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Some more shots with the new 200mm f/4D lens. It is quite a fun lens, although until I build a new softbox I'm pretty much restricted to available light shots - although a couple of these have flash fill.

These are all of a scarlet percher dragonfly, Diplacodes haematodes. This chap was quite accommodating, returning to the same perch after each flight. The light is pretty harsh, full sun and all, although the last one there was a bit of shade and some cloud cover.


ISO 400, 1/100s, f/16


ISO 400, 1/100s, f/14


ISO 400, 1/200s, f/16, SB-800 @ -2ev


ISO 400, 1/125s, f/14, SB-800 @ -3ev

Those are amazingly good!!! I really do wonder what will happen once you build that soft box if this is what you produce with fill flash from a raw SB-800.

I like the detail you have in the first Andrew.

Nice ones Andrew - I've been out of the loop - why do you have to rebuild the softbox ??
I prefer the last one - better colour and wonderful background !!
More please

blacknstormy wrote:I've been out of the loop - why do you have to rebuild the softbox ??

Hey Rel. These were taken with my brand new 200mm lens. My existing softboxes don't get close enough to the subject. I need a new softbox that makes the light larger and further from the lens.

ATJ wrote:

blacknstormy wrote:I've been out of the loop - why do you have to rebuild the softbox ??

Hey Rel. These were taken with my brand new 200mm lens. My existing softboxes don't get close enough to the subject. I need a new softbox that makes the light larger and further from the lens.

Andrew,
Couldn't you use your SB800 with softbox off camera? You could set it up close to the subject, especially in this case where the subject kept coming back to the same spot, then trigger it with CLS or cable.

Mr Darcy wrote:Andrew,
Couldn't you use your SB800 with softbox off camera? You could set it up close to the subject, especially in this case where the subject kept coming back to the same spot, then trigger it with CLS or cable.

Greg,
I could, and I have, but it is a real pain to have to hold/carry the two things separately. Another alternative is use some of the RRS flash brackets but I can't justify the expense at the moment (especially after getting the lens). I can build another softbox for virtually nothing.

Thats one sharp lens!

ATJ wrote:

Mr Darcy wrote: Another alternative is use some of the RRS flash brackets but I can't justify the expense at the moment (especially after getting the lens). I can build another softbox for virtually nothing.

Or, for just a couple of PP, wander down to your local friendly hardware purveyor, and buy yourself a length of aluminium bar, i" x 1/4". Cut it down to maybe 18" long. Drill a 1/4" hole in it, close to one end. Mount a cheap hotshoe mount at the other end. Use a 1/4" accessory screw to mount the bar to your camera, and you have a bar upon which to mount the camera and hold the flash at a distance from your subject.

gstark wrote:Or, for just a couple of PP, wander down to your local friendly hardware purveyor, and buy yourself a length of aluminium bar, i" x 1/4". Cut it down to maybe 18" long. Drill a 1/4" hole in it, close to one end. Mount a cheap hotshoe mount at the other end. Use a 1/4" accessory screw to mount the bar to your camera, and you have a bar upon which to mount the camera and hold the flash at a distance from your subject.

That's one of my options, too. It will work because the lens has a tripod mount which I attach to the monopod, leaving the camera tripod screw free. I may work out a way to basically do the same thing but mount the bar to the tripod mount so the bar doesn't have to be as long.

For the softbox, I'm just thinking of a version of my collapsable softbox with longer arms so it extends past the front of the lens and have a stabiliser arm that rests on the top of the lens.