Close-ups in the garden

[simato73]

Not much to do today, except for chores.
Inspired by the recent experience during the forest walk with Dave in Killin, in between heavy rain showers I have gone out in the garden to do some close-up work.
The environment was pretty ideal, diffuse light from the overcast day, and lots of tiny raindrops on the vegetation.
Equipment is the same, Fuji X-T1 with Nikon E 75-150 and K2+K3 rings. In one case I have added an inverted 50mm.

[Lars Hansen]

Very nice result! I like the rain drops on the lush green - in #3 there is almost a fish-eye selfie in the rain drop.

[simato73]

Very nice result! I like the rain drops on the lush green - in #3 there is almost a fish-eye selfie in the rain drop.

Thank you Lars. You are indeed right about the fisheye.
A famous fisheye played a very prominent role in the recent NG trip to Scotland, so I was reminded of it.
If you look closely you might be able to see that in this shot I am waving with my hand

Overall I am finding a new interest in photographing small things so I might get some dedicated lens for it.
I saw Frank's 200/4 micro AI-s and liked it so now I am considering getting one. The AF would be even nicer but it is too expensive.

[Matthew Currie]

I went out looking for bees in the apple trees but it was too cool and breezy, so I got down and close and looked at some dandelions.  Just about the commonest, least regarded weed there is, but rather nice up close.

I have a selection of Compugraphic typesetting lenses that I put into a microscope adapter.  The exact focal length and aperture are unknown, but the pictures here are uncropped.  The last is as far as I get.  That one is pretty dim too, and hard to focus in any but bright light.  But the rig is small and light enough to hand hold at lower magnifications.

[Lars Hansen]

Thank you Lars. You are indeed right about the fisheye.
A famous fisheye played a very prominent role in the recent NG trip to Scotland, so I was reminded of it.
If you look closely you might be able to see that in this shot I am waving with my hand

Overall I am finding a new interest in photographing small things so I might get some dedicated lens for it.
I saw Frank's 200/4 micro AI-s and liked it so now I am considering getting one. The AF would be even nicer but it is too expensive.

Yes - now I see your hand 
Next time I'm in Copenhagen I ought to go and get a glimpse of the monster fish before it is changing hands - it's a somewhat rare lens I understand (and "somewhat" expensive..).

Maybe I misunderstand your intentions - the 200/4 micro AI-s with AF - would the AF work on the X-T1 with an adapter? 
I have the Fuji XF 60 macro - a quite nice lens but tricky AF and not 1:1. 

[simato73]

Yes - now I see your hand 
Next time I'm in Copenhagen I ought to go and get a glimpse of the monster fish before it is changing hands - it's a somewhat rare lens I understand (and "somewhat" expensive..).

Maybe I misunderstand your intentions - the 200/4 micro AI-s with AF - would the AF work on the X-T1 with an adapter? 
I have the Fuji XF 60 macro - a quite nice lens but tricky AF and not 1:1.

I think it was rather me not being very clear.
Obviously no AF - the lens does not have it in the first place and anyway it would not work mounted on the Fuji.
However that is not at all a problem for me. I would use manual focus to do close ups, with a tripod and a rail.
There is also the AF-D version, which is optically much better but unfortunately way too expensive for me. Again, if I used it on the Fuji I would not be at all concerned with the loss of the AF function.
Regarding other focal lengths I have thought about it and I really value the long working distance that a 200mm lens offers.

Finally, Erik says that the lens has been purchased (not by him), so if you want to see it you better hurry, it might already be gone.

[Matthew Currie]

Fooling around a little more I put 68 millimeters of extension tubes on a 200/F4 lens, stopped it down a little, cranked the ISO up to 1600, and shot the last gasp of what started out the spring as a white trillium.   Hand held at 1/200 with a D3200.  Not perhaps the ideal macro setup.

[simato73]

Fooling around a little more I put 68 millimeters of extension tubes on a 200/F4 lens, stopped it down a little, cranked the ISO up to 1600, and shot the last gasp of what started out the spring as a white trillium.   Hand held at 1/200 with a D3200.  Not perhaps the ideal macro setup.

Nice, but please don't take offense, if you are not interested in commenting the photos in the original post and just want to post your own, you might as well start your own thread.

[Matthew Currie]

Apologies.  I guess I found the original post inspiring and just went out to the garden....

[simato73]

Apologies.  I guess I found the original post inspiring and just went out to the garden....

No problem.
If you had said this from the outset it would have made a completely different sense.
You are welcome to post more if you wish.

[Lars Hansen]

Obviously no AF - the lens does not have it in the first place and anyway it would not work mounted on the Fuji.

Regarding other focal lengths I have thought about it and I really value the long working distance that a 200mm lens offers.

Thanks Simone - I was just curious to know if some ingenious adapter existed to incorporate AF. Good point regarding the working distance - my 60mm does require getting close and this is far from always possible. I've read (rumors) about Fuji was planning on releasing a macro at around 120mm but it seems they have abandoned it in favour of a shorter one (more rumors). 

[simato73]

Thanks Simone - I was just curious to know if some ingenious adapter existed to incorporate AF. Good point regarding the working distance - my 60mm does require getting close and this is far from always possible. I've read (rumors) about Fuji was planning on releasing a macro at around 120mm but it seems they have abandoned it in favour of a shorter one (more rumors).

Yes, I am not holding my breath.
I like the 200mm focal length, the manual focus, the fact that it can be used on a Nikon DSLR should I gent another one in the future, and last but not least the low price.
I am currently actively looking for a good opportunity on eBay, unfortunately it will probably arrive too late for the bluebell season this year.