Butterflies, Moths and Assorted Insects...

[AlanF]

Well, I also prefer a macro lens for this kind of shots. The problem is that I don't like to change lenses in the field and most importantly: my macro lens was occupied by my daughter (plus one of my back up bodies) so I practically have no macro lens.
Here you have few shots taken by my daughter (I'm posting with her permission!) - always hand-held and always in the field (windy or not...). BTW she doesn't think only the butterflies are beautiful!
Edited: I forgot to mention the lens - 105mm Sigma (macro)

View attachment 195282 View attachment 195283 View attachment 195284

She beats out her dad! Insects are fascinating.

 

[Click]

Beautiful pictures, ISv.

 

[ISv]

She beats out her dad! Insects are fascinating.

You just put two facts on the table! I'm happy she still has no interest for birds (actually she doesn't like my last photos of the White-rumped Shama in the Bird Portraits: "It just ate my model!!!") - otherwise I could be eliminated from there too (sooner or later but first she has to learn how to sneak to the birds).

 

[Fredster]

These are my visitors to my yard. Canon 7D Mark II, Canon 100mm Macro.

 

[Click]

Very nice series, Fredster.

 

[Nemorino]

UWA Makro with a Laowa 15mm Makro, croped to 6424x3614 (top left corner)
Eos R @ Iso800, 1/1000s

 

[Click]

Nice picture. Well done, Nemorino.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi ISv.
Your daughter has taken some stunning shots, the plane of the focus on the first one is lovely, just falling oof at the tail.

Cheers, Graham.

Well, I also prefer a macro lens for this kind of shots. The problem is that I don't like to change lenses in the field and most importantly: my macro lens was occupied by my daughter (plus one of my back up bodies) so I practically have no macro lens.
Here you have few shots taken by my daughter (I'm posting with her permission!) - always hand-held and always in the field (windy or not...). BTW she doesn't think only the butterflies are beautiful!
Edited: I forgot to mention the lens - 105mm Sigma (macro)

View attachment 195282 View attachment 195283 View attachment 195284

 

[ISv]

Hi ISv.
Your daughter has taken some stunning shots, the plane of the focus on the first one is lovely, just falling oof at the tail.

Cheers, Graham.

Hi Graham! Sorry for the late answer: I don't stop very often on this topic - only if I have some photos to share or just in rare cases when I'm curious what is going on over here. The plane of the focus is not something you can manage in the field at strong winds - you just spray and pray ! It was really windy then and unfortunately it's also now... And even more unfortunate it could be similar in the next weekend. Another problem is that the insects are moving parts of their bodies... I have to ask her for more shots of that fly - I'm getting what she can't manage with her primitive programs in case of noise (and when it's windy you have much more noise: you need higher speeds - without sacrificing the DOF (higher ISO off course!). It means I'm doing the PP but only of the files that she choose to give me. Whatever, I can ask here for more photos to post here (she is posting a lot on Instagram). Not easy task because she is not a child - at 30! and she is very independent...

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi ISv.
Not to worry about late replies, it is a hobby, we have other things going on. Well, maybe not so much these days! As the shot was taken in the extreme conditions you describe then it is even more incredible!

Cheers, Graham.

Hi Graham! Sorry for the late answer: I don't stop very often on this topic - only if I have some photos to share or just in rare cases when I'm curious what is going on over here. The plane of the focus is not something you can manage in the field at strong winds - you just spray and pray ! It was really windy then and unfortunately it's also now... And even more unfortunate it could be similar in the next weekend. Another problem is that the insects are moving parts of their bodies... I have to ask her for more shots of that fly - I'm getting what she can't manage with her primitive programs in case of noise (and when it's windy you have much more noise: you need higher speeds - without sacrificing the DOF (higher ISO off course!). It means I'm doing the PP but only of the files that she choose to give me. Whatever, I can ask here for more photos to post here (she is posting a lot on Instagram). Not easy task because she is not a child - at 30! and she is very independent...

 

[bluezurich]

You have to be able to change lenses in the field. It's not brain surgery. I guess though you might also need steady hands to clean your own sensors depending on where you live. But to double back, steady hands are required for macro work as well.

 

[ISv]

You have to be able to change lenses in the field. It's not brain surgery. I guess though you might also need steady hands to clean your own sensors depending on where you live. But to double back, steady hands are required for macro work as well.

Yeah, there is no problem changing lenses in the field. But I don't like it and I don't like caring one or two more lenses in my backpack when hiking. Cleaning - I do wet cleaning to my backup camera (now used by my daughter) pretty often - it's D7200 and it's (like D600) getting dirty sensor in no time, especially when you are doing macros around blooming plants (as my daughter does) but it gets also some oil... Now I'm shooting D500 and don't have that problem. It's not just the lens: with the same lens I was wet cleaning D7200 at least 3 times/year. D500 is more than 1 year old and still no need of wet cleaning.
And finally: I go for birds, if you have the macro attached and at once an interesting bird pops up in front of you, how much time do you have to change the lens (I don't mean that rare ocasions when the bird stays on the same place untill you finish your cup of coffee)?!

 

[Nemorino]

I change the lenses several times and have no issues with the EOS R.
Two shots at the same area first with the Sigma 105 macro, second with the Laowa 15mm UWA macro:

1/1000s f/3.2 Iso 250

1/320s, Iso 250, f/?

 

[Click]

Very nice pictures, Nemorino.

 

[gruhl28]

I change the lenses several times and have no issues with the EOS R.
Two shots at the same area first with the Sigma 105 macro, second with the Laowa 15mm UWA macro:
View attachment 196069
1/1000s f/3.2 Iso 250
View attachment 196070

1/320s, Iso 250, f/?

I like that ultrawide shot - interesting to see the background in a macro shot.

 

[Nemorino]

Thanks Click and gruhl28!

@gruhl28
It is not easy to get close enough but it is worth the work.