Playing with the Nikon 105mm Micro Lens

[TimIngmire]

I managed today to get in a dive with a Nikon 105mm Micro lens for the first time since I picked it up on ebay last month. It's a cracking lens and I had great fun playing with it.

I also have the 60mm lens which is also good for portraits but the 105 allows me to get tighter face shots without being so close. By being further away from the subject the fish don't seem to be so spooked and this makes for an easier time. As the viz was so good today, a greater distance between lens and subject wasn't a great problem.

There is some noticable backscatter but this is more due to position of the strobes which I didn't really optimise.

I would have spent more time getting better photos and changing strobe positions but had a small leak in the DS so my leg was getting somewhat wet and chilly!

Anyway, let me know what you think. Personally I'm quite pleased with the type of photos I've been able to get.
















There're more in the Gallery: http://www.digigreen.net/photopost//...23&ppuser=1282

[johnny boy]

Nice tight shots Tim. I'm toying with the idea of a 100mm too. Can't wait for better weather.

[Ben Panter]

Hi Tim,

I've got a Tokina 100mm macro, and although I've not had chance to use it underwater I find it really good for above the water shots of insects. I guess it's similar to your experience with fish - you can get tight composition without scaring the subject away!

cheers,

Ben


DSC_2303-1.JPG

[triplefin]

Lovely pics Tim. I dont have a 100mm lense but I gave up using the extra macro lense that i have as I found it was so much easier to blur the pic. You needed to be absolutly stock still, preferably anchored on the sea bed. Is this generally the case or is it just me.

[Mark Davies]

So that's what you were up to while I was busy freezing my nads off!

Excellent shots - the new lens certainly opens up some possibilities. It did help that they are possibly the tamest freshwater fish we have found anywhere - except perhaps at Capernwray. I bet you could get some superb shots of the trout there, if only they would sit still for you like the perch!

[TimIngmire]

Originally Posted by Ben Panter

Hi Tim,

I've got a Tokina 100mm macro, and although I've not had chance to use it underwater I find it really good for above the water shots of insects. I guess it's similar to your experience with fish - you can get tight composition without scaring the subject away!

cheers,

Ben


Attachment 20

Thanks for the comments - as Mark said, the Perch in particular were very tame and would happily sit there whilst you snapped them. The other fish weren't quite so accomodating - in fact the last photo in the series above is one of the other fish. Even so, I managed to get a few shots of them although they were further from the lens which explains why they are darker shots.


Ben, great shot of the fly - that could not have been easy. Actually, I've been thinking about getting out and shooting insects as practice for the UW stuff. I've recently also acquired a 200mm micro and want to get out and play with it - although this is a bit difficult at this time of year. I want to get used to it before purchasing a port for it and and having the tripod collar removed.

You should post some more of the photos in the Top-Side sections in the Gallery and Forum. Let us know how you get the shots - all very useful info.

[Ben Panter]

Hi Tim,

Just tried to upload some photos but I must have done something wrong - left with a blank screen for ages, and the browser said 'done'. I'd brought the size of the images down, but it doesn't seem to have helped. Do you fancy switching on thezip file bulk upload feature in photopost? Helped us a lot on the BSAC forums when we had a similar problem.

cheers,

Ben

[buchhawk]

Hi Tim
Do you find the 105mm lens hunts. I had a terrible time with the canon one on sunday.
I Think I will have to try manual focus this weekend.
Thanks Ken

[TimIngmire]

The 105 does hunt a lot - even more than the 60mm. This was the main reason for buying the manual focus port which improves things no end. If you can get one, get one!

Tim

[buchhawk]

I have the manual focus port, but I have being going AF, not to bad in good light,on sunday it was a total disaster.

I normaly try shooting f16 125, with the strobe set to full, this time it was a waste of time. I can't get anything desent at all with TTL
How do you set up for macro?
Thanks Ken