Hummingbird....

[gluwater]

...Clearwing Moth that is. First time I've found them. Focusing with the 400 f/5.6 and all three Kenko tubes is pretty rough. Especially on something that doesn't stop moving like this guy. I wish I had a little more room on the top but I'll take it. At least I remember how to use my camera, it feels like forever since I've been out. Don't these guys look like crayfish with wings?

http://gluwater.smugmug.com/photos/173490282-L.jpg

[Dalantech]

Well done!

They do look like crayfish -almost the same tail!

There has been some discussion lately over at Fred Miranda's about using a telephoto for closeup photography. Most telephoto lenses are soft at the minimum focusing distance of the lens -by design since the primary use for a telephoto is to take photos of distant subjects. So they are built to be sharp toward infinity. If you're finding it difficult to get sharp images it might not be your technique, it may just be the lens.

One way around the limitation is to use a diopter (like the 500D) since it will fix the focus at about 1/2 of a meter from the front of the lens. Since the focus is fixed (the focus ring will only change the area of sharp focus by about a centimeter) you can set the focus ring toward infinity and the resulting images are pretty sharp. The focal length of the lens changes the magnification, so to get closer to the subject all you have to do is zoom in.

[Skippy]

...Clearwing Moth that is. First time I've found them. Focusing with the 400 f/5.6 and all three Kenko tubes is pretty rough. Especially on something that doesn't stop moving like this guy. I wish I had a little more room on the top but I'll take it. At least I remember how to use my camera, it feels like forever since I've been out. Don't these guys look like crayfish with wings?



Thats still an excellent shot Nick :clap
I have seen a hummingbird moth only once they sure are big,
and as you said they just keep moving.

Looks like the little fella is suspended in mid air :thumb
Very nice shot, love the flower too :D .... Skippy
.

[loi]

very cool :D

[Serrator]

Outstanding capture! Not sure I have ever seen one of these yet but yours is very nice.

[Awais Yaqub]

Lovely shot very nice colors

[emmalou]

Beautiful! I have only seen two of these creatures.they are interesting!

[schmoo]

I've never heard of these things before Dgrin, but they're fascinating. Fuzzy, butterfly-headed lobsters with wings. Great capture!

[MrParts]

I'm thinking the title of this should have been "Flying Lobster". That's amazing how it looks like one!

Excellent catch!

[pathfinder]

Nicely done, Nick.

Nice bokeh in the background too. Not the easiest subject either - as you say, they do not hold still for anyone. Zip, zip, zip and they're gone!

[rw2]

This is a great shot! Yes they do look like crayfish.