Some Bees & Bumblebees Macro with X-T3

Some 'half-macro's' with the 60mm + 50-140mm. Severe crops. All handheld.

Guess the 80mm macro would yield better results or extension rings.

Thanks for looking!

Very nice. The hovering bee is tack sharp. I can never get the bees to stay still for me.

Nice photos.  Love the bottom one with the bee in the air.

boomerm3 wrote:

Very nice. The hovering bee is tack sharp. I can never get the bees to stay still for me.

Thanks!

It's almost tack sharp. Very few keepers so it's not easy to get them. Constantly moving very erratic.

4thnebula wrote:

Nice photos. Love the bottom one with the bee in the air.

Thanks Got lucky there. Here's another one. Not that sharp but ok.

Excellent images. I recently tried photographing bees and know it’s difficult. Nice shooting!

BlueJakester wrote:

Excellent images. I recently tried photographing bees and know it’s difficult. Nice shooting!

Thanks!

These are wonderful shots edorf_71.

Guess the 80mm macro would yield better results or extension rings.

I wouldn't worry about that. I have the 80mm and it is indeed a special lens, but some of my favourite close up [sic] shots to date were taken with the 100-400mm:

Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly, Dorset, England, 2018

Female Emperor dragonfly laying her eggs in a water meadow drainage ditch, Dorset, England, 2018

I've also taken very pleasing shots with the 50mm f2 and the mcex-11 extension ring, and the 55mm-200mm zoom as well. The shot below was taken handheld at the "soft" end of the 55-200mm:

Emperor dragonfly, Dorset, England, 2018

Jnotchy wrote:

These are wonderful shots edorf_71.

Guess the 80mm macro would yield better results or extension rings.

I wouldn't worry about that. I have the 80mm and it is indeed a special lens, but some of my favourite close up [sic] shots to date were taken with the 100-400mm:

Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly, Dorset, England, 2018

Female Emperor dragonfly laying her eggs in a water meadow drainage ditch, Dorset, England, 2018

I've also taken very pleasing shots with the 50mm f2 and the mcex-11 extension ring, and the 55mm-200mm zoom as well. The shot below was taken handheld at the "soft" end of the 55-200mm:

Emperor dragonfly, Dorset, England, 2018

Wow, those are amazing! Do you get close enough with the zooms or did you use extension rings? Very nice shots.

edorf_71 wrote:

Wow, those are amazing! Do you get close enough with the zooms or did you use extension rings? Very nice shots.

Thanks! I enjoyed yours too, particularly given that they feature bees

None of the dragonfly shots above were taken using an extension ring, although I have used the MCEX-11 many times with the 55-200mm and the 50mm f2. With those lenses it works well, albeit with the inevitable shallow depth of field. Like most people I suspect, I just adjust it to the minimum or other required focus distance and move backwards and forwards until I achieve focus, allowing the OIS (in the case of the zoom) to make up for my wobbling about or else resting my supporting arm or hand on a tripod.

I really like using the 55-200mm for small animals and insects at relatively close ranges. It is relatively light weight and very flexible, giving me extra reach when things are out of range of the 80mm, which they often are. It's great for shooting things on the other side of a small stream, at the top of a tall bush, in amongst long grass, etc. It's also invaluable for getting usable shots of creatures that rarely allow you to come within a few metres before taking flight or running off. Still, for all I know you have the lens and know all about its advantages!

I've often contemplated getting a copy of the 60mm, particularly given its compact size and weight. I've seen the results and read its many glowing testimonies here and elsewhere. It seems it would be just perfect as a grab and go solution for insects and flowers, particularly here at home in the garden and as a general carry-around lens for casual trips out with my X-E3 and a Fujicron or two. I know how light and compact it is. I tried it out attached to an X-Pro2 at a local photography fair just last week. The thing is, I've spent rather a lot on Fuji kit over the last year or so, and so realistically any further purchases will now have to wait

notchy wrote:

edorf_71 wrote:

Wow, those are amazing! Do you get close enough with the zooms or did you use extension rings? Very nice shots.

Thanks! I enjoyed yours too, particularly given that they feature bees

None of the dragonfly shots above were taken using an extension ring, although I have used the MCEX-11 many times with the 55-200mm and the 50mm f2. With those lenses it works well, albeit with the inevitable shallow depth of field. Like most people I suspect, I just adjust it to the minimum or other required focus distance and move backwards and forwards until I achieve focus, allowing the OIS (in the case of the zoom) to make up for my wobbling about or else resting my supporting arm or hand on a tripod.

Yeah, the 55-200 (no extension tube here) does great with dragon flies.

Beautiful colours on that dragonfly! Which species is that?

notchy wrote:

edorf_71 wrote:

Wow, those are amazing! Do you get close enough with the zooms or did you use extension rings? Very nice shots.

Thanks! I enjoyed yours too, particularly given that they feature bees

None of the dragonfly shots above were taken using an extension ring, although I have used the MCEX-11 many times with the 55-200mm and the 50mm f2. With those lenses it works well, albeit with the inevitable shallow depth of field. Like most people I suspect, I just adjust it to the minimum or other required focus distance and move backwards and forwards until I achieve focus, allowing the OIS (in the case of the zoom) to make up for my wobbling about or else resting my supporting arm or hand on a tripod.

I really like using the 55-200mm for small animals and insects at relatively close ranges. It is relatively light weight and very flexible, giving me extra reach when things are out of range of the 80mm, which they often are. It's great for shooting things on the other side of a small stream, at the top of a tall bush, in amongst long grass, etc. It's also invaluable for getting usable shots of creatures that rarely allow you to come within a few metres before taking flight or running off. Still, for all I know you have the lens and know all about its advantages!

I've often contemplated getting a copy of the 60mm, particularly given its compact size and weight. I've seen the results and read its many glowing testimonies here and elsewhere. It seems it would be just perfect as a grab and go solution for insects and flowers, particularly here at home in the garden and as a general carry-around lens for casual trips out with my X-E3 and a Fujicron or two. I know how light and compact it is. I tried it out attached to an X-Pro2 at a local photography fair just last week. The thing is, I've spent rather a lot on Fuji kit over the last year or so, and so realistically any further purchases will now have to wait

Thanks for your info reg lenses. Im seriously considering getting the 80mm but its a bit expensive here in Norway. Would like to try the MCEX-16/11 on the 50-140/60mm before I decide.

Thanks.

baobob wrote:

Those look great Bob! Works well with a zoom. Were these cropped alot?

DarnGoodPhotos wrote:

notchy wrote:

edorf_71 wrote:

Wow, those are amazing! Do you get close enough with the zooms or did you use extension rings? Very nice shots.

Thanks! I enjoyed yours too, particularly given that they feature bees

None of the dragonfly shots above were taken using an extension ring, although I have used the MCEX-11 many times with the 55-200mm and the 50mm f2. With those lenses it works well, albeit with the inevitable shallow depth of field. Like most people I suspect, I just adjust it to the minimum or other required focus distance and move backwards and forwards until I achieve focus, allowing the OIS (in the case of the zoom) to make up for my wobbling about or else resting my supporting arm or hand on a tripod.

Yeah, the 55-200 (no extension tube here) does great with dragon flies.

Great shot Darn! That is seriously sharp

yes quite a lot at 135mm They wzere moving very quickly so that a macro lens or my 100-400mm would have been difficult to use the 18-135mm though not the perfect one is very good for changing frame very quickly

notchy wrote:

Beautiful colours on that dragonfly! Which species is that?

North American Yard Something. 😁

edorf_71 wrote:

notchy wrote:

edorf_71 wrote:

Wow, those are amazing! Do you get close enough with the zooms or did you use extension rings? Very nice shots.

Thanks! I enjoyed yours too, particularly given that they feature bees

None of the dragonfly shots above were taken using an extension ring, although I have used the MCEX-11 many times with the 55-200mm and the 50mm f2. With those lenses it works well, albeit with the inevitable shallow depth of field. Like most people I suspect, I just adjust it to the minimum or other required focus distance and move backwards and forwards until I achieve focus, allowing the OIS (in the case of the zoom) to make up for my wobbling about or else resting my supporting arm or hand on a tripod.

I really like using the 55-200mm for small animals and insects at relatively close ranges. It is relatively light weight and very flexible, giving me extra reach when things are out of range of the 80mm, which they often are. It's great for shooting things on the other side of a small stream, at the top of a tall bush, in amongst long grass, etc. It's also invaluable for getting usable shots of creatures that rarely allow you to come within a few metres before taking flight or running off. Still, for all I know you have the lens and know all about its advantages!

I've often contemplated getting a copy of the 60mm, particularly given its compact size and weight. I've seen the results and read its many glowing testimonies here and elsewhere. It seems it would be just perfect as a grab and go solution for insects and flowers, particularly here at home in the garden and as a general carry-around lens for casual trips out with my X-E3 and a Fujicron or two. I know how light and compact it is. I tried it out attached to an X-Pro2 at a local photography fair just last week. The thing is, I've spent rather a lot on Fuji kit over the last year or so, and so realistically any further purchases will now have to wait

Thanks for your info reg lenses. Im seriously considering getting the 80mm but its a bit expensive here in Norway. Would like to try the MCEX-16/11 on the 50-140/60mm before I decide.

Thanks.

You're very welcome. By the way, if you want inspiration for macro photography, look no further than the flickr account of Gilles San Martin. He uses old lenses reversed, free and open source software, and has created some of the most stunning shots of insects I've ever seen. His work is so good that instead of acting as inspiration, it made me want to give up and sell my XF 80mm!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sanmartin/

Oh, and if you view only one thing from his account, it has to to be this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sanmartin/7404132344/

(Watch at your own risk... don't blame me if you have resulting nightmares

notchy wrote:

Oh, and if you view only one thing from his account, it has to to be this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sanmartin/7404132344/

(Watch at your own risk... don't blame me if you have resulting nightmares

Ugh... one of these days, I’ll pay attention to the warnings.  Can’t unsee that.

Awesome photography though.