First Macros w/My New Canon G7

[Ken Ramos]

This may not be the right camera for everyone but I like it. At first I was disappointed until I finally read the manual Operation is somewhat like that of the Rebel up thru the 30D series cameras, though image quality is not as good as a Canon dSLR or at least I think so. Here judge for yourself.


(Have no idea what this is! )
Canon Power Shot G7
Manual mode/IS On/My Pictures set to "Neutral"
Macro mode
1/125 sec. @ f/3.2 ISO 100
Daylight, no flash


Robber Fly
1/100 sec, @ f/3.5 ISO 100
(all other data same as above)


Ambush Bug (I think)
1/125 sec. @ f/5.6 ISO 100
(all other data same as above)

A little over cooked on the last one but I figured it was okay for a trial run with this little camera. I purchased the G7 because on a 5 to 11 mile wilderness hike, my 20D/30D and accessories can get really burdensome along with water, snacks (roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, tater salad, you know the usual stuff, baked beans, Boston Cream Pie...etc) and emergency survial gear. The G7 is light, easy to use (once you've read the manual ) and just the ticket if you want memories of your adventure without all the whistles, bells and other stuff.

[rjlittlefield]

Ken, that first pic is one of the carrion beetles, also known as a burying beetle or sexton beetle, probably Nicrophorus something or other. (The spelling is odd --- BugGuide and Wikipedia have it as Nicrophorus, some of my books say Necrophorus -- with an "e" -- and the web has it about 50/50.)

I'm glad to hear you found something lighter than your hurking DSLR for hiking. I got converted a while back, too.

--Rik

[Ken Ramos]

Yeah, after several hundred or a thousand foot gain in altitude, the G7 feels so much lighter at the top. Must be the thin air. Thanks Rik

[DaveW]

Rik,

From what little botanical latin I know, being a cactophile, would it not be "Necro" as that means dead and "Phorus" to bear so I would guess the name of the beetle would mean "bearing the dead" which would fit a burying beetle?

Lophophora a cactus genus means "Lophos" a crest and "Phoros" to bear (crest bearing) a reference to the tufted areols which looked like crests to the describer.

DaveW

[beetleman]

Not bad at all Ken...when you talk about survival gear, do you mean "toilet paper" When I was young and collecting insects, I made a bait trap with a buried coffee can (up to its rim) and a dead mouse and you can attract alot of different carrion beetles. You can also use a cold blooded animal like fish or frogs and get a different mix.

[Mike B in OKlahoma]

I also was tempted by lighter cameras, since my primary camera is a 1Ds that is a huge block of cement (figuratively speaking). I was really tempted by the Panasonic Lumix LX-2, because I liked the panoramic format and the built-in stabilization. I decided against it, 'cause I thought it would make me too lazy and prone to carry the light camera instead of my main kit. Also, as I understand it, macro capabilities of that camera are pretty poor, and there's no way to put on a screw-on closeup filter! But I'm occasionally tempted!

[rjlittlefield]

would it not be "Necro" as that means dead and "Phorus" to bear so I would guess the name of the beetle would mean "bearing the dead" which would fit a burying beetle?

Yes, that's what I would have thought, too. But official consensus is solidly in favor of Nicrophorus, with the "i".

The first book I always pick up is my ancient "How to Know the Insects", H.E. Jaques 1947. It has the "e" form. Then I asked Google. It had lots of pictures but none of them were at BugGuide. That seemed odd, so I searched BugGuide in particular and found the "i" form. Wikipedia also used the "i". Going back to my books, "The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders" uses "i", as does "How to Know the Beetles", 1951. Further checking this morning, I discovered that even "How to know the Insects", third edition, 1978, switched from the "e" spelling to the "i".

Finally it occurred to me to search Google for nicrophorus necrophorus -- both spellings together -- hoping to find some article explaining the situation. What turned up at first were numerous articles saying "Nicrophorus (Necrophorus)", that is, listing the "e" form as an alternate spelling. But some distance down in the list, there was reference to an article in Psyche, currently posted at http://psyche2.entclub.org/articles/89/89-151.pdf, that says

Stewart B. Peck and Scott E. Miller. Type Designations and Synonymies for North American Silphidae (Coleoptera). Psyche 89:151-156, 1982

"Herman (1964) has shown that the correct spelling of the genus of the sexton or burying beetles is Nicrophorus Fabricius, 1775, and not Necrophorus Thunberg, 1789 (see Madge, 1980)."

Trusting that Herman did his work correctly and that Peck and Miller are reporting it accurately, this seems pretty definite.

Now of course we're still left not knowing why Fabricius used "i" in the first place. Maybe his pen just twitched.

But no matter -- it seems clear that the "i" form has priority, no matter how much more reasonable the "e" might appear.

--Rik

[DaveW]

Interesting Rik,

I suppose it is a question of priority if the same thing is being described twice. I am not all that conversant with the ICBN botanical "Code" and certainly not at all with the zoological one.

I thought a spelling error could be corrected, but Nicro may have been what the original author intended and Herman proved that, and not an error though Thunberg may have thought so and corrected it.

I just did a Google search for the meaning of Nicro and can't find any, neither does Stearn's Botanical Latin list it, though both turn up Necro! A name is just a handle and the original author can call a species whatever they like, the name does not have to be appropriate.

DaveW

[Harold Gough]

Cacti, insects, nomenclature, and macro photography all in the same string! All I need is Rock 'n' Roll, and some English Real Ale, and I will be in my own personal heaven

[Cyclops]

.great pics Ken and the G7 is a cracking camera,i'd love one over my panasonic anyday!