Globular springtails at 10X

Lord Vetinari

Had a play with my 10X microscope objective lens setup in the garden yesterday. Fairly crude focus stacks of two globular springtails. The first one jumped off a leaf and landed on it's side and promptly seemed to get stuck to the ice.

Brian v.

rhermans

Magnificent, wouldn't even think 10x would be possible

r3t1awr3yd

They call you LORD for a reason, right? lol.

Master of the Macroverse!

IPClark

Superb mag Brian.

I'm surprised you'd see anything like this during these colder snaps although the temps have certainly increased a touch. Looks like we're in for another cold snap soon though and likelyhood of some more snow. I'm hoping Liverpool gets more than it did a couple of weeks back.

ggeorge11

Wow, those are unreal.

Capularis

Great shots! I'm curious if anyone has tried the MP-E 65mm with a 2x teleconverter to obtain 10x mag.?

GOLDENORFE

not too bad Brian, how do you think they would compare to a crop from a x5 mag shot?

Lord Vetinari

Thanks for the comments all- appreciated.

Capularis- I've only tried with my 1.4X converter but know others that have used a 2X. Main problem is that similar to phils comment above, you probably will get as good a picture from cropping a 5X shot.

Phil - Think you can get more detail using a 10X lens than a 5X MPE-65 shot cropped but the main problem not suprisingly with the 10X shot hand held is just getting focus correct and then being able to get suitable shots for focus stacking which is fairly essential for a subject like this. The bottom of the head in #1 does show some pale spotting which I've never noticed on a 5X shot. A 10X microscope objective mounted on a rig for focus stacking will certainly capture more detail but then you are into deliberately frozen bugs normally which is not my scene. I'm trying to persuade my son to get me a 4 or 5X objective lens for Christmas so I could then compare more fairly with the MPE-65.
I'll have to try doing a 5X focus stack with the MPE-65 nearly wide open which should be closer to the aperture value of these microscope lenses.

Oddly though I quite like the results of these shots and it's interesting trying to take them which is my main enjoyment.

Brian v.

puzzledpaul

<< Oddly though I quite like the results of these shots and it's interesting trying to take them which is my main enjoyment. >>

I felt the same when messing around (over a yr ago) with both microscope objectives and lenses I removed from various scrapped flatbed scanners (some of the latter, btw, produced pretty decent results - especially considering the price I paid - zero )

One + of such lenses (imo) when mounted on the end of small dia adaptors was that of making it easier to get a lower angle on small subjects. I used various odds and ends - and fortunately have an RMS tap to help with said bodging.

pp

Lord Vetinari

puzzledpaul wrote: »

<< Oddly though I quite like the results of these shots and it's interesting trying to take them which is my main enjoyment. >>

I felt the same when messing around (over a yr ago) with both microscope objectives and lenses I removed from various scrapped flatbed scanners (some of the latter, btw, produced pretty decent results - especially considering the price I paid - zero )

One + of such lenses (imo) when mounted on the end of small dia adaptors was that of making it easier to get a lower angle on small subjects. I used various odds and ends - and fortunately have an RMS tap to help with said bodging.

pp

Paul - yes agree- even with my slightly bulky setup , it is still much easier to aim the lens at the subject than it is with an MPE-65 at high magnification. I'm hopefully getting a 4X microscope lens for Christmas and it will be interesting to compare that with using the MPE-65 in the field.
Brian V.

puzzledpaul

<< hopefully getting a 4X microscope lens >>

IIrc I had one about this mag too (or maybe something odd like 3.75x) ... with your skills you should have a good time

Probably of little interest, but remembered this after posting last night.

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7465&highlight=

(Think I'd have considered making a 'matching' conical adaptor if I'd continued along these lines re 'angle issues' )

pp

Lord Vetinari

puzzledpaul wrote: »

<< hopefully getting a 4X microscope lens >>

IIrc I had one about this mag too (or maybe something odd like 3.75x) ... with your skills you should have a good time

Probably of little interest, but remembered this after posting last night.

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7465&highlight=

(Think I'd have considered making a 'matching' conical adaptor if I'd continued along these lines re 'angle issues' )

pp

You can buy those conical adapters for RMS thread microscope objectives if you can find a way of mating the M42 other end to your camera.
eg http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=948650

Brian V.

puzzledpaul

Thanks for the info, Brian - and whilst there's no doubt adaptors around for the m42 aspect, this problem wouldn't exist for a home-made device, as it'd (be designed to) mate with existing gear somehow ... and then there's the 'dirty' word - spending, too

pp

Lord Vetinari

puzzledpaul wrote: »

Thanks for the info, Brian - and whilst there's no doubt adaptors around for the m42 aspect, this problem wouldn't exist for a home-made device, as it'd (be designed to) mate with existing gear somehow ... and then there's the 'dirty' word - spending, too

pp

Well I like to DIY if I can. The extension tubes I use the microscope lens on are Pentax Kmount tubes about 40 years old which I managed to attach part of a canon fit Tmount to so the objective is fitted to a Pentax body cap.
Brian V.