Currently studying and photographing bank voles at Langdyke Countryside Trust's, Swaddywell Reserve, Peterborough UK. Difficult subjects because they move so fast but they can be enticed to sit and feed for a few seconds using scattered birdseed … whence they dart to and from their 'undercover' habitat.
These two bank vole images are not cropped:
Bank voles are approx 3" / 8cm in length - excluding the tail which is half the body length.
Since first discovering the bank voles I've placed a few small pieces of limestone rock adjacent to their 'hideaway'; the seed encourages them to pose for a few seconds on the rocks. The reserve is a disused limestone quarry.
Camera used is a modified Nikon 1 J5 fitted (for these images) with 21mm extension tube and a 1 Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens. (189-810mm FF equivalent) … usually at the 300mm setting which enables an approx 2m comfortable lens to subject distance.
Lens is also used with up to 99mm length auto tubes for 'in the field' insect images. The 1" sensor has a 2.7x crop factor.
The 'entry level' plastic bodied Nikon J5 has the best sensor of all the discontinued Nikon 1 cameras - but it does not have an EVF - hence the adapted Zakuto finder attached to the J5's monitor which enables very comfortable viewing / composition. The J5/ tubes/ lens combination is supported on a Gitzo tripod / Jobu Design gimbal … which is an 'overkill' for the lightweight outfit … but it enables efficient composition.
The whole apparatus with me sitting on the trolley seat … but on this occasion used without tubes for photographing small birds at the same habitat. This image was taken by my friend and forum member barnack-bill (Mike J)
Using the trolley seat just above ground level for photographing bank voles is a relaxing and comfortable experience … and being 2m distant gives a better perspective than when e.g. using a shorter focal length lens with a closer more intrusive subject distance.
And to show the same apparatus' close-up potential with butterflies the following Peacock specimen was photographed last week at the Swaddywell reserve. These two images were taken 'handheld' without a tripod using the J5 and lens IS.
Nikon did not offer any extension tubes for the Nikon 1 system but several independent brand auto tubes sets are available … in sets of two or three. I use as many as 7 coupled tubes to achieve up to 99mm extension with the 70-300mm VR lens
dunk
Best wishes
dunk
Bank vole
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Bank vole
Last edited by dunksargent on Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:14 am, edited 6 times in total.
And now for something completely different.
You have a very peculiar setup, but if it works, go ahead.
I'm fascinated by the trolley. I assume it's for fishing.
Sometimes when I go out for 6-8 hours in the summer, with temperatures of 30-35ºC and I take two setups, one for small insects and another for butterflies and damsels I get to take 10-12 kg (I need a lot of water, at least 3 liters) ... You're giving me ideas to adapt the frame of a shopping trolley .. maybe with larger wheels for very irregular terrain.
Thanks for sharing,
Antonio
I'm fascinated by the trolley. I assume it's for fishing.
Sometimes when I go out for 6-8 hours in the summer, with temperatures of 30-35ºC and I take two setups, one for small insects and another for butterflies and damsels I get to take 10-12 kg (I need a lot of water, at least 3 liters) ... You're giving me ideas to adapt the frame of a shopping trolley .. maybe with larger wheels for very irregular terrain.
Thanks for sharing,
Antonio
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It's an ECKLA MULTI-ROLLY TROLLEY (modular and collapsible design) made in Germany and sold by photographic dealers as a 'photographers' trolley' .. a very useful cart which I regularly load up with much heavier equipment when using FF cameras and a HD Berlebach tripod.Yawns wrote:You have a very peculiar setup, but if it works, go ahead.
I'm fascinated by the trolley. I assume it's for fishing.
Sometimes when I go out for 6-8 hours in the summer, with temperatures of 30-35ºC and I take two setups, one for small insects and another for butterflies and damsels I get to take 10-12 kg (I need a lot of water, at least 3 liters) ... You're giving me ideas to adapt the frame of a shopping trolley .. maybe with larger wheels for very irregular terrain.
Thanks for sharing,
Antonio
dunk
And now for something completely different.
Thank you .. it's not exactly cheap but honestly I was expecting a lot more...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eckla-Multi-Ro ... SwFpVcYMkP
anyway a basic model like this does me fine, and they seem to sell also all sort of add-ons and replacements in the case something gets boken .. thank you. It's in my watch list ...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eckla-Beach-Ro ... SwNWhbxNJq
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eckla-Multi-Ro ... SwFpVcYMkP
anyway a basic model like this does me fine, and they seem to sell also all sort of add-ons and replacements in the case something gets boken .. thank you. It's in my watch list ...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eckla-Beach-Ro ... SwNWhbxNJq
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