Macro impossibilities

[Overread]

The following two shots are impossible - at least in theory:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4932947539_73fdff7b31_o.jpg
f5, ISO 200, 1/200sec
100% crop: IMG_2953 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4933540914_d40b8c3c9c_o.jpg
f5, ISO 200, 1/200sec
100% crop: IMG_2950 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


The reason they are impossible is because they are not 1:1 macro shots, and yet I took both with the canon MPE 65mm macro - a lens that can't achieve infinity focus - at least not without help. In this case help came from a Canon 2*Teleconverter reversed and held just in front of the MPE - but shifting the telconverter in and out when the lens is set to 1:1 I was able to get a point where the lens was able to achieve focus. Tricky at best (esp as this is a quick test shot in a dim room with popup flash) but a neat thing to be able to get out of the lens. A bit soft, but for websize not that bad with proper processing

 

[Overread]

*bumping for interest value*

 

[Stosh]

Lol, mildly amusing. Forcing a lens to do something it shouldn't be able to do. It's almost like hacking it and getting more features than it was designed to do!

I must admit, I'm not going to pull out my MP-E 65mm to try it for myself. I believe you.

You're probably like me - I always thought I'd love to own one of those amateur optical benches that lets you mount different focal length lenses at different positions to see what effects it makes - almost like a Lego set of optics.

Now I just spend the money on the good optics.

 

[Overread]

That, a set of microscope optics and diopters and I'd be set for ages playing around with the different combinations! I've seen some very impressive stuff done with just a bellows and microscope lenses that put the MPE to shame

 

[Stosh]

Now *that's* interesting. Put it to shame as far as? Max magnification? Field coverage? Field flatness?