kirispupis said:
Absolutely. It's a package deal for sure.
What flashes are people using with this? Is the MT-24EX worth its extra cost over the MR-14EX, when used with this lens?
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Absolutely. It's a package deal for sure.
What flashes are people using with this? Is the MT-24EX worth its extra cost over the MR-14EX, when used with this lens?
The MT-24EX is far better than the MR-14EX. IMHO images from the MR-14EX come out a bit flat.
- You can rotate the heads to change the lighting. This is hugely important for insects that are reflective. It is also important for adjusting around obstacles near the critter.
- The heads also angle - allowing you to easily move from the 100/2.8 macro to the MP-E 65
- The heads may be placed off the front of the lens using macro brackets. This is very useful for lenses such as 180mm macros and for highly reflective things like ice/water drops where you need to dramatically change the angle of the light.
- You can control the power differential between the heads - providing more depth in the shot
One thing you need to watch out for with the MT-24EX though is the harshness of the light. I use Sto-fen diffusers to reduce this. There is also a little known hood for the MP-E 65 that helps here.
- You can rotate the heads to change the lighting. This is hugely important for insects that are reflective. It is also important for adjusting around obstacles near the critter.
- The heads also angle - allowing you to easily move from the 100/2.8 macro to the MP-E 65
- The heads may be placed off the front of the lens using macro brackets. This is very useful for lenses such as 180mm macros and for highly reflective things like ice/water drops where you need to dramatically change the angle of the light.
- You can control the power differential between the heads - providing more depth in the shot
One thing you need to watch out for with the MT-24EX though is the harshness of the light. I use Sto-fen diffusers to reduce this. There is also a little known hood for the MP-E 65 that helps here.
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I just took a closer look at the MT-24EX, and now I appreciate what the key difference is: the directionality of two separate light sources could make for some very dramatic lighting. Whereas the fixed ring style isn't as flexible and sometimes it will work fine and sometimes it won't. I understand now. 
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Indeed the MT 24EX light is rather harsh. I not only got the Stofens but also stuffed them with cotton balls. Even still on E-TTL on shiny insects the light is harsh. If you do get this setup I would recommend dumping the lens ring that holds the two lights. I found myself bumping into to objects as I gradually got closer.
Get one of these instead..far more versatile: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DUAL-MOUNT-macro-flash-bracket-holder-for-speedlight-TF-22-Nikon-Canon-MT-24EX-/250933721573?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6cd0b9e5
I think I paid about $40 or $50 about 1.5 years ago. It's well worth the price giving you the utmost flexibility. I also picked up a macro rail from Adorama (house brand) which I mount on a tripod. This too comes in handy
Get one of these instead..far more versatile: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DUAL-MOUNT-macro-flash-bracket-holder-for-speedlight-TF-22-Nikon-Canon-MT-24EX-/250933721573?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6cd0b9e5
I think I paid about $40 or $50 about 1.5 years ago. It's well worth the price giving you the utmost flexibility. I also picked up a macro rail from Adorama (house brand) which I mount on a tripod. This too comes in handy
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one thing to keep in mind with the mt-24ex is that you need to get the flash heads as close to the subject as possible. this will actually give a more diffused/less harsh light...i know, you'd possibly think it'd be the reverse but not so. by being closer it effectively increases the size of the light source in relation to the small shiny bug. same principle as getting a more natural looking portrait shot by using a larger flash umbrella or softbox.
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Thanks K-Amps. The web was completely vertical from a roof gutter to the ground. She was positioned at the center of the web at approx 5.5 feet high. The wind was somewhat constant but when there was a lull in the breeze I had the lens perfectly set to snap the photo. This took patience in waiting for the stillness. THis capture was after approx 8 or 9 shots - I finally nabbed a good one.
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nice one rev. wouldn't get me near that though...spiders scare me :-[
out of interest did you do any cropping to that shot?
out of interest did you do any cropping to that shot?
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nope .. no cropping and to further enhance the fear element I was about 1 to 1.5 inches away with the web swinging back and forth into the lens..creepy yet exhilarating. I tried to photograph one last tear on my BBQ counter in the back. At first the female was in my sight, I got up close within an inch or two and went to take the shot and she was gone. I quickly looked around the counter top and no luck. Then I ran like hell in house, peeled off half my clothes just in case and the darn thing was never found.
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lol ;D
that's sounds like the sort of thing i would have done. thinking you can feel it on you somewhere...makes me shiver just thinking about it. what a little girl i am : spiders are the only thing that freak me out though, fine with anything else.
anyway back to learning how to use my new toy...5DMKIII woohoo! arrived yesteday
that's sounds like the sort of thing i would have done. thinking you can feel it on you somewhere...makes me shiver just thinking about it. what a little girl i am :
spiders are the only thing that freak me out though, fine with anything else.anyway back to learning how to use my new toy...5DMKIII woohoo! arrived yesteday
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Got mine a few months ago but everyday I use it the excitement still remains the same. Kind of like a new car that carries that "new" smell to it. Wish I could bottle that
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Salticidae portrait by Gustavo Mazzarollo, on Flickr
Lynx spider portrait by Gustavo Mazzarollo, on Flickr
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