The 300PF as a stabilized Macro on 23mm & 52mm extension

[Frank Fremerey]

some more extented 300PF Shots:

[Jakov Minić]

Frank, the first two are just lovely!

[armando_m]

Great images Frank

1 and 2 are my favorites

[Bjørn Jorde]

Nice work Frank!

Have you measured what the reproduction ratio with the 23mm extension is on the 300PF?
Also, do you know wha the minimum focusing distance is with this combo?

[Bill Mellen]

Very nice Frank!

The 300PF is at the top of my wish list along with a TC14III

[Roland Vink]

The 300PF focuses to 1.4m by itself, giving a magnification of 1:4.1. My rough calculation suggests the focal length has reduced to about 230mm at this point. Adding a 23mm extension tube will increase the magnification by an extra 1:10, giving a total magnification a little less than 1:3. The focusing distance will be about 1.2m. These calculations assume a theoretical "thin lens" so the actual figures may be a little different, but they are usually reasonably close.

[Akira]

Welccome back, Frank, and thanks for additional marvelous closeups!  Hope the reason for your hiatus is not the health problem.

[Ann]

Those are really great Frank — especially the first one.

I have been using my 300 mm PF heavily since I bought it a year ago as a direct result of your comments and enthusiasm for that lens.

[Olivier]

I like n.3...
The leaves give a swirl that surround the bug.

[Frank Fremerey]

Akira. It was more the immune suppressor medication that caused some trouble and the need for a pause.

Thank you all for the comments. Esp tracking fast insects is wonderful with the combination. I need some time to practice autofocus in these situations.

[Frank Fremerey]

Nice work Frank!
Have you measured what the reproduction ratio with the 23mm extension is on the 300PF?
Also, do you know wha the minimum focusing distance is with this combo?

No I did not measure the reproduction ratio.

For me the question is more interesting, if I get an added value in practice. With a lens like the 1.4/105E and the 1.4/58G I feel the distance range is very small if I extend them, meaning: I can get nearer to the subject, but the subject distance in which I can achieve focus is very small, so I am more or less fixed in a certain distance from the subject. I hope you can understand what I say.

With the 300PF I can change subject distance and still achieve focus. Of course I lose 10 Meters and I lose infinity, But I gain qite a lot.

Next time I will take a triod and measure the minimum and maximum distance in which I can achieve focus. OK?

[David Paterson]

Lots of nice work here Frank, and very interesting to me because it helps to confirm my recent habit of using my 70-200/4 for all my macro work. I use it either with extension or supplementary lens or both, and it gives excellent results, the working distance is much more comfortable, and the bokeh is superb.

I have been so pleased with this that I have tried using the 200-500/5.6  in the same way, also with good results. However, the lens is just a bit clumsy for this kind of work, as I'm sure you know.

[Michael Erlewine]

Nice shots. But my only concern with so much extension is that it changes the lens, nevertheless, and probably affects the color. In my work, there is no free lunch, no matter how hard i try. You may get top results, but when I try it, it seems I am just degrading an otherwise great lens.

[Frank Fremerey]

Michael: the perfection in your work is fascinating also the process you achieve your results. Yet your work is yours and others emphasize on other aspects of picture making. I do not feel I use the combination in the best possible way yet, but I am working on it

[Frank Fremerey]

David: very interesting what you do. From me macro was always tripod and manual focus and small subject distance. With a long stabilized lens with superb AF they spontaneous, emotional shot is achievable. A new field opens. I really like the 105VR optically, but I hate the CAR and the AF because they are not really helpful tracking bees in flight which is my goal. With the D500 and very soon the D850 the AF and VR of the long version 300PF is superb. A bit of practice and you hope to create amazing stuff I could not create with my earlier equipment. Nice to hear that the 70-200 and 200-500 are also useful. Very interesting. Wish I had more time to shoot & edit