Common darters everywhere.

I managed to get a bargain on ebay this week, hidden away in a Minolta job lot was a nice condition Sigma 105 macro. It's not the full ADI version but it'll still work with TTL flash and my favourite natural light. Initial tests show slightly subdued sharpness, but my camera is quite conservative anyway, and there's loads of detail that a little USM can bring out.
Today was a glorious day and an ideal time to try it out, with this common darter mugshot. It took a few goes, hand held to get it:

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Nice job eccles. Really like the mug shot in #1. Gotta love a mug like that.
#2 is excellant also, not that 3 & 4 are bad at all.
Very nice and good find on the lens.

Scott

how are you mounting that lens on eccles. and the mug shot looks like one of my post last weeks.

Bill

oh love the profile shot also . forgot to mention that

Bill

I actually like #3 best, atmospheric.

Thanks all. Appreciated.
@Bill, the mugshot actually had the lens hood resting on the same surface the dragonfly was on. I used a right angle finder to get low down.

Lovely shots- lens looks good- Love the backlit #3
Brian V.

Another vote for #3 here too, nice bargain.

Thanks again all.
@Bill, I re-read your question and realise that you were probably asking about the 500D close up lens. It's a 58mm screw fit. My two zoom lenses are both 55mm so I got a stepping ring and keep it permanently attached to the 500D.
I'm a little disappointed with the working distance of the Sigma macro lens which is around 4" at 1:1. Where I had got my distances a little confused is that I thought the minimum working distance of .313m would put me about a foot away. It does, but the distance refers to subject to film or sensor plane, and there's 8" of camera and extended lens barrel in that distance. So although it'll get good use, for butterflies I can see myself still using the long zoom plus 500D where the working distance from the front of the lens is around 12-18".

Excellent series Eccles, my fave is #1 (how can you resist a DF facial closeup!!!). #3 is nice as well (lighting), but I think it could have been even better if it had been possible to have gotten a bit closer under the same lighting, pity!

Dave

Thanks Dave. Yes, it is a bit lost maybe. It's full frame so I could have cropped it I suppose, but I wanted to retain the browning leaves bottom left that give it an autumn feel. Cropping just from the top and right would have thrown the dragonfly too far to the right.

Hiya Eccles,

Great shots, another vote for #3 but you gota love the mug shot as well eh.

Cheers for now
Mark

Hi Eccles lovely series
there is lots of them about lately
my fav shot is #3 too looks great backlit and with the leaves
Pete

Great series Eccles, lots of detail.

Great series eccles. Another vote for #3. The backlighting is wonderful.