Canon MP-E macro shots, comments appreciated

06/25/2004 10:42:16 AM · #1

Over the past couple of days I have been playing around with the Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens and have a few shots that I would like people to comment on if they feel like any of them deserve comment. I bought the lens last year but at the time I bought it I couldn�t find any bugs to shoot so I put it away. I have finally gotten around to using it again. The lens is not terribly easy to use, especially at higher magnifications. So far I have been using it on my Rebel along with a 550EX flash. I have found that I almost always use the lens stopped down all the way to get as much DOF as possible.

Here�s the gallery:

//www.pbase.com/dadas115/mpe_65

Thanks,

Greg

hopper

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

06/25/2004 10:46:38 AM · #2

Great stuff, Greg! What's the working distance for that lens?

06/25/2004 11:08:22 AM · #3

The working distance is pretty small. I am guessing from like 6 or 7 inches down to maybe 3 or so inches. It can be challenging to get close to some of the bugs to say the least.

Greg

dwoolridge

06/25/2004 11:20:39 AM · #4

Damn, that's one tricky lens to use (based on reading and results elsewhere), especially in the field. Your results are fantastic. Are you using rails or just tripod mounted with a kick and shift method of finding the right plane of focus? That lens has been on my wishlist forever!

06/25/2004 11:30:31 AM · #5

All of the shots are hand held with the flash in one hand and the camera in the other. The two are attached with the Canon off camera shoe cord.

Greg

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

06/25/2004 11:33:21 AM · #6

Nice and close and sharp - the lens is really impressive.

Looks like you could do with at least one other flash for the background or a tripod to let you drag the shutter a bit. I'm assuming you didn't shoot all of these at 4am :)

06/25/2004 11:38:04 AM · #7

Most of them were shot in the dark. Tripod is completely impractical with this lens and these types of subjects. Unfortunately it has been raining like crazy or I would have broken out my other 550EX�s to light up the background. I don�t like laying them in puddles of water though.

The lens is pretty pricey. I paid $625 for mine and it was used but in mint condition. Last time I checked I think they were selling for $800 new. Considering that this can not be used as a normal lens (only for extreme macro) it is very specialized so certainly not a lens for everyone. When you are at high magnifications the viewfinder becomes VERY dim which makes focusing extremely difficult. Many of the shots I have taken with the lens have less than optimum focus partially because the viewfinder image is so dim and partly because the DOF is so small that the tiniest shake really throws the focus off in a major way. The other challenge with this lens is that the field of view is very small and the bugs are usually moving around so it is tough to even find the subject.

Thanks for your comments.

Greg

Message edited by author 2004-06-25 11:44:07.

Harryg

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

06/25/2004 11:38:43 AM · #8

Some very good shots there especially considering the difficulty of working so close to the subject. exellent

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

06/25/2004 11:46:09 AM · #9

Originally posted by dadas115:

Sounds like a double flash bracket would help you a lot with this

06/25/2004 11:50:02 AM · #10

I have a double flash bracket and actually I highly recommend against it. It makes the rig very bulky and cumbersome. I find that I am constantly hitting the flash heads against the branches and leaves and frightening the bugs. I have a MT-24EX but I haven�t used it this year with the MP-E yet. That to me seems like a pretty ideal solution. I can have one head mounted on the lens and the other in my hand and it isn�t too bulky or heavy.

Greg

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by dadas115:
Most of them were shot in the dark. Tripod is completely impractical with this lens and these types of subjects. Unfortunately it has been raining like crazy or I would have broken out my other 550EX�s to light up the background. I don�t like laying them in puddles of water though.

Sounds like a double flash bracket would help you a lot with this