Small Crane fly at night

GardenersHelper

GardenersHelper

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Nick
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I went out this evening to test my G5 with Olympus 60mm macro and extension tubes, and KX800 twin flash. I wanted to test this setup with the addition of close-up lenses for very small subjects like springtails. The test was not successful. I found hardly any very small subjects, and with those few I did find, and with larger subjects, In terms of speed to acquire the subject and frame the shot, and get the subject in focus with the DoF placed where I wanted it, I found the usability nowhere near as good as with close-up lenses on the 45-175. If the image quality had been stellar then I might be willing to trade this off against the loss of shots from poor usability, but the image quality was generally not exceptional.

However, I disturbed a small ? crane fly. It wandered around for a short while and I tried to track it and photograph it as it moved around. Most of the images were out of focus, but I quite liked these. I didn't use a close-up lens for these, so it was the 60mm macro and 26mm extension tubes. I suspect this gives a two stop decrease in effective aperture (anyone know how to calculate this for micro four thirds?), which would mean that the aperture of f/8 I used for these would have been an effective aperture of f/16.

There are 1300 pixel high versions in this album at Flickr.

#1

1065 1 2017_01_20 P1190162_DxO RAW01a100 SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#2

1065 2 2017_01_20 P1190170_DxO RAW01a100 SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#3

1065 3 2017_01_20 P1190174_DxO RAW01a100 SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#4

1065 4 2017_01_20 P1190176_DxO RAW01a100 SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#5

1065 5 2017_01_20 P1190178_DxO RAW01a100 SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#6

1065 6 2017_01_20 P1190195_DxO RAW01a100 SP7 LR6 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
 
Lovely set Nick.
The Zuiko 60mm is nice and sharp but it is so slow in MF between 1:4 & 1:1 it is very frustrating. For springtails with an extension tube and a Raynox 250 it works well.
 
Ajophotog said:
Superb detail Nick, number 4 & 2 are my picks of this super set.
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ChrisA said:
Second one is a stunner.
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Thanks both. The ones that worked were ok, but it was sooooo hit and (mainly) miss, and very, very frustrating. Not practical I think, especially when that is coupled with the short working distance. It's a pity, because it is a nice sharp lens. But if you can't get the shot in the first place that doesn't help much!

I think the 60mm macro will be used (without extension tubes) for flowers, sticking with zoom+close-up lenses for invertebrates.
 
Excellent set (y)

I didn't appreciate they had hairs on the antennae.
 
alfbranch said:
Lovely set Nick.
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Thanks Alf

alfbranch said:
The Zuiko 60mm is nice and sharp but it is so slow in MF between 1:4 & 1:1 it is very frustrating.
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Not half (typo "MF" for "AF" I'm sure). I don't think it is alone in that. It is one of the reasons I never got into using my Sigma 105 on my 70D. I suppose this is the origin of the widely held belief that you can't use AF for macro.

The slowness, hunting and at times refusal to focus at all makes me appreciate the speed and reliability with which I can focus with achromats on my bridge cameras and MFT cameras with zoom lenses, and how important that is to me. I am used to being able to focus repeatedly on a subject that is wandering around, and with this subject it came as a shock to realise how far from the case that was with the macro lens.

alfbranch said:
For springtails with an extension tube and a Raynox 250 it works well.
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Presumably that is because you are using manual focus?

I couldn't find anything small this time round but I'll try this setup again; I can see that the sharpness of the 60mm macro could allow more cropping, and it may well have less CA than the 45-175 with the MSN-202 and 505. (Actually I'm a bit put off changing lenses around at the moment because of trouble I've been having with dust etc on the G5 sensor. There are two marks that I haven't been able to get rid of despite multiple attempts with all the usual techniques. That inclines me, now I have the sensor tolerably clean apart from those two marks, to leave the same lenses on the MFT cameras, keeping the 45-175 on the G5 and the 60mm macro on the G80. That makes sense for now because DXO doesn't support the G80 yet, and I can get better detail with the G5 + DXO than with the G80, despite the G80 not having an AA filter. The G80 is fine for flowers without DXO and can do focus bracketing, which the G5 can't, and which I'm finding very appealing for flowers, Once the G80 is supported ... I'll work that out when it happens.)

For springtails I may end up still using the 45-175 and 202/505 of course. I find being able to autofocus very advantageous.
 
Nick I did mean the MF of the 60mm is in the range stated. The AF hunts quite quickly. Which is why I usually the 4/3 Sigma on my E-M1.

For springtails the 60mm is set to 1;1 in MF and I move the camera pretty much like I do with the Sigma.

This is with the 60mm like that

Sminthurinus niger by Alf Branch, on Flickr
 
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alfbranch said:
Nick I did mean the MF of the 60mm is in the range stated. The AF hunts quite quickly. Which is why I usually the 4/3 Sigma on my E-M1.

For springtails the 60mm is set to 1;1 in MF and I move the camera pretty much like I do with the Sigma.
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Ah, my mistake. Thanks Alf. I understand now.

alfbranch said:
This is with the 60mm like that
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Nice. I wish I could find some globbies. :(
 
No 2 is the shot here Nick, love the Orange BG (leaf) and the comp......
 
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