Amita posting her appeal for Nate's Christmas present advice threw up (ycch) some interesting suggestions, and earlier today I ordered a Pentax Focus Rail III:
<http://www.adorama.com/PXMFR3.html> which I believe Paul suggested. It reminded me that I am getting in some macro gear, alas no Pentax lens sadly, but a very powerful lens none the less. A ring flash also. I was pondering the idea of a focussing rail as I would like to build a small studio for photographing insects. Light-coloured walls with flash bounced off them will help alleviate the black background scenario often seen with high magnification flash macro shots. My flash has not arrived yet, so here is a quick look at a fly, shot at about 2X magnification. Full frame, direct sunlight, resting the lens on a wall, ISO 500, 1/15th at f/8 : <http://www.cottysnaps.com/snaps/nature/images/pic19.html> I was really impressed by some of the bug shots I've seen on the web - and there's such an amazing miniature world all around us consisting of all manner of insect life - most of which appear to live in the same house as me.... If I use a Pentax focus rail, can I post macro PESOs ? ;-) Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com _____________________________
