A New Toy for Macro Photography

Good bye, macro extension rings! I'm glad that I don't really need those rather clumsy tools for macro photography any longer: I had used extension rings on my Topcon RE-2, in a early experimental / exploratory phase — I just scanned my photo collection, and I don't think I have used the "automatic" extension rings on my Nikon F3 more than half a dozen times, even though these were with (mechanical) aperture control / transmission and therefore substantially easier to use than the "dumb" ones that I had with my Topcon RE-2.

My new toy for macro photography is the AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105 mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR, offering reproduction ratios up to 1:1; I haven't made extensive use of this lens yet — but I have used to take photos of small stuff that I sold on on-line auctions; then I saw this interesting insect on the outside of my office window: I took these pictures through the window glass (should clean my windows!), i.e., you are looking at this insect from underneath:

Insect, macro shot
Nikon D300, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
ISO 800, F/9, 1/320, 105mm (157mm equiv.)

Insect, macro shot
Nikon D300, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
ISO 800, F/9, 1/320, 105mm (157mm equiv.)

Insect, macro shot
Nikon D300, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
ISO 800, F/22, 1/40, 105mm (157mm equiv.)

I love the bokeh in these shots!