Fly Face

[canonloader]

The D60 was just delivered. Tried some shots from the Sigma 105 with the LSC behind it for 2x. 550ex flash use with the Delta Flipflash Bracket and the flash covered with a double layer of paper towel and set on ETTL Auto. The D60 was set for RAW, ISO 200, 1/180 sec. These are 100% crops from handheld originals.

I'm feeling pretty good, so tell me whats wrong with these. ;)

http://www.freeassociationblog.com/potn/fly1.jpg

http://www.freeassociationblog.com/potn/fly2.jpg

[AirBrontosaurus]

I know this isn't going to be very helpful, but the pictures look... grainy. Not noisy, like most digital images, but the bottom one looks like there are a ton of JPEG artifacts on the face. Did you use any weird compression?

The pictures look pretty sharp... from what I can discern. The artifacts/grain is really giving my troubles. I tried running some de-noising stuff, but none of it worked. What PP (if any) did you do?

Congrats on the new camera, and I see you just bought a Canon 100-400mm L! Put some tubes on that baby and you'll have yourself some primo macro shots ;).

[canonloader]

AirB, you discerned my secret plan with the new lens. :D

Compression. I did all kinds of things, one of wihich was to remove jpeg artifacts with CS2. Very strange, I didn't see it before, but it looks like there is some sort of crud in the lower left corner of both pics. It's not in any others, meaning it's not on the camera.

Here's the RAW' (http://www.freeassociationblog.com/img/fly.zip)s if you want to mess with them.

[LordV]

Lighting is good with no reflections - think part of the problem is the crops showing noise but I'd also guess you were using faily small apertures? ie <F11. This will give detail loss due to diffraction softening.
I'll have a look at the RAWS
Brian V.

[canonloader]

Thanks Brian. You called it right, f/11. So that is still too small?

So much to learn. Which is part of the fun. :)

[LordV]

Thanks Brian. You called it right, f/11. So that is still too small?

So much to learn. Which is part of the fun. :)
No That's what I shoot at- thought these had been taken at F16 or greater.
Suspect you are losing IQ with whatever that 2X converter is.

Here's one of your pics I put though my standard conversion and processing.
Brian V.

http://lordv.smugmug.com/photos/97253558-L.jpg

[racketman]

not familiar with D60 but google suggests its a 6MP forerunner of the 20D. Given your expensive glass curious you didnt just get a 20D. That said i'm sure the camera is fine and LordV's go shows plenty of detail.

[dpastern]

Nothing wrong with the D60 RM, it's a fine camera. Noise is a bit worse than my 1D up to ISO 1000, but not by a great deal.

My suspicion is that it's the 2x TC that's causing some of the optical degradation. Use tubes instead is my advice. A combination of other things have probablye led to the weirdness. The shots themselves seem reasonably sharpish with reasonably good detail. They also seem to be flat and lacking contrast.

Dave

[akhoopes]

canon you bought a 100-400l, slow down killer i cant keep up, nice pics though as the rest said, i dont know enough to add anything new, seems the lsc messes them up just a tade, i would maybe brighten up the subject a little bit but thats just me your buying all the lens's i want :(, j/j good luck with the new glass, you bought it for dragon flies didnt you !

[canonloader]

Many thnaks Brian. The 'converter' is actually the "Life Size Converter" for the 50mm Compact Macro. I used it behind the Sigma 105 for these, assuming it gives about 2x. It seems to in other tests, just going by looking at a pic of the same thing without and with the converter attached. But, like Dave said, the tubes will probably work better.

The D60 is the next camera up from the D30 with 6.3mp. basically, it's all I could afford right now and still get the glass I want for the fall color change that's just starting. I figure the D60 will get me to next spring when my bank account can stand one more attack for the 30D and then I should be set for awhile. ;)

Bill, dragonflies were in my mind when I bought the 100-400L, but I live in Wisconsin, in a small town, surrounded by hardwood forest on 3 sides and the Mississippi flyway on the other, so I plan on getting some good nature and bird shots with it too. And the lens wasn't that expensive, I bought it used from right here in the Sell forum, where I also bought the D60. And, come to think of it, the Sigma 105. :D

[akhoopes]

cool well good luck get some ggod ones ill be looking forwar dto them

[canonloader]

I just got back from Goose Island. Temps are in the low 60's today and real humid. Plenty of skeeters, and of all things, a whole flock of dragons and some damsels. I wasn't able to get close enough for any pics though, but they should still be there by the end of the week, when the big lens gets here, when I will be trying again. The forecast says no frost and in the higher 60's by then. :D

[akhoopes]

no frost its not even october, wow i couldnt live there

[canonloader]

Yeah, winter is no fun. I didn't even like it as a kid. There was frost in the area a couple nights ago, but up on the bluffs, not down here by the river. But, we had snow by this time last year, minus a couple weeks. Early October, then it's snow and cold till late April or early May. :(

On the other hand, we do get some of this (http://www.extremeinstability.com/04-11-8.htm) in the winter. You'll be seeing some of that from me later this year. :D

[LordV]

Love the Northern lights pics :)
Brian V.

[canonloader]

Brian, check out some of his other pics he uses for wallpapers. This guy is as good with weather as you are with bugs. :D

http://www.extremeinstability.com/wallpaper.htm

[canonloader]

Just wanted to add another fly here. This one was shot from the tripod and I got some better definition. Did a little crop and some USM in CS2. You can see he's missing the lower section of his left front leg.

http://www.freeassociationblog.com/potn/fly207crop.jpg

http://www.freeassociationblog.com/potn/fly218crop.jpg