Red Mite

cnocbui · 26-05-2009 4:59pm #1

Having been Inspired by some recent macro shots, thought I would put up one. This is one of those tiny red mites.

trishw78 · 26-05-2009 5:24pm

I never wanted to see them that big thanks for posting

squish them quick before they suck the blood outta ya

GhostInTheRuins · 26-05-2009 8:47pm

That's cool.

What lens are you using?

cnocbui · 27-05-2009 9:13am

Thanks.

Shot on 35mm using an Olympus Zuiko 80mm f4 macro lens on a 65-116mm variable extension tube. Hand held and without a flash.

trishw78 · 27-05-2009 9:31am

I assume that's why it looks a bit tilt-shifty...

oshead · 27-05-2009 9:49am

trishw78 wrote: »

I assume that's why it looks a bit tilt-shifty...

That would be the narrow DOF which is more pronunced in macro shots.

Tallon · 27-05-2009 9:57am

They are some great shots. Good job

cnocbui · 27-05-2009 10:19am

trishw78 wrote: »

I assume that's why it looks a bit tilt-shifty...

As Oshead said, it's the depth of field being so narrow, combined with the surface the mite was on being, at an angle to the point of view, so you get a rather extreme ramping into and out of focus.

If you think how small a mite is, the depth of field doesn't even extend from it's back leg to it's front, so it's probably less than 1mm.

Thanks for all the kind comments.

I should have mentioned the second image is just a crop and enlargement of the first so you could see it's hairy legs.

ozzirt · 27-05-2009 11:59pm

You embarrass me

.

That is exceptional in my book. I'd love to be half as good.

Great work!

oshead · 28-05-2009 10:10am

Here's a couple of shots I took last summer of mites. The first is a Red Mite. Same species as the one posted above. The second is a Predatory Running Mite. Both shots taking with the MP-E 65mm @ 5:1 magnification. Neither image is cropped.

GhostInTheRuins · 28-05-2009 10:24am

They're brilliant oshead.

cnocbui · 28-05-2009 11:45am

Wonderful shots. Just looked up that lens and it is really something. The most magnification I can do with my 80/4 macro is about 2:1

oshead · 29-05-2009 9:41pm

cnocbui wrote: »

Wonderful shots. Just looked up that lens and it is really something. The most magnification I can do with my 80/4 macro is about 2:1

Thanks cnocbui. These are actually the first images I took with this lense. Straight in at the deep end with full magnification. :pac:

I tried reversing lenses, closeup filters and tubes but the quality was never what I wanted till I got the MP-E 65mm. Worth every penny IMO.

Dave OS

Red Mite

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