My first real macro lens with the first real macro pictures

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Hi,

it’s been a while ago already again since I was writing my last article. At the moment I do actually just 2 things: working and photographing… and mostly the first one :( But it also has some good part.

Like that I was able to extent the part of the photography which I like most, the macro photography. I love to “shoot” the small things :)

After I tried the trick with the reverse lens, I was on fire. :)
I couldn’t resist to buy a real macro lens. It is the Olympus Zuiko 35mm 1:3.5. A nice baby :)

Of course I had to try it straight on the day when it arrived. And very fast I had to realize the pitfalls of this kind of photography. The light is quickly gone, it’s shaking like hell, the working distance is very short and using the flash at 1:1 is not possible anymore (the lens is in the way). And of course is all connected to each other. Without flash I need a longer shutter speed and without a short shutter no sharp pictures.

And so I had to continue my shopping tour right away. A rail system (for 2 flash, left and right of the camera), 3 different flash types and soft boxes. On top a bit to read about the subject. Everything is on the way now and I hope it will arrive until the next weekend. I am very impatient in this case :)

But I could make some ‘ok’ pictures already. (Below the pictures)
And here is another disadvantage of the 35mm lens. The working distance at 1:1 (full enlargement) is just a few centimeter. That is a distance which 98% of all animal don’t tolerate anymore and run away… if they are able and fast enough to do it. Bugs, worms and something like that are tolerant or to slow. Spiders or flies are not so tolerant anymore and run. Not to talk about butterflies or dragonflies… I can’t even reach them to 2 meters :(

I will try it with patience and maybe saving some money for a macro lens with more focal distance.
But it is already very interesting what you can find if you sit half an hour on one place and just look around and wait.
Some animals are there already and you see then first later. Other come and don’t give even attention about you… as long as you don’t move to much.

Here another disadvantage of the macro photography. To make good shots it would be necessary to use a tripod. But I don’t like it, because for outdoor shootings is it in my opinion not useful and even disturbing.
Until it is set up and the camera in position … is the motive already gone (except of a snail maybe, but even this one would be already out of the focus range).

By the way. Do give you a small hint (from my experience now). In the macro photography is the area which is sharp very small. From 1mm till maybe 1cm. Whereby the aperture must be very small for 1cm… which means an extreme lack of light.
I try whenever it is possible to shoot with 1:1. Means with the most possible enlargement of the lens. With it I can copy with my Olympus E-410 an area of 17,3mm x 13mm.

So if you see a spider in the gallery full size on a picture, then is it actually probably just a few millimeter big ;) And that is what fascinates me at it. Details ;)

So, enough of the word… let’s pictures speak.
(The gallery is always up to date. Even when I upload later new pictures.)

Many regards
Gordon

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