Here are a couple of shots from recent outings I'm just getting around to looking at now.

This guy landed in front of me for a snack while I was chasing a bumble bee around.


I love shooting dragon flies. These are very common here in marshlands and yes they do get big. this guys is about 3" long. they are amazingly aerobatic and it's fun to watch them but hard to photograph in flight. this was one of the last shots from my a700 before a drenching from a thunderstorm broke it.

I love the first shot, probably taken with your Beercan + A700.

The first shot is nice. I am new to taking macro shots. Did you zoom out all the way and get close or stand back and zoom in? I tried shots like this but I stood too close and the pix was blurry.

How did you insert your image into the post? There is not upload button.

Thanks

Sorry I hadn't realized anyone responded to my posts. Yes both these were taken with my beercan. it's funny how everything flies crawls or slithers away when my 100mm is attached. but I have a lot of fun doing these with the beercan while just walking around or trying to get another subject. that beercan is so versatile. I wouldn't call those macro shots. it's just the beercan on APS c seems to be a great close focus lens that doesn't scare the bugs away when zoomed all the way in. the 100mm is good at this too but with that, and if I have the opportunity, I can get very very close. enough so that the subject is projected through the lens onto the sensor at 100% of it's size (Thats where true macro starts). then you get into more magnification beyond that. I could have got a frame filling face shot of that butterfly with the 100mm if I'd had enough light and the butterfly stayed still long enough. The beercan just gives me the opportunity to get these shots without a lot of trouble. the true macro lenses are hard to hand hold and need a lot of light, I'd sell my left foot if Sony would bring back Minolta's ring flash so I can get some use from the 100mm at 1:1 and small apertures.

Most people consider shots like this as macro. these were cropped down too so the subjects look bigger. and to be honest shots like these. maybe less busy and composed better make better wall hangers than seeing a flies whiskers full framed. lenses marked macro are usually close focus lenses but they can only get so close. but don't worry so much about close as sharp and a deep depth of Field. smaller aperture the better. and hold very steady. I use a mono-pod a lot these days although these 2 I didn't have it with me. if there sharp enough you can crop to size.

To insert a picture you need to host your picture somewhere and use the IMG button to insert your URL (to your picture) into. put the link between the 2 sets of brackets and it should work.