Rose Growers Nightmare........

......A juvenile Aphid on the back of a leaf from the rose bush in the garden.

This was even smaller the Red Spider Mite I uploaded yesterday. All 3 images are far from perfect, but the reasons behind this are several fold. Firstly this is really the first time I've used this lens at it's maximum x5 magnification in anger, which means DOF is a serious issue, 0.02mm @ F8 if I remember rightly. This first image was shot at F16.....Not quite a small enough aperture I think, but at anything smaller ambient lighting becomes a bit of an issue and this makes it even more difficult to get a sharp focus, because you just can't see it and if you use Live View it's even worse!.....Bear in mind there is no Autofocus on this lens and manual focus is achieved by moving the lens and camera closer or further away from the subject, hence the need to have the whole set up on a focus rack.

The second & third images are both stacks of 12 images, each shot at F9, not enough images in the stacks and again not a small enough aperture methinks. You also have to bear in mind that the specimen was alive throughout and as such the little blighter was prone to movement, so you have to work fast as well as being precise. I did try shooting a dead specimen, well it was only an aphid after all, but once dead they just didn't stand correctly on their legs and the antennae would droop. It looked quite obvious that the specimen was dead!

Anyway I thought I mention all this, not because I'm making excuses for poor images, but because some of you have asked for my opinions on the lens and have asked just how difficult is it too use To put it bluntly, you'd have to say it's a bitch! On the otherhand it's a joy and you see things you just can't normally see with the naked eye. But you do have to take your time and you do have to be precise, it's not a lens I'd recommend to beginners that's for certain. I'm sure with more use and practice I will start to get the very best from it, but I feel I have a lot to learn yet, even though I've had it now for a few months.

Thanks for taking the time to hear my ramblings, hope you enjoy looking if nothing else.....

Ade

Brand:	Canon
Camera:	Canon EOS 50D
Lens:	Canon MP-E 65mm Macro @ x5
Recording media:	JPEG (digital)
Date Taken:	14 Apr 2012 - 8:20 AM
Focal Length:	65mm
Aperture:	f/16
Shutter Speed:	1/60sec
Exposure Comp:	0.0
ISO:	100
Exposure Mode:	Full Manual
Metering Mode:	Evaluative
Flash:	On, Fired

Title:	Rose Growers Nightmare........
Username:	Ade_Osman
Uploaded:	15 Apr 2012 - 11:41 AM
Tags:	Aphids, Close-up / macro, Digitally manipulated, Flash / lighting, Flowers & plants, General, Insects, Wildlife / nature
Votes:	54
	Variant - Tests