What’s Your Preference?

jiminyClickit · #1 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 03:17 PM

Using a Fuji S3100 camera, set at: ISO 64, 1/640sec., f/9, -0.9 exp. compensation, 36mm equivalent, with a magnifying loupe attached, at 10 AM on a sunny Monday, I found out mosquitos have compound eyes.

MonkeyPie · #2 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 06:34 PM

Holy cow, a mosquito?! That is one crazy zoom lens!

FocalFrenzy · #3 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 06:42 PM

Jiminy, another amazing shot. I've got to get me one of those loupes.

Palachandra · #4 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 04:04 AM

JC,
nice details of mosquito eyes, is he sitting on your loupe/some glass? If through glass how you managed to keep focus on his eyes?

southernbelle · #5 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 08:44 AM

Oh my gosh!! That is Crazy...great zoom!!

ditch_azeroth · #6 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 10:33 AM

at first, i was going to crap about noise and stuff... but HOLY COW!!! how in the world did you get to focus that bug?! did you puff him some smoke to make him pose for a bit? lol.

simply amazing. nice job.

wulf · #7 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 11:31 AM

One of these days I'm going to turn up here and find that Jiminy has hooked his camera to a scanning tunnelling microscope in his quest to get closer. Meanwhile, this is still safely into amazing territory, pushing his existing optics to the limit.

Wulf

jiminyClickit · #8 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 11:45 AM

Thank you all. As much as I'm thrilled by seeing the world around me like this, I too bemoan the loss of quality, while just being amazed by what I'm seeing (note: this is a full square crop of original, so it's nearly exactly what I see as I squint through the viewfinder). The truth is almost a letdown: there is no really expensive, complicated equipment involved.

On the front barrel of myFuji S3100, I used several plastic containers (caps from spray paint, Mott's applesauce snack-pak) to hold the top third of a foldable jeweler's loupe, at a distance that allows the extending lens room to operate. It's easy to remove quickly for any non-Macro shot, and for cleaning.

The quality is never quite what I'd like, but I'm not publishing in a scientific journal or making posters. For personal enjoyment and a hobby-budget, it works fine; to date, it's cost about $20 US.

If you have patience and some standing water with mosquito larvae swimming in it, hang around the surface of the water long enough and you will see a gradual emerging of young adult insects trying out their wings. This is when you have a chance to get some incredible shots. I've found the mortality rate is curious: while most swimming larvae seem to be very active and busy evolving, others appear to have been "eaten" by something, becoming empty, clear shells. More on that later.

ditch_azeroth · #9 (**permalink**) 04-22-2008, 01:01 PM

there was a tv series called "secret life of machines" a while back - you should host a series called "secret life of mosquitoes" lol. as for DIY's, i have my share of that too... up to this day (my friends always ridicule me on the new "flash diffusers" that i whip out when i shoot with them... lol). here's a filter/lens adapter for my s3IS i made out of cardboard and electrical tape a while back:

lol. good times.