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The Bug Geek
Insects. Doing Science. Other awesome, geeky stuff.
First attempt with new macro lens
Posted by on January 10, 2010
Let it be stated for the record that I have a point-and-shoot camera, a Canon PowerShotSX10. This is a fully serviceable little machine, with lots of bells and whistles and settings etc. But I can’t interchange lenses, nor can I focus manually. These present challenges when I want to photograph the very tiny or the very far away.
My beloved DID manage to find me an add-on macro lens, however, that was compatible with my Canon: a raynox super macro conversion lens (DCR-250). It comes with an adaptor that allows me to clip the macro over my existing lens with a simple spring mechanism.
I was fiddling with the lens today for the first time. I was using only the ambient light (a grey winter day, indoors) – I really need to get a flash – and was aided by an Optex T120 Minipro Tripod; it’s about 8 inches high.
My subjects: some of my latest additions to my collection; a bunch of critters I found, forgotten, in the back of the freezer. Some were 3 years old. They sat in a relaxing jar for several days and I’m quite pleased at how flexible I was able to get them. They’re not as perfectly posed as I usually like, but considering how long they’d been on ice, I’ll take what I can get. So here you go; please do tell me if I’ve identified anything incorrectly!
Saperda imitans (Cerambycidae) (Thanks to Ted MacRae for the ID correction, and letting me know I’ve got a goodie here! I had falsely identified it as Saperda tridentata.)
Megacylene robinae (Cerambycidae)
Dorcus parallelus (Lucanidae)
Arrhenodes minutus (Brentidae)
Calligrapha californica (Chrysomelidae)
Cicindela tranquebaria (Cicindelidae)
Awesome, close ups, C! I want a macro lens for my Nikon D40.
Congratulations – you are an official “insect photographer”.
Your “Saperda tridentata” is actually the much less commonly encountered Saperda imitans, so named because of its great resemblance to that much more common species. It is distinguished by the straight rather than elbowed oblique anterior elytral markings. Overall, imitans has a narrower form and darker gray coloration than tridentata. I have maybe a half dozen specimens of imitans (compared to many dozens of tridentata).
Cool! Thanks, I’ll update my records! My wife actually found the pair for me (I’ve got two), she’ll be pleased to know she brought me some “good ones”
!