Mine haven't got crap yet
Is it possible to soak in warm soap water?

Thanks for the input man~
I guess I should clean mine as well soon, getting dirtier

Good try man, this particular fly is tough to shoot since its pretty sensitive
You used flash for that shot right?

Maybe can try something that don't mind being shoot and larger? Much easier

Well, built in flashes worked pretty well too with a little bit of modding, to channel the light onto the subject instead of being blocked by the lens

That is a Lawn Moth
Yeah, perhaps can try something bigger but not on plants that are easily swayed by wind?

This shot took me a lot of tries because the wind was constantly blowing:

Oxytate virens ♂- Long Green Crab Spider by PF T.J., on Flickr

Beetles are very good for practice since they hardly move and are big as hell haha

If you are shooting manually, the AF points don't matter anymore
Its just a matter of choosing the right plane so that the things that you want to be in focus are in focus.
Its not that easy since the DOF is very shallow for Extension tubes and reverse lenses (at least that's what I've heard )

For instance, if you shoot from the side, everything will be in focus:

Siler semiglaucus 2- Bootle-Brush Iridescent Jumper by PF T.J., on Flickr

But for the same shot taken from the front, notice how the ant and the back of the spider becomes out of focus?

Siler semiglaucus 1- Bootle-Brush Iridescent Jumper by PF T.J., on Flickr

Dedicated macro lens will be able to perform better in terms of DOF. Will update once I get to try it out~

As for focusing, I prefer the "move-body-backward-and-forward, estimating-when-to-press-the-shutter" method over adjusting the focus ring. The latter I think is more suitable if you are on a tripod and not subjected to handshake

Some insects are really sensitive, and its virtually impossible to get close to them, I think that is when a real macro lens will come in handy

I can't recall how many times I've missed shots (somehow they are always those important shots ) while I was busy switching in between extension tubes

Wah, that picture basically sums up everything, good share
Thanks for the praise sifu
50mm + ET sure has its limitations.. until now only a few dragonfly/damselfly shots. And no in-flight shots

Thanks man, still learning~
I used extension tubes, they work slightly differently from reverse lenses
Holy, you didn't use reverse adapter?

Live view is usually not that recommended since it is hard to see whether the subject (usually the eyes, which are pretty small in the screen) is in focus or not. I only use Liveview only when I cannot get close to the subject, and since hand shakes can be pretty serious, I try to spam photos

Keep it up, you are doing great~

I think there's a speck of dust among the clouds at the middle too
Great colors though~

This post has been edited by [PF] T.J.: Nov 3 2013, 04:38 PM

Took some shots during my trip back to Penang


Water lilies and bees by PF T.J., on Flickr


Red Dahlia by PF T.J., on Flickr


Carpenter Bee by PF T.J., on Flickr


Unidentified Spider by PF T.J., on Flickr

Thanks man
Shots 1-3 taken with 105mm F2.8 VR, shot 4 taken with 50mm + extension tubes (x3)~

Well, I still prefer the 50mm + extension tube combo more than the dedicated macro lens, especially for small insects
Good thing about macro is that it can be really cheap to start learning

Yup! Purchased already
Though I am not too sure its considered an upgrade haha... I'm in a hate-love relationship with the 105mm micro since the minimum focusing range is quite far, making photographing small subjects extremely difficult T____T

But it sure has its uses and flexibility when shooting large, moving subjects, managed to capture some rare shots otherwise impossible with the 50mm + ET combo

I shoot with ISO400, 1/250, F16 with flash fired at (1/32) for almost all of my shots. Will adjust ISO or distance of flashgun according to need, but that's about it
I suppose the best way to get better shots is to go out into gardens or forests to look for more interesting subjects (just like how portraits need lengloi models ). People love to see something more refreshing I suppose

As for the dedicated macro lens (assuming 105mm here) vs 50mm + ET, it depends on what you are shooting~ If you love to shoot small, moving subjects like jumping spiders, the 50mm + ET is a much better choice (assuming the spider is not super alert; luckily most salticids aren't XD) since you can get much closer, and you can see clearer through your viewfinder whether the subject (usually the eyes) are in focus or not before you fire

The 105mm's advantage is that it can be used to produce 1:1 shots relatively farther away from the subject, which can also be a big drawback when you are shooting something small (even worse when its moving), since you cannot tell what is in focus since the subject is already too small to start with

My hit rate for a 50mm + ET is almost 80% or higher... as for the 105mm.. LOL, let's just say I need more practice XD

You are still so young bro, save slowly and keep shooting, and you'll be upgrading in no time
Enjoy the process, that's more important!

Try Foto-Shangri La Miami at SS14? The one beside KFC.
Their prices ( digitalfm14 in Garage Sales) are often the cheapest in town, perhaps can try from there

This post has been edited by [PF] T.J.: Nov 4 2013, 04:03 PM

Same here, Pool C makes sense

Ops, thanks for the correction man, appreciate it!

Wah, great find! Bathing also can see this kind of damselfly
Looks like a female Agriocnemis pygmaea (Wandering Wisp). I've yet to see one

Feel free to ask if you have any questions, will try to help

gunzerdude sifu is right, it depends on which lens you intend to pair with your ET. If its something heavy (say 700g-1kg), might be worth investing in Meike or Kenko If you're only pairing it with a 50mm (which is an extremely good combo for the price), then cheap extension tubes will do

My Kenko ET worked well at Autofocusing with the 105mm as opposed to the 50mm, but still, I'd still prefer manual focusing most of the time

Damn, great shot!
The colors are wonderful, and interesting subjects for silhouette too~
I think the bottom part can just crop off, but otherwise a very nice photo~
Your skills really improved alot man~

Thanks for sharing bro, but I think one of the links is not working

Wah, so much hype with the new Nikon hehe
Gotta admit I've always dig retro design

But I suppose at that price, it doesn't really mean much for those who already have a FF DSLR?
For those who are looking for a secondary will probably be more interested in the new FF Sony?

As for me haha, I think I'm still more interested in the Fujifilm XE-2, at least its cheaper, noneed to worry so much about bringing it outdoors

Holy Shiat!!
Manufacturers are making FF look cheap haha
Technological advancement is really astonishing

Shots taken last weekend at Forest Park Penang

105mm macro lens:

Penang Forest Park- Chasing the Lights by PF T.J., on Flickr

50mm prime lens:

Penang Forest Park- Sun and Stream by PF T.J., on Flickr

Thanks bro, much appreciated I'm sure it will be much nicer with UWA like yours
No choice la haha, I only wanted to shoot macro that day, mana tau got something so spectacular