Yellow Peril

[Black Pearl]

Wasps are evil little blighters but rather fascinating up close...

Fuji X-T1 + Vivitar 90mm f2.8 + Wemacro rail + 3x Godox TT350F flash guns + Helicon Focus + Lightroom + Photoshop + a little patience 

[Black Pearl]

My mum's partner (Andy) has been investing in some serious macro kit and today I got a chance to try it out. The shot above was took using a fairly conventional macro lens - in this case an old Vivitar 90mm originally with a Minolta MD mount but adapted to fit a Fuji to bring it up to date. 

One of the bits of kit Andy has invested in is a Wemacro Rail - basically a computer controlled macro rail that can move the camera forwards and backwards in steps as small as 7um (microns) while at the same time firing the camera any number of times you require. This amazingly clever bit of kit in conjunction with three wirelessly controlled Godox flash heads can be programmed to take a picture, move the camera a fraction of a mm forward/backward then fire it again...and again and again until it has captured the entire depth of the subject you place in front of it. Once you have the files you can Focus Stack them to form one image with an extended depth of field. 

For the shot below I switched to the other bit of kit he bought - a microscope lens that fits onto the end of a 200mm infinity tube (or a 200mm lens) and gives you really rather extraordinary close ups. The final image is made of 86 original files (focus slices) and is my first attempt  so a bit iffy here and there....but you get an idea of what the combination is capable of.

To give you an idea of what all that looks like in practice....

The rail itself with the camera screwed to the top plate...

A birds eye view of the infinity tube (A Carl Zeiss 200mm f4) with the APO Microscope lens on the front, the three flash guns and if you look carefully the wasp within a series of diffusers. The silver box to the right is the rail controller plugged into the rail itself and the camera so it can trigger the exposures.

[johntwo]

That is seriously good quality.  The resolution you have achieved with the set up is just excellent.  The first one looked at in the larger version shows that in spades.  Interest shots and nice work.

[fuzzyedges]

Brilliant results from some serious gear 

Does it not hurt the shoulder a bit when you are out in the bushes

[FUJI]

Absolutely wonderful Robin..... you have made me miss my sold macro gear now.....I have a cheaper macro-stocking rail.

I really enjoyed creating macro stacks and using the software to bring them att together as one.....CS6 is pretty good at macro stacking too.

Good to see you off the beach, so to speak.....

If you want to grab a few shots of insects before winter arrives, Ivy flowers are full of pollen just now...find ivy in a sunny-fairly-warm position, and you should find the last of the wasps, a few bees and a hover fly or two desperate for the last of the summer nectar and pollen.

Don’t  forget also, those tiny, attractive springtails which live in leaf-litter in any weather....cute little critters.

 

Fuji

[Black Pearl]

2 hours ago, John2 said:

That is seriously good quality.  The resolution you have achieved with the set up is just excellent.  The first one looked at in the larger version shows that in spades.  Interest shots and nice work.

The set up is amazing John and the level of control you have over the stacking is where the detail comes from. Can't wait to have another go.

1 hour ago, fuzzyedges said:

Brilliant results from some serious gear 

Does it not hurt the shoulder a bit when you are out in the bushes

Unfortunately it needs a mains supply - otherwise I'd carry it all over 

[Black Pearl]

44 minutes ago, FUJI said:

Absolutely wonderful Robin..... you have made me miss my sold macro gear now.....I have a cheaper macro-stocking rail.

I really enjoyed creating macro stacks and using the software to bring them att together as one.....CS6 is pretty good at macro stacking too.

Good to see you off the beach, so to speak.....

If you want to grab a few shots of insects before winter arrives, Ivy flowers are full of pollen just now...find ivy in a sunny-fairly-warm position, and you should find the last of the wasps, a few bees and a hover fly or two desperate for the last of the summer nectar and pollen.

Don’t  forget also, those tiny, attractive springtails which live in leaf-litter in any weather....cute little critters.

 

Fuji

This gear is way beyond what I normally have access to but the results speak for themselves.

Look out for some more images from WearyLandcrab as some of the stuff he's producing is astonishing.......if a little gruesome.

[WearyLandcrab]

BP Forgot to show you the battery pack that came with rail.

 

[kev7d]

Awesome bit of kit.  

[Clicker]

Unbelievable  results .... way beyond my pay grade!

[Black Pearl]

6 hours ago, Clicker said:

Unbelievable  results .... way beyond my pay grade!

Yep - its all about the gear on this type of image.

[colinb]

Jeez that some serious kit there BP (hate to think of the £'s) but the results are rather good.

[Paul]

Brilliant.

Paul.