May 2020

[Fons Baerken]

Being in Duckweed Shooting Mode is a challenge, but of course there is little need of ever leaving my home and another pot of coffee brewing

I've been documenting a peculiar feature of Lemna japonica Japanese Duckweed the last day(s), and found I needed to make my focusing stack in a slanted angle. This in order to capture the sequence of papules (small pustules or papillae) along the median nerve on the dorsal side. They are very small and tend to blend in with the frond surface unless one lights them very carefully. Even then, the task was much tougher than I had expected and I'm still not completely satisfied with the outcome, so keep on trying more.

Here anyway is the current setup on my kitchen table, comprising the Z7, Laowa 25mm f/2.8 Ultra-Macro lens (CPU enhanced), Heim fibre optics, Stackshot rail, and all bolted onto one of my old faithful and rock sturdy Nikon Multiphot stands.Magnification is 5X and next step might be going up to 10X with the Mitutoyo 10X objective. However the last rig is physically longer thus inherently more unstable in an orientation off normal, plus the Mitutoyo is more prone to flaring when lighting is tricky.

A snapshot with the 85mm f/3.5 Voigtländer APO-Lanthar on the NEX-5N Monochrome.

More coffee awaits the intrepid photographer

Impressive setup, and interesting research! Good luck!

[Birna Rørslett]

plant id please...

Isn't that a Bryony?

[John Geerts]

Impressive setup, and interesting research! Good luck!

Yes, indeed !

Good luck, Birna.

[Akira]

Today, the Blue Impulse, the aerobatic team of Japan Air Self-Defence Force flew over Tokyo to express the appreciation to the people who have confronted COVID-19.  I figured that my place is right below the flight route of the team and decided to try to shoot the flight.

I've had no experience to shoot the fighters in flight and own no dedicated lens for the purpose.  So, I attached my trusty Ai 200/4.0 to Sigma fp, taped the focus ring to the infinity and the aperture ring to f11 so that I wouldn't mess up the setting by being panicked.  I figured and prayed that the team would be well within the DOF of a 200mm lens stopped down to f11, so it was virtually a "pan focus" shooting.  I did realize that the team would be shot always in a backlit situation and set the camera to the A mode and its exposure compensation to +1 stop.

And this is one of the most successful (at least to me) images.  The frame was trimmed roughly to half.

[Birna Rørslett]

The 200 Nikkor rightfully deserved your trust in it

[Bent Hjarbo]

The 200 Nikkor rightfully deserved your trust in it

+1
It is a bit tricky to photograph aero planes, but you did well

[Akira]

The 200 Nikkor rightfully deserved your trust in it

+1
It is a bit tricky to photograph aero planes, but you did well

Thank you, Birna and Bent!  My 200/4.0 has been used with D750, Panasonic GH5, Fuji X-E3/T3 and now Sigma fp and has never disappointed me!

[Tom Hook]

Cut my lawn for the first time this year. I try to avoid cutting some of the wildflowers that spring up and this daisy is an example of that.

[Akira]

Cut my lawn for the first time this year. I try to avoid cutting some of the wildflowers that spring up and this daisy is an example of that.

Tom, this is a delicate and affectionate image.

[golunvolo]

Really good job with those planes Akira.

    I´m enjoying a lot my time with the Nikon D2x. I got one for 200€ in an auction on ebay. It has some kirks but the images I find very much to my liking. Here, paired with the 80-200 2.8 ed


Edit, I put 2 images by mistake

[Akira]

Really good job with those planes Akira.

    I´m enjoying a lot my time with the Nikon D2x. I got one for 200€ in an auction on ebay. It has some kirks but the images I find very much to my liking. Here, paired with the 80-200 2.8 ed

Thank you, Paco.  It was an exciting experience.  The shutter response of D2X is still top notch even in today's standard, so it suits your shooting style in which the reflex nerve is essential.  Love the image, as always!

[John Geerts]

Today, the Blue Impulse, the aerobatic team of Japan Air Self-Defence Force flew over Tokyo to express the appreciation to the people who have confronted COVID-19.  I figured that my place is right below the flight route of the team and decided to try to shoot the flight.

I've had no experience to shoot the fighters in flight and own no dedicated lens for the purpose.  So, I attached my trusty Ai 200/4.0 to Sigma fp, taped the focus ring to the infinity and the aperture ring to f11 so that I wouldn't mess up the setting by being panicked.  I figured and prayed that the team would be well within the DOF of a 200mm lens stopped down to f11, so it was virtually a "pan focus" shooting.  I did realize that the team would be shot always in a backlit situation and set the camera to the A mode and its exposure compensation to +1 stop.

And this is one of the most successful (at least to me) images.  The frame was trimmed roughly to half.

Successful detailed shot.

[Akira]

Successful detailed shot.

Thank you, John!

[Alaun]

Isn't that a Bryony?

Yes, a "Zaunrübe"

[Bent Hjarbo]

Really good job with those planes Akira.

    I´m enjoying a lot my time with the Nikon D2x. I got one for 200€ in an auction on ebay. It has some kirks but the images I find very much to my liking. Here, paired with the 80-200 2.8 ed


Edit, I put 2 images by mistake

Paco, Paco, Paco, super image.