Nikon Micro 105 Plus Extension Tubes

Backlit mayfly spinner

 

Frontlit mayfly spinner

The use of extension tubes allows for greater "magnification" but greatly reduces the depth of field essentially making the focus plane extremly narrow.  On a full frame sensor like the Nikon D3S, using extension tubes also causes some vignetting--darkening of the corners.  These images were taken handheld using an iso of 1,600 in order to get a shutter speed fast enough and an aperture around f10 for a reasonable level of depth of field.  On cold mornings mayflies and bugs in general are far more still and much easier to capture...

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lens: Nikon Micro 105 with extension tubes

Brown Drakes & Spring Green

 

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lenses: Nikon 24 PC-E & Micro 105

The Big Lost is now just over 1,000 cfs and is cruising right along and the Big Wood is just under 2,500 cfs.  Silver Creek is in the middle of brown drake madness and there are baetis, pmds, callibaetis and a few green drakes in the Nature Conservancy area.  The mosquitoes have also arrived...