Velvet Mite

ChrisRaper · Post by **ChrisRaper** » Sat May 19, 2012 2:19 pm

Stunning - love the colours!!

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Sat May 19, 2012 8:28 pm

A screen snapshot of the stacking process showing the fangs of the Velvet Mite. As you can see this is a 100% preview. Pixel peeping at this level shows some of the flaws of the final image. I am in the process of stacking this set. I hope the final will turn out so that I can post it. This is already the second time I am redoing this same shot. The first pass is comprised of 115 images. I think my step sizes were too big. I have yet to stack that set and verify that claim. This second pass is comprised of 312 images. This has got to be my biggest stack so far. I can say it honestly hurt to do this manually (back from sitting hunched over so that I can read the micrometer gauge, eyes from the flash pulses and straining to see the micrometer). I really need a Stackshot focusing rails.

seta666 · Post by **seta666** » Sun May 20, 2012 3:10 am

This one is very nice!!! What magnification and lens ?
Regards

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Sun May 20, 2012 9:01 am

Nikon M plan 10x 0.25 160/-

seta666 · Post by **seta666** » Sun May 20, 2012 10:21 am

abpho wrote:Nikon M plan 10x 0.25 160/-

You mean 10/0.25 210/0, right? Otherwise it is the E plan
At 10X?
Regards
Javier

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Sun May 20, 2012 11:06 am

seta666 wrote:You mean 10/0.25 210/0, right?

10x 0.25 160/-. And I was told it's an M plan by many folks here.

seta666 · Post by **seta666** » Sun May 20, 2012 11:24 am

abpho wrote:
seta666 wrote:You mean 10/0.25 210/0, right?
10x 0.25 160/-. And I was told it's an M plan by many folks here.

Right, must be and old version then; I though nikon metallurgical objectives had a tunbe length of 210mm and biological ones 160mm

Worderfull results anyway ;-)
Regards

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun May 20, 2012 11:31 am

I think that's not exactly a CF M or a CF E, but perhaps one of the earlier objectives that I don't have literature for.

In any case, it seems to be doing an excellent job. That's the sharpest picture of a velvet mite that I can recall ever seeing!

--Rik

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Sun May 20, 2012 2:29 pm

In case I misunderstood seta666, the first image was taken with the Canon photo macro lens. The sample image in a later post was taken during the stacking process shows a portion of an image taken with this objective.

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Sun May 20, 2012 5:42 pm

Here is the final (finally) stacked image of the Velvet Mite taken with my Nikon 10x Objective. Actual magnification not verified yet. 312 images in the final composite. My biggest stack so far. It is very easy to knock the setup out of alignment. About 200 images in my hand smacked into the tripod. At 0.01mm step sizes it is not difficult to screw up. Examining the aligned stack I notice many areas that were affected by shifts in the setup. Took 13 sub stacks and manual merging in photoshop with layer masks to get to this point.

A crop of the face. I think there is still some detail in the mouth region that has gone missing during the stacking phase. I will have a check later.

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Sun May 20, 2012 6:00 pm

I took two stacks of the first image (posted at the top). Interesting enough the image with the lens wide open is noticeable sharper. I will have to stack that one next.

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Mon May 21, 2012 12:31 am

That texture really says "velvet".

Harold

fardels · Post by **fardels** » Mon May 21, 2012 7:54 am

great!

cueben · Post by **cueben** » Mon May 21, 2012 1:14 pm

A lot of work but the results are stunning. Great image of a very interesting critter.

-Ben