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Between doing my tax, housework and roasting some beans I spent the better half of the day taking macro shots of anything and everything. Using the 55mm micro, recently aquired PK-13 and two speedlights I have found the working distance of this lens almost becomes unusable with the PK-13, if you where chasing a bee or the like, i reckon the best bet would be to get the darn thing to land on the lens hood

Nonetheless, i am still astounded at how close you can get with the extension tube...

Comments, thoughts?

Another amazing set there Gerry...now I wish that I didnt let that PK-13 go....your making me jealous!

You have come too close in the first one. Can you zoom out a bit so I can make out what the heck it is?

Seriously I was waiting for this series since you got the pk.

I would suggest smearing a little honey on your lens hood and waiting for that bee/fly.... or get a dead specimen and gluing it upright.

I didnt let that PK-13 go....your making me jealous!

I must say its a great device to whet the appetite for this kind of photography, I quite like the fact that it means I can only use manual mode. I even learnt the other day how to set up the commander as manual for each channel rather then TTL. That said, I reckon the kenko ones would be the bees knees!

Seriously I was waiting for this series since you got the pk.

bit so I can make out what the heck it is?

Wheres the fun if I tell you what it is

I like your first three photographs. I like the colour and sharpness. I would have framed the first one differently, but nevertheless it could make any catalogue on electronics. The last one I feel there it hasn't got enough depth of field for the background so the coffee bean looks suspending on the air. It is amazing you took those pictures with a 55mm lens and extension tubes?

Great shots, Gerry. Good use of DOF. The coffee beans are excellent.

I'm guessing the first two are the laser gear from a CD or DVD drive.

biggerry wrote:I have found the working distance of this lens almost becomes unusable with the PK-13

Really? I found with the PK-13 on my 60mm it only makes a difference of just over a centimetre. Without the PK-13, it's 70mm from the front of the lens to the subject and 59mm with the PK-13. Seeing as the 60mm is probably wider than 55mm at its closest focusing distance (a trick than Nikon employ to get to 1:1), I would have expected the PK-13 to have slightly less impact on working distance on the 55mm than it does on the 60mm.

Really? I found with the PK-13 on my 60mm it only makes a difference of just over a centimetre.

unusable was a poor choice of a word. Compositional challenging would be a more politically correct

I just measured the difference between with the PK-13 and without.

55mm w/ PK-13 distance from hood edge to subject 1.25" (sorry but i live and work in imperial now )

55mm w/o PK-13 is 2.0"

So, you are right Andrew its not that big of a difference (0.75" or 19 odd mm) But when I was composing and kept belting the lens on the subject it felt substantially closer

I'm guessing the first two are the laser gear from a CD or DVD drive.

close...

The last one I feel there it hasn't got enough depth of field for the background so the coffee bean looks suspending on the air

fair call, thanks for the comments zafra52

biggerry wrote:

I'm guessing the first two are the laser gear from a CD or DVD drive.

close...

At least 0.75" off! It's the head mechanism from a HDD.

I like the second image here, showing the head in context against a HDD platter.

Nicely done.

I was thinking the same as Gary for the first two.
#3 is a pearler Gerry. Great shot.

gstark wrote:

biggerry wrote:

I'm guessing the first two are the laser gear from a CD or DVD drive.

close...

At least 0.75" off! It's the head mechanism from a HDD.

I like the second image here, showing the head in context against a HDD platter.

Nicely done.

I was about to suggest that....Well I still have a dead Casio Exlim that I was meant to take apart and macro....maybe some time soon...