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Hi all,

Uploaded few more pictures to my macro gallery
http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13629777-M.jpg

http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13624886-M.jpg

http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13629496-M.jpg

http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13624885-M.jpg

All taken with Sigma 105 EX with reversed Nikkor 50mm F1.4, hand held with SB800.
Hope you like them.
Cheers.

Hi Flier,
Good shots, are you a masochist ora sadist? (Is that your arm and blood?)
Cheers,
Gerard

These are awesome, I hope I don't come across these nasties! They're HUGE!

Great shots, very clear and vibrant. Lens combination pays off! Looks like that mozzie could suck down a cow!

G'day,
Wow...
http://flyeroz.smugmug.com/photos/13624886-M.jpg - Hmmm, a recent comment was "suffer for your art"... Who's arm is that?
http://flyeroz.smugmug.com/photos/13629496-M.jpg - This is amazing... Looks like he just woke up too, I think he's got "sleep" in his eyes

Good macro shots!

Cheers,
Mudder

Wow Flyer! great pics... Nightmares for me tonight.

What do you use to join the two lenses together? A double-threaded ring?

Wow... Amazing macros... I love the mosquito shot and can't believe that you got the matrix detail on the eyes of the fly...
Something to aspire to...

Flyer - as per your previous posts your macro shots are inspirational. A great combination of Sigma and Nikon

Chris

Well done Flyer and thanks for posting. Your macro technique is excellent as are the pics. Make very large prints and frame them.

I agree with everyone. They are absolutely fantastic. The 'fly's eyes' are amazing.

Simply wonderful pics..thanks for sharing..

Flyer

Awesome

Care to explain your technique?

Cheers

Thanks a lot guys.
The picture of mossie was a fluke. I was taking some photos of other insects in my yard & when I finished I noticed couple of mossies on my legs. So I tried to bend down like some contortionist & managed to take 3 pics. They all came pretty good I thought.

AlistairF - Yes, I use step-down ring. Actually it's 2 rings - 52mm with male thread on both sides & 52>58mm male-female. Something I used with my old Sony F717. You can buy just one ring to do the job. I got mine from EBay for few $$ each.

Stubbsy- I use Sigma 105EX with 50mm Nikkor attached face to face with step-up (or step-down) ring. Adding reversed lens acts like adding a close up filter, but with much higher magnification- +20 diopter in this case. That gives you 2:1 magnification, as opposed to Sigma's 1:1 by itself.
I use a flash bracket with SB800
Then I set the camera to manual focus, AP or M, usually select f32-29 for maximum depth of field.
Then the hard part begins - finding bugs & trying to sneak up on them!
With this combination you will be shooting at approx. 30-50 mm. That's the distance from the front glass element (which is the rear element of Nikkor ) to the subject. Very, very close!
So with the camera pre-focused I move VERY slowly towards the subject, until it gets in focus & squeeze the shutter button...
Only to discover the bug took off, or moved, or more often then not I moved!
Mornings or evenings are the best as the cool weather slows the creatures down.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.

Flyer

Thanks for your excellent and detailed explanation. Now to go try it (once I get some more $$$ for lenses etc)

Cheers

Hey Flyer, this is probably a silly question, but those are crops, right? Seriously impressive pics - just what I was hoping to do with macro photography.

If those are resized images I think I'll have to rethink how I do macro pics. Any idea if it would work with the 70-300ED glass and the 50/f1.8?

The two fly shots are not cropped at all.
The other two were slightly cropped to about 70-80% of original photo I guess.
All were resized for the web of course.
Not sure if 70-300ED glass and the 50/f1.8 combo will work.
I have a Sigma 70-300mm so will try it later & let you know the results.
Cheers.