Well, I had finished my Kraft Dinner and had nothing better to do, so I decided to try out my camera in [very early] preparation for closeups of flowers, dragonflies, and butterflies.

The setup: My small desktop studio, complete with 2 150-watt halogen lights off screen, my flourescent-light panel diffuser, a couple pieces of black posterboard, a statue of a griffin and a ruler. The statue is 9" to the tip of the ear.





Other than the setup image, all images are exposure +.5, no cropping, resized, sharpened with FM Intellisharpen level 4. I tried to set the camera at the closest possible focusing distance every time, but I might have been off a smidge or two.

First image, 10D with 100-400 L IS at 400mm, f/38. The Griffin's right eye was 57" from the front of the lens, so approximately 70-1/4" from the sensor.




And a reasonable usage of f/5.6





Next I threw on the 1.4 TC at f/54. The TC doesn't change the focusing distance. This is getting a bit better here - the eye is 3/8" in diameter.




And a more reasonable usage at f8





Next I removed the 1.4 TC, but put the 500D Close Up Lens on. This is Holy Cow time - the focus distance changes dramatically. The eye is now a mere 14-1/2" from the front of the lens, approximately 28" from the sensor.

I've heard that the 500D isn't supposed to change the light at all, but I'm not so sure about that. At 400mm f/8 the shutter was 1/3 sec. Adding the 500D - but moving much closer - the shutter was 1.0 sec for f/8. Otherwise nothing changed. Granted, moving closer DID change the light...




And a more reasonable f/8





Now for the max - 400mm + 1.4 + 500D. (Remember that the eye is 3/8" diameter, 14-1/2" from the front of the lens, and this has not been cropped.)




And a more reasonable f8:





Well I can't wait for the butterflies to come out.

I hope you enjoyed this.