Bad Hair Day

Another interesting find for my macro, I was checking out the frontyard when I saw this little fella by some small plant near a tree. I rushed to get my camera when took about 120 shots and these pictures are the best one. I'm amazed by the colour and its unique body, anybody can ID this fella?

Macro Bukit Shahbandar

I'm back with Macro, my first passion besides HDR. I decided to have a quick tour around Bukit Shahbandar. I spent most of my time at the man-made mini lake, looking for particularly exotic insects. After an hour, I have to give in with the dragonflies and a centipede. They are my best shots for the day, the visit was not productive. I may have to come here again.

Macro Series

Bye Bye 2006, Hello 2007

A lot of things can happen in one year, time nowadays goes very quick. The year 2006 is very important for my wife and I as we welcomed the arrival of our son, Raiyan. We are looking forward for more next year as he turns 1, I don't know what he can do by then. He has developed the necessary skills for a 5 months old. Watching him grow is definitely an all-time agenda. It's really different now with time. My time before may never be the same again.

Another point in 2006 is getting my first dslr, I have always been pondering to get it one day and finally its within my posession. There are still lots to learn and yeah this hobby is very expensive.

So next year's plans? I say do more photography and of course spend my time with family.

The Fly: Up Close and Personal

I went for a final round my house, my eye caught this fly resting on a leaf.

Natural Habitat

I was out around my house armed with my tubes to shoot some macros of our buddy crawlies in their natural habitat.

Mystery Spider

My wife saw this tiny visitor inside our room early morning and I couldn't resist taking some shots of it.

Macro Drug

I'm addicted to Macro since I got my hands on the extension tubes, it was worth a buy. I will look forward to more shots and more outings.

Are you nuts?

This is interesting. I didn't know there was an insect on this tiny flower until I viewed it in my laptop. So this guy was lucky for being at the right time and place. Strike that pose!!

Game Anyone?

Lets play a guessing game. Below are pics of magnified coins and guess the value of the coins.

Coin 1


Coin 2


Coin 3


Coin 4

mystery fruit

I stumbled this mystery fruit coming out from a plant. Looks like a strawberry, anyone can ID this fruit? Zooming in there was a spider web, the spider may have gone away leaving this fruit vacant.

Pray your hearts out

I was wandering around my yard looking for something to shoot and found a tiny black spot on a leaf. I got close with my lens and found this friendly praying mantis who was so kind to me not to move. I took my time while this guy was relaxing and posing to get my best shot. It wasn't easy, there was wind and this guy just keep still. Kudos to this insect.

"Fly Fly Away"

~Butterfly, Butterfly, Fly All the Way~. Oh ever since I started watching Barney because of my son, the songs they singing are sticking inside me head. Anyway I found this little winged visitor in my yard. I couldnt resist taking out my camera to take this shot. Old folks say if a butterfly come wandering inside your house, someone's going to pay a visit. Hide!!

More Experiment

Quite a challenge to shoot this ants

With the kit lens, focal length 18mm


12mm + 21mm tubes + Reversed kit lens, focal length 55mm

Rope fibres at close up

Visit this guy's pbase for awesome macro pictures using 50mm f/1.8. I think he used the kenko tubes.

http://www.pbase.com/dougsmit/image/47072159

Macro with 18-55mm kit lens????

Ok I mentioned in previous post that its not possible to use the kit lens with the extension tubes for macro but I just recently found out that it is possible BY REVERSING IT.

You have to use a reverse ring adapter to fit in the tubes. I tested it out by holding it in front of the tubes and it wasnt an easy feat, I had to really squeeze my eyes to focus and I wish I had a larger viewfinder. I compared between result from lens + tubes and reversed lens with tubes and the magnification with reversed lens is higher but I think you loose the DOF and camera shake is at 7 richter scale magnitude.

Overall, macro photography is tough. Be aware of the constraints if you are into this DIY macro because my neck is a bit aching from looking down, closing in the subject all the time, having eye strain from too many eye squeezing and lastly the weight strain of the camera unless you are using tripod, then thats no problem.

Here are the test results:

1st Test: Using the kit lens at focal length 55mm

2nd Test: Lens Tube + 75-300mm at focal length 75mm

3rd Test: Lens Tube + Reversed kit lens at focal length 18mm

Itsy Bitsy Tiny Details

Check out the results of the Kenko tubes.

No Spill Policy


Buffet of the Day


Phewiiitttt !! How do I Look ? (Cropped)


Green spike from a plant


Food Troopers


Cleaning Campaign


Food Delivery


Stopping by for Food (Cropped)


Sharing is Caring (Cropped)


Food fest everyone !! (Cropped)

Kenko Extension Tubes Test

I got my Kenko Extension Tubes today. I'm quite impressed with the speedy delivery, I made this order from ebay last week. The only drawback is the import duty impose on camera accessories, now this is what you get for paying a cheap shipping cost. Overall I'm happy with the delivery speed.

What is it? The extension tubes allows you to add macro capability to your lens and increases magnification. The Kenko tubes comes with three metal tubes, 12mm, 21mm and 36mm. I have stacked all these tubes and attached it first to my 400d follow up with my 75-300mm.

Why chose Kenko tubes? They are widely used and cheaper than Canon and they can deliver the same performance like Canon.

The Tubes

All stacked up


One Big Happy Family

I read the tubes works excellent with prime and macro lens but also works fine for the zoom and telephoto lens. I will wait for my nifty 50mm f/1.8 to arrive. I have seen nice shots from the 50mm with the extension tubes. BUT I'm definitely getting a proper macro lens, maybe Canon 100m f/2.8 Macro or the Sigma's 105mm 0r 150mm. I'm wondering what kind of shots I can get if I add the tubes to these macro lens.

The difference with macro lens and lens + extension tubes, using macro lens you can stand far away from the subject while using tubes you have to be closer. If you are using tubes make sure you wear an invisible cloak or you might scare the insects. Then the disadvantage of using tubes, you have to use manual focus by going close to the subject or changing the focal length on the lens. One more thing, it won't work on EF-S lens like the kit lens because it can't be attached to the tubes. Here are some test shots using the tubes.

1st Test: Using the kit lens, focal length 55mm, distance 10 cm

2nd Test:Extension tube 12mm + 75-300mm, focal length 75-80mm, distance 50 cm


3rd Test:Extension tube 12mm + 21mm + 75-300mm, focal length 75-80mm, distance 25 cm


Extension tube 12mm + 21mm + 36mm + 75-300mm, focal length 75-80mm, distance 15 cm

Some more shots. It does takes a lot of patience, caffiene intakes and a good steady hand to take the shots.