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I like the idea of flash into a bundt cake pan. I might try that and also some variations on the white card - maybe aluminum foil. I will photograph some very small cactus plants with tiny hairlike "spikes" that I think will benefit from side/backlighting against a solid black background. I know the result that I am after. Now I have to figure out the procedure to make it happen. When I get the first few done I will post in the experimental gallery with 2 or 3 different lighting setups on a single subject.
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It should work. Lenses for smaller formats often have plenty of coverage at macro distances. If you reverse the lens, though, be particularly careful to shade the exposed rear element. Reversed lenses are very flare prone.
You might also consider reversed enlarging lenses. They usually work quite well for macro, and you don't have to worry about blocking the aperture pin and such, as you might for a 35mm SLR lens.
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A quick update on this project. I found that I already have a reversing adapter for Pentax screw thread mount with 49 mm male thread filter threads on the other side. I have epoxied the ring into a lens board in a position that will place the f/stop ring to the top side of the lens I intend to use to make it easy to set. Also the auto/manual dial is up. The lens focus can be used as well. All I need to do now is make some sort of lens shade and I will be ready to test tomorrow.
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If you have an extension tube for the pentax it might do for a shade if it's not so deep it vignettes.
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Great suggestion, Gary. I should have thought of that - so obvious now that you mention it. I do have extension tubes of various lengths.
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I set up using some very small house plants. At greater than life size they are too three dimensional even stopped down to f/16. I set up some household product boxes and they are very bright and easy to focus with the 55mm f/2 lens. I know now that the concept works as I thought it would. I need to test using some individual leaves approximately parallel to the film plane.
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 Originally Posted by gma
I set up using some very small house plants. At greater than life size they are too three dimensional even stopped down to f/16. I set up some household product boxes and they are very bright and easy to focus with the 55mm f/2 lens. I know now that the concept works as I thought it would. I need to test using some individual leaves approximately parallel to the film plane.
At the kind of magnifications your are looking at depth-of-field will be measured in millimeters. You might consult Al Blaker's book "Applied Depth of Field" to see what sort of apertures you will need. I can say without much hesitation that f/16 isn't going to do it. You will end up stopping all the way down meaning you will need a lot or light or a very stable subject.
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I am using a reversed 55mm lens that only closes to f/16. I think I will be able to shoot only flat leaves, feathers, etc. and they will have to be parallel as possible to the film plane. My first test was with some tiny cactus plants that have spikes that are waaaaay to deep to focus.
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