Beware the Assassin!

Another lovely day albeit a bit windy. I wanted to try an experiment I read about in a photographic magazine about using zoom lenses for macros. This guy reckoned that he almost always used a zoom lens for capturing critters he couldn't get too close too. Well I tried it with the Rower's 70-200 lens with the 2 x extender on it. And it was crap.

First of all it's impossibly heavy so you can't really hold it still enough to fire off multiple shots. Second up, the one image I would dearly loved to have used was riddled with artefacts, which really was a shame. And thirdly it was damned hard to find the subject and get it in focus before it moved off. So end of experiment, and back to the good old 100 mm macro again.

Check out my Blip Folio for the image I didn't use (click left). Just look at the blue banding on the bugs legs and the red clipping on the ants. It's just a mess.

Now, I swear I didn't set out to go bug hunting today. It was going to be a lovely flower, but when an orange assassin bug (Gminatus australis) just sits in front of you and begs to be blipped, what can you do.

We're off out on the razzle tonight - it's my birthday early next week, so not only are we going down to the coast (Goolwa) for three days starting Monday, I'm being taken out to dinner tonight at our gorgeous Windy Point Restaurant. Really looking forward to that. I can also guarantee some bird blips next week.