6 and 7 were captured with a Yongnuo twin flash front-mounted on a Sigma 105 mm macro lens with a 2X teleconverter on a Sony A7ii, with the aperture set to f/45 to give effective apertures up to f/132 at 2X magnification. (Image #7 used effective f/132. Images 5 and 6 probably used slightly larger apertures). Image 8 was captured with the Yongnuo flash front-mounted on an Canon MPE-65 on a Canon 70D APS-C dSLR with the lens set to f/16, to give an effective aperture no larger than 1/32, and probably much smaller. (As with images 5 and 6, I don't recall what magnification I used for image 8, so I can't work out the effective aperture for any of these images.)
The thinking behind the exercise and some of the issues involved in this approach are described in this post in my Journey Thread.
#1 These flies were quite small, I think around 3mm from head to the tip of the wings when folded back along the body. Some animals take their time when mating, but not these. It was quick, and they were moving around as well. I think I was rather lucky with this one. I didn't have time to reduce the magnification so I could get the subjects fully inside the frame.
1647 1 1642 13 2020_06_02 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02305_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-DNAIc-DNAI-PS-AISh by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#2 These long-legged flies were hyperactive, generally settling for only a few seconds. You have to be quick with these. The magnification and flash power (the KX800 is a manual flash) were set for the small flies and so it was tricky when one of these larger flies turned up briefly to get it completely inside the frame.
1647 2 1645 19 2020_06_01-05 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02444_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-DNAIc by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#3 The working distance of the Laowa 25mm macro is only 40mm or so. I was surprised that such a large subject as this hoverfly let me get that close, especially as they are quite jumpy.
1647 3 1642 16 2020_06_02 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02332_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-DNAIc-AISh2 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#4 This was another of the small flies. However, since it was grooming it stayed in one place for longer, making it possible to have a number of attempts.
1647 4 1645 23 2020_06_01-05 A7ii+Laowa25 DSC02451_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-2DNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#5
1647 5 1644 01 2020_06_07 A7ii+2X+105 DSC02819_PLab3 SP9LR 1300hDNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#6 This Wasp beetle was in motion and quickly disappeared back into the foliage.
1647 6 1644 10 2020_06_07 A7ii+2X+105 DSC02835_PLab3 SP9LR 1300hDNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#7 This Cucumber spider was moving around as it worked on its prey.
1647 7 1644 15 2020_06_07 A7ii+2X+105 DSC02874_PLab3 SP9LR 1300hDNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
#8
1647 8 1645 04 2020_06_01-05 70D+MPE-65 F16 IMG_8498 ISO100_PLab3 SP9LR 1300h-2-DNAI-AIS by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
Last edited: