Review - How Tele-Convertor (TC) Affect IQ of MACRO pictures

I have tested this while I was SONY Alpha700 user but I didn't do any sharing because I do not have comparative but now is different where I can produce magnification produce by standard Macro len with CANON MPE-65 (which provide 1-5 times life size).

I am not here to review the lenses Image Quality (IQ) or Tele-convertor (TC) but just want to share how TC affect IQ which may help those want to do >1:1 macro without going for Extension tube (ET), close-up filter & Canon MPE-65 (all of these have limitations). e.g.

1. Extension tube - losing infinity focus when big bug found e.g. butterfly. ET have to be remove so to snap the Butterfly from far & full frame
2. Close-up filter - could affect IQ
3. Canon MPE-65 - expensive and only for CANON mount

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here are the testing results
All tests using below
- all pictures shooting using Aperture priority
- shoot in JPEG no RAW-JPG conversion
- @1x F16, @1.4x F13 & @2x F11
- focus on left eye
- no Post processing, all straight from camera

I. shoot with MPE-65, SIGMA150 + 1.4xTC & SIGMA150 + 2xTC at 1x/1 time life size
- size have been resize 50% @long size due to flickr do not allow 20MB single file upload





II. 100% crop for "MPE-65, SIGMA150 + 1.4xTC & SIGMA150 + 2xTC at 1x/1 time life size"
- no resize



III. shoot with MPE-65, SIGMA150 + 1.4xTC & SIGMA150 + 2xTC at 1.4x/1.4 times life size
- size have been resize 50% @long size due to flickr do not allow 20MB single file upload



IV. 100% crop for "MPE-65, SIGMA150 + 1.4xTC & SIGMA150 + 2xTC at 1.4x/1.4 times life size"
- no resize



V. shoot with MPE-65 & SIGMA150 + 2xTC at 2x/2 times life size
- size have been resize 50% @long size due to flickr do not allow 20MB single file upload



VI. 100% crop for "MPE-65 & SIGMA150 + 2xTC at 2x/2 times life size"


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Here are my view
General
1. different TC affect color output as coating different
2. exposures will be different even aperture priority use with same exposure set

IQ - details of the object
1. it is expected where both 1.4x & 2x would lost details in all aspect (1x, 1.4x & 2x)
2. look at full size compare, pictures using 2x TC is softest compare to both MPE-65 & 1.4xTC . But details different is small enough to notice except 100% crop which show there is IQ drop but it will depend personal acceptable level.

so what do you see and think ? is it a good option ?

How I Shoot MACRO - Angle make different ...

I want to try this long ago but as we have been fix mind (some rule of photography, e.g. rule of 2/2 ... too center ... ) so we stop explore ourselves e.g share below

most of the ppl will shoot dragonflies as below angle just like book record purpose or make "wow factor" of the macro ...

some boring shots from me ...







but I tried few different angle which make different feel e.g.

1. like float on air


2. from top it will give a look on it body details

My very 1st try long exposure ...

i have my very 1st try on long exp >10s (for me)... it is fun to calculate the exposure .... i will share the formula if I found it correct :D here is my share

shooting details as below

Camera ModelCanon EOS 5D Mark II
Shooting ModeBulb
Tv( Shutter Speed )73
Av( Aperture Value )16.0
Metering ModeEvaluative Metering
ISO Speed50
LensEF17-40mm f/4L USM
Focal Length17.0mm
White Balance ModeAuto
AF ModeManual focusing

Natural Light Macro with MPE

After seeing sample from http://www.juzaforum.com/forum-en/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=6684 (natural light with MPE + high magnification) .. this is almost impossible without tripod :( ...

I decide have a try so mount MPE on camera body (which it have left out recently where sigma is almost permanent mount on my 5dm2)... to support the long exposure so decide to bring along my monopod. for start it just wouldn't work for those bug which is sensitive till I saw my belove robberfly which it normally stand at same spot even after fly off :D

keep trying for an hour with >30++ shots and these 2 are the only focus pictures

1. @1:1



2. @~3.5:1


and as usual movie for this guy ...

8.3 Dragonfly ... cute little dragon

this little dragon (short and mini dragon which is only 10-12mm) found from stream area where it is dangerous where the wet mud will suck leg down









for HD movie please view by click

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewwk/3493243237/

Bird Series 10 - Crimson-winged Woodpecker

The Crimson-winged Woodpecker (Picus puniceus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

It can grow up to 10 in (25 cm) long. Its main diet is mainly insects and larvae. Its a bright and colorful bird that is hard to be mistaken.they are large members of the picus family. It's status is least concern.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimson-winged_Woodpecker

I am sharing a video of "how it make nest"

MACRO PP - 5 [clone, reflective body]

Beside Ninja Noise (nj), clone is one of the Photoshop (CS3/CS4) function that I use most...

All of my picture use nj to remove the noise because even @iso100 picture consist noise while zoom to 100% ....

another big challenge for macro shooter is sensor dust, so normally we use clone to remove the sensor dust .. ..

And I apply this clone technique to clone away the reflective portion of the object

1. open the file with other necessary PP (curve, crop ..... )



2. duplicate a layer



3. change the opacity of the layer to ~40-60% depend the natural look




4. then use the "clone" tool



5. clone those reflective area with adjacent area color.... and this is the sample outcome

un-clone picture


clone picture (final output)