# This is gonna be challenging...Yes sir!



## Bitter Jeweler (Jun 23, 2012)

Just popped for the canon MP-E 65mm macro...

These were just poking around having some fun my the shop...
Not looking for critique, really, but feel free to comment.


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## Ernicus (Jun 23, 2012)

I'm really liking number 3.  Cool stuff.


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## sm4him (Jun 23, 2012)

Some pretty cool stuff for first attempts with that lens, at least from what I hear about it.  I like all of the first three; macro with all the lines, shapes and colors of abstract.  I really can't wait to see what all you create with that lens!


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## Bitter Jeweler (Jun 23, 2012)

Thanks!

It's gonna be hard. I don't normaly do abstracts with shallow DoF, so I have to learn to add that into the overall way of looking at things.
It's also rather different than using the 100mm macro lens, because you have framing options. You can move in and out, and just refocus.
With this one your kinda stuck with one focal distance. THAT will take some getting used to.

I can't imagine using this on a crop sensor. I'll have to throw it on my XSi and see.

The other thing that troubles me with using this for abstracts is dirt. Dirt, fuzz, hair, dust...that ****s everywhere! Now it's BIG and becomes a visual element. Gah!


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## sm4him (Jun 23, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> Thanks!
> 
> The other thing that troubles me with using this for abstracts is dirt. Dirt, fuzz, hair, dust...that ****s everywhere! Now it's BIG and becomes a visual element. Gah!



Yeah, I can imagine; I've had that problem even with my 100mm macro. I did a Crayola series for a friend recently; just a bunch of different close-ups of crayons in varying arrangements. I thought they turned out pretty decently; then I loaded them into PS to make some minor edits...and...CAT HAIR! Cat hair ALL over the stupid crayon tips!  I may have to shave the cats.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Jun 23, 2012)

:lmao:

That's also a reason I haven't tried taking any real pictures of the cats...cat hair on the carpet shows up REAL nice when you pop a flash.


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## Overread (Jun 23, 2012)

Bitter Jeweler said:


> :lmao:
> 
> That's also a reason I haven't tried taking any real pictures of the cats...cat hair on the carpet shows up REAL nice when you pop a flash.



At least its not a husky - that fur shows up on the flash itself before you even get to fire it! 

Also before I forget you might want to look at this 
MPE 65mm test shot series - a set on Flickr
there is a full description there and a set of fullsized images to see. I'd expect you be able to stop down about one stop or so more on fullframe as opposed to crop sensor (which I used for these shots). However the basic lesson is to remember that the effective aperture always gets smaller as you increase magnification - so you have to set wider and wider apertures as you increase the magnification to retain a good level of detail (diffraction is a real thing with this lens). 


That said early results look good- what were you using for lighting?


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## Bitter Jeweler (Jun 23, 2012)

Thanks for the link. 

I remember reading about the effective aperture. This lens is definitely its own deal.

These were all hand held, in auto (because I was just playing), with natural (ambient) light.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Jun 23, 2012)

Holy crap! You put a 2x teleconverter on that thing too?

Oh, I learned why a focusing rail is beneficial for using this on a tripod. Moving the tripod to focus, then adjusting the ball head angle...then moving the tripod again............uhg!

Yay! More gear!


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## Netskimmer (Jun 24, 2012)

Nikon users are just going to have to circulate a petition or something to get Nikon or even Tamron or Sigma to come up with a lens like this. I have heard so many non-Canon shooters lament over not being able to use this lens and even going so far as to buy a Cannon body just so they can get one. I just don't get why nobody else makes a similar lens, unless there is some patented component that they are not allowed to copy or something.


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## charlie76 (Jun 24, 2012)

2 is cool...4 is simple but definitely interesting.  Damn...do I need a macro bad!


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## Robin Usagani (Jun 24, 2012)

you just made the universe 5X larger... so many things to shoot!


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## mishele (Jun 24, 2012)

That's a challenging lens!! Have fun playing w/ it!! I for one hate setting up a tripod....lol It stifles my creativity....
I can't wait to see what you come up w/!
So far I like the last one!! It's true to your form.


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## 480sparky (Jun 24, 2012)

mishele said:


> ........I for one hate setting up a tripod....lol It stifles my creativity.................



I find a tripod an asset to creativity.  It forces me to slow down, allowing the clutch in my brain to engage.


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## Overread (Jun 24, 2012)

I find if I'm shooting a static subject indoors then a tripod is ideal - however if I'm outside I tend to find it more just gets in the way and takes forever to setup and get into position.

That said on the tripod front you'll want a few things:
1 ) Manfrotto Junior Geared head - best head for this kind of work, fine control in 3 axis, slow, but you don't get any droop problems at all. There are bigger and better geared heads, they tend to be far more expensive, much heaver and aimed at big MF cameras - for the MPE they are somewhat overkill in features, price and weight. 

2) Focusing rail - three choices here. A cheap Adorama/ebay focusing rail - an expensive (unless you're lucky to find one in a bargin bin) Novoflex focusing rail - a motorized one from cognisys http://www.cognisys-inc.com/stackshot/stackshot.php?osCsid=148b5b3d7523bb31c6aa570e885287aa

Note with the ebay focusing rails just search for "focusing rail" there are a few different designs though. I far prefer this:
UK 4-way Macro Focusing Rail Slider for Canon Nikon Sony Minolta Olympus Pentax | eBay
design. The cradle type (which are similar to the manfrotto focusing rail - which I've used) can have slight problems because the pressure on/off also shifts the cradle itself. This means that it can wobble a little as you lock it into position. I never found mine to be as stable nor as easy as the one I got from ebay (which is the same design Adorama use - its not the "best" the best is novoflex, but for its cost its very serviceable).


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