Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Shadowless & Pinless Photos

Posted by Tony T on 26-08-2008 17:03
#5

It is nice to get some feedback, especially so when it is complimentary; so thanks to you all.

This photo was taken with a Nikon DSLR camera, a Nikon AF105mm micro lens + Nikon's 4T close-up filter. Lighting was a single Nikon SB800 flash, off the camera; connected to the camera with a Nikon SC-17 cord. Just one exposure. The fly was on a piece of glass and surrounded by a light-diffuser tent. The flash was aimed at the tent so that the entire area was evenly illuminated. The AF105 lens was at full extension and set at the smallest aperture (f32) which gave an actual f-stop of f48. I have read that this lens is sharpest at about f11-f16, but what one gains in sharpness one loses in depth-of-focus. The smaller the aperture (i.e., greater the f-number) the greater the depth-of-focus.
Today's 6-10 megapixel point-and-shoot cameras are quite capable of giving excellent images if they have the ability of close-focussing. The main difficulty with them is that to get a fly to fill the image area you have to get very close to the fly (maybe 1-2 cm). This creates enormous problems in terms of lighting the subject. The longer macro/micro lenses (such as Nikon's 105mm and 200mm) allow for a much greater distance between the lens and the subject.

Anyone have an idea of the genus? It looks like a muscid.