Getting Closer

After all the good recent advice here on getting close focusing shots, I've tried out my Jessops extension tubes properly for the first time ... just a domesticated bunch of tiny flowers which I took outside into some light and set up the K7 on the tripod.

The flowers are only about half to one inch in diameter - I used 2 tubes together with the Tamron Adaptall 135mm f2.8. Focused using Live View with 'info button' magnification, and remote control shooting. RAW with PP in Sagelight 4.3 & Photoshop.



1)







2)







3)







4)





This last one is completely different, but its on its own, so I'll show it here ... taken back in spring in deep woodland on Coulsdon Common, no tripod with me, had to crank up the ISO on the K7 to 800 - didn't shoot many as I was very worried about this, concerned that the sensor might start to smoulder and the camera might flash a warning message on the LCD .. 'GET A K5 ... GET A K5 ... GET A K5'. In the end it didn't, maybe that comes in a later firmware update ...





Thanks for looking and for any thoughts

I can't fault them and the lens is very impressive very sharp with nice bokeh which a lot of Tamrons from that era also have. The colours also look good.

You might find a 50mm handier for getting in close or your 28mm to get really close.

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It's working out well Nigel.

Good job! I particularly like the pastel shades of #1.

Phil

Very nice macros! Well done.

Bjørn

Nice shots, Nigel - lovely flowers, good focus, detail, and colours.

Perhaps consider cropping closer to the main flower in #1 to remove those two bits at the top. There are some obvious shiny speckles on the petals in #3 - is that really there, or is it maybe slightly over-sharpened?

Cheers.
Philip

Thankyou Algi, the old Tamron has served me very well, quite a find in fact. I have noticed that the 28mm focusses very closely indeed - I tried it with a reversing ring and the results were fairly atomic! Does this mean that you can in fact get nearer to 1:1 macro with a shorter focal length like this than with a telephoto non-macro lens?

A reversed 28mm will get amazingly close. You could also try the 28mm reversed onto the front of a modest telephoto lens, say 100mm to 135mm. Adapters are made to the two filter threads can be joined.

That adaptor is something to look out for then. Sounds like my 28 & 135mm together would be a powerful combination. Which one do you use to set the aperture on, or can you set both?

A lovely set, thanks for sharing

Good question Nigel. I always assumed that the 28mm aperture was the adjusted one, but you could try it with all combinations and see what happens. It's so long ago I contemplated doing this I'd have to check.

There are plenty of books on macro photography that should be able to help.

If I remember correctly, it is usual to control aperture on the lens mounted on the camera and have the lens on the adapter wide open. I do have a 52mm/52mm adapter somewhere, but its a few years since I last used it. I think they are only a couple of quid on Ebay.

Andrew

Thanks for looking guys, feedback much appreciated! Philip, the tiny specks are indeed on the flowers, but my processing has emphasized them ... I quite like it, but it could be reduced also if preferred with a larger radius setting on the 'smart sharpen' filter and a little reduction on the whitepoint.

Thanks to Stan , John & Andrew also for your input. You can count on me to try out some of these reversing ring scenarios when I get the adaptor and post some results!

A very good start Nigel. Looking forward to more

Thanks, I appreciate you taking a look ... the extension tubes were a great recommend from forum members, and clearly an excellent choice for what I wanted - doesn't seem to be any loss of quality. I am still interested in a closer focusing lens though, just for the extra convenience for those chance shots when the tubes may be too much faffing.