Some more ant attempts

[Lester Wareham]

Black Ants, First with no stacking all MP-E 4:1 to 5:1
#1
http://www.zen20934.zen.co.uk/photography/GalleryPics/Photos/Insects/Insects%20Black%20Ant%20008%20copy.jpg

#2
http://www.zen20934.zen.co.uk/photography/GalleryPics/Photos/Insects/Insects%20Black%20Ant%20024%20copy.jpg

#3 Stacked from 2 frames
http://www.zen20934.zen.co.uk/photography/GalleryPics/Photos/Insects/Insects%20Black%20Ant%20008-009.jpg

#4 Stacked from 2 frames
http://www.zen20934.zen.co.uk/photography/GalleryPics/Photos/Insects/Insects%20Black%20Ant%20023-024.jpg

[Mick Emmett]

Very nice Lester, the top view shots seem the best if only for the more even DOF. I was going to buy the MPE 65 my self as you can really get in close with it but I went for the 70-200L as I thought I'd get more use out of it. Maybe when a rich relative dies ;)
I took a few ant shots myself yesterday, they looked so sharp through the view finder but when I down loaded them I was some what disappointed. The only way I seem to be able to get sharp macro's is by stacking but these little things don't stay still long enough to get 2 similar shots.

84164

[Lester Wareham]

Thanks Mike, you have got good results there for a zoom.

I would say that the MP-E is the lens to get for insect macro. Even life size on an APS-C sensor is not that close except for the larger insects. Most insects need 2-3X life size and the smalest even 5X requires a crop. I use my MP-E all the time, more than the 100mm now. Of course the MP-E is no use outside macro.

[LordV]

Good shots Lester- not sure if they have suffered from Web reduction but I would expect to see a bit more detail ?
Brian V.

[dpastern]

Nice shots Lester, I don't know how you guys do it, I have enough troubles at 1x lol.

Mick, I think you have to be at the right place, at the right time to catch Ants being slow and able to be photographed. I've caught a few sharp shots of Ants, but they lack the fine detail that the 5x mpe-65 can do. Oh well...maybe in the future I'll be rich and might buy one just for the high mag shots from time to time.

Dave

[Lester Wareham]

Good shots Lester- not sure if they have suffered from Web reduction but I would expect to see a bit more detail ?
Brian V.

Brian thanks for that feedback, it sort of confirms my feeling, this about the best ant shot so far for me. The shot is full APS-C width, just crop on the length and at f10 and saved at Q10, so it must be my unsteady hand.

Attached is a 100% crop of the head with standard capture sharpening workflow, and then a second one with some additional sharpening.

[Lester Wareham]

Nice shots Lester, I don't know how you guys do it, I have enough troubles at 1x lol.

Mick, I think you have to be at the right place, at the right time to catch Ants being slow and able to be photographed. I've caught a few sharp shots of Ants, but they lack the fine detail that the 5x mpe-65 can do. Oh well...maybe in the future I'll be rich and might buy one just for the high mag shots from time to time.

Dave

Thanks Dave, I am not too satisfied with my ant shots yet. I find a cool evening sometimes gives one or two ants that pause a bit and give you a chance to zero in.