Macros - A tale of two techniques

[sury]

The first one was taken outdoors with a Pentax 300/f4 and 42mm Vivitar extension tubes on an A900 with M42/MA adapter. The image and an 100% crop are attached.
The second is with Minolta MD 58mm/f1.4 and +3 culset attached at the front with HVL58 flash indoors using MD/MA adapter. Both set ups are manual focused. The
image and an 100% crop are attached. All comments and critique are appreciated. I was not sure I should post this in A100-900 or here. Anyway, here they are.

With best regards,
Sury

The flower was about 10 feet from where I was standing at an angle.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/313 ... 810f_b.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a 100% crop
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/313 ... 33a7_b.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The ornament was about 8 inches away from the camera.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3225/313 ... 7d61_b.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a 100% crop

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/313 ... ebe0_o.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[aster]

Hi Sury,

I don't have any manual focus lenses and don't use adapters much so my observations will be about what I see in the photos only.

I assume you were not using a tripod for these photos because the second photo of the ornament's 100% weaving shows some motion blur...or maybe is it about the red that this result appears? Red colour can be a problem sometimes.( though the green weaving has some unclear areas too)

The first image may be having some Chromatic Aberration problem on the buds that are in the defocused background (the uppermost contour of the bud has some green-purplish lining to it). But the dew beads look focused and have some good details...

Nice experiments

Yildiz

[Dr. Harout]

I agree with Yildiz. Though, obviously the first one is better performed than the second, but the lighting differs. The second is definitely a blur.
But that doesn't discriminate the test at all. On the contrary, I think we should see a lot of such tests.
BTW, if that Pentax is yours, then do keep it, it should be a great performer.
Please do post some pictures without extension tubes, I'm sure they will be great.
As I see or notice, Sony is loosing a battle against high ISO (yet) but on the other hand it is by far more tolerant to old lenses than other manufacturers are.

[sury]

Yildiz,
Hmm. The crop on my monitor showed tack sharp weave. That is the reason I wanted to share. Looks like Flickr is doing something funky.

Now that you mentined, I noticed the CA on the out of focus buds too. I was looking at the dew beads and was quite pleased that from 10+ feet away,
the lens captured the couple of mm of beads reasonably sharp.

Your comments are appreciated and help me learn to look at the image as a whole.

with best regards,
Sury

Hi Sury,

I don't have any manual focus lenses and don't use adapters much so my observations will be about what I see in the photos only.

I assume you were not using a tripod for these photos because the second photo of the ornament's 100% weaving shows some motion blur...or maybe is it about the red that this result appears? Red colour can be a problem sometimes.( though the green weaving has some unclear areas too)

The first image may be having some Chromatic Aberration problem on the buds that are in the defocused background (the uppermost contour of the bud has some green-purplish lining to it). But the dew beads look focused and have some good details...

Nice experiments

Yildiz

[sury]

Dr. Harout,
I bought it on Ebay so it is mine. Here is the example of the same flower with 300/f4 without extension tubes. I took it the day before.
Not the sharpest but I had A900 for only two days so I was like a kid in the candy shop.

Sury

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/313 ... 2fd7_b.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I agree with Yildiz. Though, obviously the first one is better performed than the second, but the lighting differs. The second is definitely a blur.
But that doesn't discriminate the test at all. On the contrary, I think we should see a lot of such tests.
BTW, if that Pentax is yours, then do keep it, it should be a great performer.
Please do post some pictures without extension tubes, I'm sure they will be great.
As I see or notice, Sony is loosing a battle against high ISO (yet) but on the other hand it is by far more tolerant to old lenses than other manufacturers are.

[Dr. Harout]

Would be happy to see more pictures with that lens, please. It's a wonder.
BTW, the bokeh seems very nice.

[sury]

I am planning to go to San Francisco tomorrow and will take the lens with me. Hopefully, weather permitting,
I will get a chance to use it.

with best regards,
Sury

[aster]

Hello Sury,

Just a tiny suggestion if you don't mind; I believe that you should register or store all these experiments with different lens/adapter combinations for future reference. Such a rsource would be invaluable who are in search of unusual set-ups. Not at a website lie Flickr or the like but a personal website where the photos can be studied closely and without any loss in photo information?

You're doing a nice experimentation worthy of looking into.

Good luck,
Yildiz

[sury]

Yildiz,
Thank you for the suggestion. Only thing that is missing is the fstop. I save the images in an appropriately named folders.
Iso, shutter information is present in the Exit data. As for photos on the public website, I have received so much from the
fora like these, I don't mind putting the photos out there if anyone wants to study it. That's is the least I could do to express
my gratitude.

with best regards,
Sury

Hello Sury,

Just a tiny suggestion if you don't mind; I believe that you should register or store all these experiments with different lens/adapter combinations for future reference. Such a rsource would be invaluable who are in search of unusual set-ups. Not at a website lie Flickr or the like but a personal website where the photos can be studied closely and without any loss in photo information?

You're doing a nice experimentation worthy of looking into.

Good luck,
Yildiz