JML 20X Results (keep adding pictures)

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:10 am

Great to see some other examples!

Are you using the iris to stop down through the stack or are you just using it at the end for a more natural DOF falloff?

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:11 am

I'm afraid I have yet more of the Sunset moth... Is it too many, should I stop? (Posting I mean, I don't seem to be able to stop shooting this moth!!)

Again all shot with the little JML20x, stacks of 41, 55 and 60, all composited with Zerene PMAX this time.

canonian · Post by **canonian** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:19 pm

lauriek wrote:... Is it too many, should I stop? (Posting I mean, I don't seem to be able to stop shooting this moth!!)

Please don't stop, Laurie. They are a treat, each and every one of them.
They became a tribute to the wonders that the little JML20X can do.
You get the best results out of this objective.
I see you started a new post on the subject. Please keep 'em coming.
Where do you find these wonderful specimen?

Peter De Smidt · Post by **Peter De Smidt** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:21 pm

Gorgeous pictures, Laurie!

JW · Post by JW » Thu Aug 16, 2012 6:52 pm

Laurie - great pictures, please keep posting!

I am using this iris, a Jin Finance item, to help compensate for some of the deficiencies in my setup, stopping done about 2 stops through the entire stack. The main improvement is an increase in contrast by cutting down on some of the diffraction and glare.

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:32 pm

Thanks guys! A couple more then!

Canonian, believe it or not these recent shots from 13th august are all of the same moth, in fact all from one rear wing!

I found this magnificent beast, I hate to say it, on eBay.

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:36 pm

JW adding an iris won't lower diffraction, it should worsen it, I would have thought if you have flare problems a better solution would be to matte out any bright sections inside your rig. I have some protostar somewhere, I could send you bit..

BugEZ · Post by **BugEZ** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:10 pm

These photos are lovely. It is almost like watching a kaleidoscope to see the progression from one photo to the next.

Thanks for posting the series!

Keith

JW · Post by JW » Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:02 pm

Laurie - of course you are correct, I am somewhat ignorant in optics. Use of the stopped-down iris does deliver improved contrast, for me, and greater DOF which helps for some us doing manual stacking.

Jeff

BugEZ · Post by **BugEZ** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:06 pm

This doli is quite small. It is hard to catch as it can crawl through the weave of my net. Note the absence of eye stripes on this tiny doli.

Keith

~ 100 exposures with LED lighting using my bucket light and a gated 1 second exposure.

jojm · Post by **jojm** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:54 am

Hi all,
Thanks to Keith (BugZ) in the USA and Jean-Marie (JMP76) in France wich helped us, after missing the first membership purchase, to get one of these lenses.

Two tests with minerals, first, with my bellow at the minimum and the other one, at the maximum.

Carminite, Mazet vein, Echassières, Allier, France.
Field of view: 0.8 mm (width)

Wulfenite, mine de Longefay, Poule-les-Echarmeaux, Rhône, France
Field of view: 1.4 mm (height)

BugEZ · Post by **BugEZ** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:46 pm

Very nice photo!

I am pleased to be of assistance. Especially when there are such lovely results.

My dad is a retired mining engineer. In my youth I remember wandering the Arizona hills around the mining town where we lived. My dad would pick up rocks and examine them with his 10X pocket lens. There were many interesting minerals that he showed to me. I will forward him these photos.

Kind regards,

Keith (BugEZ)

machenier · Post by **machenier** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:02 pm

Hey everyone! I just read this topic and I'm very impressed by the results, it's great! I'm currently only shooting with reversed lens, but I might get new optics soon. Cactusdave did a good job enhancing the shot with "Shadows and Highlights", well done!

I have another easy alternative to this, but it might only be on photoshop, I haven't tried other similar softwares. Basically, you just have to make a copy of the layer and add a "High-pass" filter to it, with a radius around 3px (depending on how much detail you want). Then switch the blending mode of this layer to "Soft Light". That's it! I find this really useful, and it works pretty much in any case.

Maxime

canonian · Post by **canonian** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:05 pm

machenier wrote:I have another easy alternative to this...

Thank Maxime for this tip, I will definitely try this on my next stack.

elf · Post by **elf** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:38 pm

machenier wrote: I have another easy alternative to this, but it might only be on photoshop, I haven't tried other similar softwares. Basically, you just have to make a copy of the layer and add a "High-pass" filter to it, with a radius around 3px (depending on how much detail you want). Then switch the blending mode of this layer to "Soft Light". That's it! I find this really useful, and it works pretty much in any case.

Maxime

You can also use other blending modes like "Hard Light" for a more pronounced effect . It helps to desaturate the layer before adding the High-pass filter. This reduces color halos.

JML 20X Results (keep adding pictures)

A wee doli