Macro moments some fun with a G

[John Baker]

I have been re-working a couple of my G macro shots to post on another site for an item on close up work with a small sensor camera. I don’t think they have all been posted on here before, so I thought they may be of interest to some of the new members – all taken on a G11 with various close up lenses fitted to a simple adaptor tube.

1 - now some say these cameras are not too good at action, I don't know many shots as challenging as a Bee in flight...


2- one of my early shots and still one of my favourites, in at the birth - you just can't do this with a DSLR


3 - another day, another birth


4 - lunch break


5 - another shot for those who rather like the extra depth of field


6 - getting in quite close


Happy to post a couple more if people are interested

[Gil Bean]

Idle curiosity, what can you do with your G11 by itself, without added lenses. How many of these photos would you capture using only the G11? Any? I'm simply curious. It amazes me y'all can get these photos at all. What is your working distance. I do not know any critters that will allow you to get very close.
Thanks,
GilBean

[John Baker]

Gil - good question, the problem is that the closest focusing on the straight camera is 1cm at its widest setting which is the equivalent of a 28mm. The issue is that the lens has a very wide field of view and a depth of field which goes from the front of the frame to the back, which allows you do some great images. So you can get stuff like this...





The problem is that the camera almost ends up touching the object you are trying to take. Which is not an issue with a flower, but can start to be a problem with an insect or small creature. You may also start to have problems lighting your subject, as there is no physical room to get a light or flash in front of the camera.

Using the camera straight is not an issue and you will get some really interesting images, however, adding in close up filters allows you to move further away from your subject, be able to isolate the object in the image and increase the magnification and get the subject bigger in the picture.

I produced the following slide for a lecture I gave recently and it shows how different strength close up filters allow you to alter the working distance to your subject. So by fitting a simple +1 Dioptre filter means you can then use your camera at it longest zoom setting and focus at around 1 metre, changing to a +2 allows you to focus at around 50cm from your subject, which is good for a butterfly. The higher the number the closer you can get to your subject, the closest I can get with my normal kit is around 12.5cm with my +8 filter with that I am getting very close to my subject.



So from the above table, this is what you get from a +1.6


While this is the sort of image you would get from a +8


Hope that helps

[Rimmer]

Beautiful work!

[CarloY]

Great shots! Great skills. And many thanks for the illustrated tutorial.

"12.5cm" will hereafter be known as "John Baker's dozen". (as in: "John Baker does Zen photography")

[Gil Bean]

So, you are about 4 inches from the dragonfly? And it will allow you to get that close? I must give off a predator scent. No west Texas dragonfly will let me anywhere near that close. A wasp or bee might but I willl be stung in the process. I am impressed with your photos and the way you can get that close. Very nice photos, IMHO.

GilBean

[John Baker]

Many thanks for all the kind comments.

GilBean, with Dragons it really depends, when they are emerging you can get really up close without too much problem. Once they are emerged depending on the species they can be a bit more elusive, either being very spooky or inaccessible by sitting in the middle of a pond. It is why I would recommend a range of close up lenses, the +1 will focus around the 1 meter point or approximately 40”, so the +2 is around 50cm or 20”. Early in the dragon season in this country April/May/early June, I do a lot of work on my G, I then find I need to be using a DSLR with a long macro lens, possibly fitted with a teleconverter, While I still use the G but it is not really so good at the longer macro work.

[Gil Bean]

Originally Posted by John Baker

Many thanks for all the kind comments.

GilBean, with Dragons it really depends, when they are emerging you can get really up close without too much problem. Once they are emerged depending on the species they can be a bit more elusive, either being very spooky or inaccessible by sitting in the middle of a pond. It is why I would recommend a range of close up lenses, the +1 will focus around the 1 meter point or approximately 40”, so the +2 is around 50cm or 20”. Early in the dragon season in this country April/May/early June, I do a lot of work on my G, I then find I need to be using a DSLR with a long macro lens, possibly fitted with a teleconverter, While I still use the G but it is not really so good at the longer macro work.

John,

G series or DSLR I am impressed, which is no great compliment coming from me. Although macro is not for me, it is a pleasure to see what you can do. I will find whatever catches my attention, let you do all the work and enjoy your macro shots. Thank you for sharing.

Gil

[Don Madson]

Great post! I've done some reasonable shots with the straight G10 in macro mode, but nothing nearly as nice as these. Keep 'em coming!

Don

[John Baker]

Gil you don't have to just use the technique on bugs, I was really pleased with this product shot, the only way I could do this with my DSLR was by either stacking multiple images which is a pain, or using costly tilt and shift lens.



Hi Don, another for you, this remains a favourite, I just love the way you can get the minute fruit fly which is then dwarfed by the butterfly, taken with a +8 Raynox

[2mnycars]

Jon such incredible work. Thanks!

[Markulous]

Just seen this thread - some really great shots there! I've yet to get a Dragon/Damsel emerging - and not from lack of trying/looking! I guess my main aim on that front is to get a backlit Brown Hawker in flight for the beautiful burnished bronze wings - I've come close but the problem is they don't follow a flight pattern (unlike, say, an Emperor)

[Kevan]

John,

These photos and your lens description detail is most valuable. This thread should be made a sticky for purposes of references.

I'm particularly jealous of your dragon photos; ours here in the US NE are particularly skitsh, annoyingly so, paticularly when you see other folk nabbing such dramatic shots. Bravo!

[John Baker]

Mark/Kevan thank you for your kind comments, most of these dragons were taken at the emergence stage, when they tend to stay still and are approachable. The ones in this country are the same and sit out in the middle of the pond, or fly around non stop they even mate and eat on the wing. Occasionally you can sneak up on them. You can have a go at doing them in flight which with a G is seriously not easy – getting them in flight is a bit more complex!! I have done it with my DSLR, but it tends to be with specific species, so Broad Bodied Chasers are quite easy, as the females follow flight paths and hover a lot, in the autumn many of the Hawkers are easier, with my G this is as about as good a result as I managed this year, it is my challenge for next…

[theanser]

Hi John,


What accessories you are using to take macro shots like above?