Ronny Hermans

Wasps, I don’t like’m but they make good macro material.

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:55:20 +0000

I hate wasp’s, I know they are useful critters but I don’t like them flying around me.
Only this one didn’t really fly it walked up my desk at work, so I took a snapshot and then it just tumbled over.
Never new a flash could do that.

Exposure Time 1/125
F Number f / 11
ISO Speed Ratings 100
Focal Length 105mm
Ring Flash

The next images are also at f/8 but with a Raynox DCR250 , DCR150 stacked added what give a 4:1 magnification. If I’m correct.

I really don’t know anymore how many shots I stacked and I didn’t difuse the flash enough. On the other hand… I think they are usable.

Cheers

Ronny

ps nothing fancy just a velbon slide rail, ring flash and 2 raynox adapters.

__________________

A few bee shots.

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:56:43 +0000

Hi everyone,
sorry for not being active last month’s.

Not that I haven’t been going out taking pictures but except for placing the pictures on my smugmug account I haven’t had much time for anything else.

Now I’m slowly getting back to my normal regime, don’t know what type of bee it is, only that I’ve been seeing more of them the last weeks.

Just some snapshots with : k5 – sigma ringflash – sigma 105mm

Exposure Time 1/125
F Number f / 13
ISO Speed Ratings 200
larger: 2825 x 1871

Exposure Time 1/179
F Number f / 11
ISO Speed Ratings 100
larger: 3000 x 1987

Exposure Time 1/179
F Number f / 11
ISO Speed Ratings 100
larger:2758 x 1827

Exposure Time 1/179
F Number f / 11
ISO Speed Ratings 100
larger:2495 x 2495

Cheers

Ronny

The fly is back

admin — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 09:42:40 +0000

I solved the problem with the light, (using a plastic cup around the fly)
I made a bit stronger construction of my macro rig (still no picture)
I changed from helicon focus to Zerene Stacker. HF is great but to expensive and Zerene works as good (imho better)So now the result a 4:1 macro

19 shots, k5, sigma 105mm, raynox 250dcr, raynox 150dcr, flash with difuser and extra plastic cup diffuser)

For the larger version (3000*2000) click Got this the way I want it.

Cheers

Ronny

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/pentax-samsung-dslr-k-mount-mirrorless/194262-fly-back.html

Next housefly ‘eye’ close up

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:41:05 +0000

Hi,

i’ve always been trying to get closer, and I think I’ve found my current limit.
somewhere around … 25:1 macro
(I know its larger than 20 and smaller than 30 so ?)

the lens used is an “American Optical Microscope Objective Plan Achro X10″

placed on a “RMS Thread to M42 Adapter for microscope objective cone”

on a pentax bellows (fully extended) with a k5, taking 41pictures and stacking them.

no cropping

It still isn’t perfect

a lot of chromatic aberation – don’t know if its the cheap lens or if all microscope lenses have this
not enough images – the microsled (read old cd-rom) still isn’t fine enough
a stepper motor would fix this, but I don’t want to go that way (yet)
not sharp or enough details , again the lens or me
still need to find a better way to get the object in the viewfinder

Cheers

Ronny

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/pentax-samsung-dslr-k-mount-mirrorless/194076-next-housefly-eye-close-up.html

last weeks

admin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:39:45 +0000

Nothing else than the things that kept me busy last week.
We’re having great weather, it is the sunniest and driest autumn I remember. (even a bit to dry)#1: Boletus edulis or cep.

Exposure Time: 1/179
F Number: 9.5
ISO Speed Ratings: 400
Focal Length: 105
Sigma 105mm.#2: Viola although it’s great weather, the mornings have started with a lot of fog. Giving enough drops.

Exposure Time: 1/125
F Number: 5.6
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Focal Length: 50
Tamron 17-50 f2.8

#3: A view on the garden of a castle near my work.
3 shots at -2ev 0 +2ev, then hdr merged with nik hdr pro.

F Number: 5.6
Focal Length: 30

#4: A rose, a focus stash of 7 handheld images using photoshop.

Exposure Time: 1/179
F Number: 6.7
ISO Speed Ratings: 140
Focal Length: 105
Sigma 105mm
7 shots.

#5: Playing with light, these are 2 merged shots, one with flash, one without. I only used the flashed image to lighten the part under the cap.

2 shots
Exposure Time: 1/3
F Number: 6.7
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Focal Length: 105
Sigma 105mm

#6: Fly (8:1 macro – or micro shot), a combination of 25 pictures focus-blended with helicon focus.
This is the first result of my first homebuild macro rig.
Now don’t expect much of it because it consists of a part of a broken cd-player and lego’s.
I’ll post some shots of it with the next results (if I’m not to embarrassed about the lego part )

Exposure Time: 1/2
F Number: 6.7
ISO Speed Ratings: 200
Focal Length: 105
K-5 + PzAF 2x teleconvertor + 68mm extention tubes + sigma 105mm (at 1:1) + Raynox 250dcr + Raynox 150dcr

Cheers

Ronny

__________________

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/pentax-samsung-dslr-k-mount-mirrorless/193989-last-weeks.html

Finally getting the results from the Sigma 105mm I was hoping for.

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:26:47 +0000

The first shots with the sigma already showed that the lens was great. But I never tried autofocus with macro shots.

I know macro doesn’t need autofocus, and I never used it because my previous lens didn’t do autofocus.

It makes getting 2 pictures for focusblending a lot easier.
First focus on the part you want in focus but is farther away from you main focus point (and keep the button pressed so the focuspoint stays fixed).
Then point the camera at your focus point that has to be really in focus. Take the picture, and again push the shutter, now it’ll focus on you main point.

The result of such an action after blending is this.

Exposure Time: 1/179
F Number: 16
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
camera & flash in manual mode

The time needed to refocus with automatic focus is a lot shorter than I have when doing a manual focus.

As a sidenote I’m still impressed with the sharpness of the lens.

Exposure Time: 1/179
F Number: 9.5
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
camera & flash in manual mode

Exposure Time: 1/750
F Number: 4
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
camera in manual mode (no flash)

Cheers

Ronny

Another batch of herons

admin — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 09:37:02 +0000

as said in the title another bath of herons.All with the k-5, sigma 100-300mm f4, 2x TC

Enjoy.

#1 passing by.

Exposure Time: 1/350
F Number: 4 x 2TC
ISO Speed Ratings: 560
Focal Length: 300 x 2TC

#2 looking great.

Exposure Time: 1/750
F Number: 4.5 x 2TC
ISO Speed Ratings: 400
Focal Length: 260 x 2TC

#3 reflect

Exposure Time: 1/1000
F Number: 4.5 x 2TC
ISO Speed Ratings: 2200
Focal Length: 300 x 2TC

#4 high iso reflect

Exposure Time: 1/1000
F Number: 4.5 x 2TC
ISO Speed Ratings: 12800
Focal Length: 250 x 2TC

#5 sleeping/sunning beauty

Exposure Time: 1/1000
F Number: 4 x 2TC
ISO Speed Ratings: 280
Focal Length: 300 x 2TC

#6 did you hear … two merged images

Exposure Time: 1/750
F Number: 4.5 x 2TC
ISO Speed Ratings: 400
Focal Length: 280 x 2TC

any c&c always welcome

Ronny

__________________

FOLLOW UP – THE IMAGES WERE REPROCESSED

Thanks Guys,
and I don’t want to carry a tripod with me …
but, in a few weeks it’s get cold enough and they wont be so quick to fly away and I can get closer and won’t need the tc.At least these shots are usable to put some extra pp in them.

strangly while messing around I seem to have found a way to get rid of a lot of the softness.
it was as if the white (light) was bleeding in the surrounding areas and so loosing a lot of the structure.

Are these better ?

__________________

K-5, Lightroom 3, import presets

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:02:36 +0000

Since a college of me started asking me questions about how to work with lightroom I’ve been researching some stuff.

One of the things I found out is how to change import settings depending on the ISO used.

By default lightroom adds next default settings to each image.
Presence
• Clarity:0
• Vibrance:0
• Saturation:0

Sharpening
• amount:25
• radius :1
• detail : 25
• masking: 0

Noise Reduction
• Luminance : 0
• Detail : 50
• Contrast: 0
• Color: 25
• Detail: 50

and it does that to any image, regardless the iso.

To change these setting depending on the iso value go to the menu
- edit / preferences
- the second tab ‘Presets’ and check the 4th checkbox ‘Make defaults specific to camera ISO settings.’
(you can always reset them)

Then I took pictures of the same subject starting at iso100 -> iso51200

For each images I dialed the Sharpening and Noise Reduction in that looked (imho) best.
And to add this setting as default you have to be in develop mode, menu – develop / set default settings / update to Current Settings.

I haven’t found how I can export these settings so you can import them so here they are.

iso 100 – sharpening 40 – 1.0 – 15 – 50 – noise reduction – 05 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 140 – sharpening 40 – 1.0 – 15 – 50 – noise reduction – 08 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 200 – sharpening 40 – 1.0 – 15 – 50 – noise reduction – 11 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 280 – sharpening 40 – 1.0 – 15 – 50 – noise reduction – 14 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 400 – sharpening 40 – 1.0 – 15 – 50 – noise reduction – 17 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 560 – sharpening 40 – 1.0 – 15 – 50 – noise reduction – 20 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 800 – sharpening 40 – 1.0 – 12 – 50 – noise reduction – 23 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 1100 – sharpening 40 – 0.8 – 10 – 50 – noise reduction – 26 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 1600 – sharpening 40 – 0.8 – 10 – 50 – noise reduction – 29 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 2200 – sharpening 38 – 0.8 – 10 – 60 – noise reduction – 32 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 3200 – sharpening 36 – 0.8 – 10 – 60 – noise reduction – 36 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 4500 – sharpening 32 – 0.8 – 10 – 70 – noise reduction – 39 – 50 – 50 – 25 -50
iso 6400 – sharpening 30 – 0.8 – 10 – 70 – noise reduction – 42 – 50 – 50 – 30 -50
iso 9000 – sharpening 28 – 0.8 – 10 – 75 – noise reduction – 45 – 50 – 50 – 40 -60
iso 12800 – sharpening 26 – 0.8 – 10 – 80 – noise reduction – 48 – 50 – 50 – 45 -60
iso 18000 – sharpening 26 – 0.8 – 10 – 80 – noise reduction – 52 – 40 – 40 – 50 -60
iso 25600 – sharpening 24 – 0.8 – 10 – 85 – noise reduction – 55 – 40 – 40 – 50 -60
iso 36000 – sharpening 22 – 0.8 – 10 – 85 – noise reduction – 58 – 40 – 40 – 60 -65
iso 51200 – sharpening 20 – 0.8 – 10 – 90 – noise reduction – 60 – 50 – 40 – 70 -70

Default I always have the presence set to
Presence
• Clarity:+15
• Vibrancy:+20
• Saturation:+5

The camera has no special settings.

I know that I start with a noise reduction of 5 while there is no noise to be found at iso100.
Then again the setting 5 doesn’t do anything as far as i can detect.
I then add 6 to the luminance each stop.
At iso6400 I can detect a bit more Chroma noise so I start changing the color (noise reduction)

For the sharpening I start out an don’t change anything till 800, then I start slowly removing the detail, to prevent creating extra noise. I also add more masking to exclude sharpening noise.

I haven’t measured anything to get to these results, but a lot of graphs you find about noise suggest that the noise is added in a linear mode related to exposure stops (100-200-400-800-…)

These setting will not remove all noise but are a good place to start.

I hope this might help, and any and all C&C is more than welcome.

Ronny

a few dragons (focusblended)

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:42:03 +0000

Hi,

I’ve been playing around a bit with focus blending close up shots.

The first shots where taken with an old kiron 105mm manual focus lens, and… after years of being careful, I broke it.
The last one is from the first shoot with my replacement macro lens, a sigma 105mm f2.8.
All shots where handheld.

A combination of 7 shots.

larger: 3000×2000 version

Exposure Time: 1/500
F Number: 2.8
ISO Speed Ratings: 140
Focal Length: 200

Only two shots where needed just to get both heads in focus.

larger: 3000×2000 version

Exposure Time: 1/125
F Number: 9.5
ISO Speed Ratings: 280
Focal Length: 200

This one was made with 5 shots, especially to get the tail more infocus.

larger: 3000×2000 version

Exposure Time: 1/125
F Number: 4
ISO Speed Ratings: 400
Focal Length: 105

Combination of 8 images.
This is the first time I tried multiple images when using a flash.
They don’t seem to mind.

larger: 3000×2000 version

Exposure Time: 1/125
F Number: 4
ISO Speed Ratings: 400
Focal Length: 105

Cheers

Ronny

What you can find in your neighborhood.

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:05:02 +0000

It’s strange what you can find in your neighborhood. Ok, 50km is not really close yet.

My only defense is that in another country.
But that’s a silly excuse as there are no borders and even the language is te same.
Luckily enough I am not the only one who never heard about this small St. Peter.

The Oudenbosch Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in the Dutch village of Oudenbosch. It was built under the initiative of father Willem Hellemons who was parish priest between 1842 and 1884. Its nave and interior were modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome; while the facade is a replica of the Basilica of St. John Lateran also in Rome. The Basilica was designed by architect Dr. P. Cuijpers. Construction began in 1865 but was not fully completed until 1982. The basilica is unique in the region in that it is quite large with classical Italian appearance that is atypical for most of northern Europe, let alone a small village in North Brabant in the Netherlands

K5 – tamron 17-50 f2.8 – f4 , 24mm , hdr-3-images

K5 – tamron 17-50 f2.8 – f5.6 , 17mm , hdr-3-images

K5 – tamron 17-50 f2.8 – f5.6 , 17mm iso1600, 1/20s , tonemaped

K5 – tamron 17-50 f2.8 – f5.6 , 17mm , hdr-3-images

K5 – sigma 10-20mm – f5.6 , 10mm , hdr-3-images

K5 – tamron 17-50 f2.8 – f4.5 , 17mm , hdr-3-images

Oh yes, I used Nik, HDR-Pro on all images, really like it works for me.

Cheers

Ronny