Howdy all, just to go full circle on the hand held issue, I recently bought myself a manfrotto tripod and the 322RC2 head. Still going to attempt to shoot hand held tho!! Getting very impatient for next season and am trying to convince the family that a holiday on the continent is in order, especial...

Hey guys and gals, had a complete turn around and just bought a tamron 90mm *crossing fingers*. The reviews I read had it out performing sigma and canon for sharpness although build quality ain't great. Got it new for £194 so will get a tc to stick on it. I believe ColinC (are you out there?) used a...

Hi Folks!

Thanks for all the advice and debate - even the stuff about APS-C and VR which I should probably know about

Think it's going to be a canon 100mm, lens hood (thanks Markulous) and a kenko pro300 TC - 1.4x or 2x - that's the next quandry

Steve

Hi Malcolm, have to doff my cap to your hand held results. Changing to Nikon may be a tad too far in my quest for better pics tho! Wholeheartedly agree that this thread isn't about a right and wrong way to take pics, and those that use supports are producing amazing work. I just think I'm more suite...

Hey Chaps, Thanks for all your input. I'm currently using a £40 Sigma 70-300mm on a 400d. It affords me a fair distance and reasonable quality, but only for spotting/identification purposes. I guess ideally I would go for the Sigma 150mm atop a lightweight manfrotto, but a combination of small kids ...

Hi all, am currently wrestling with the age old (and discussed to death) topic of which macro lens to purchase. Funds are such that I can just about afford the much praised sigma 150mm, but am considering the canon 100mm and sigma 105mm. What I would like to ask the many wonderful snappers here is d...

So Adrian, you're saying the canon is better????

Thanks Martin,
I have just bought some on ebay for £55 which is much kinder on the ol' wallet!

Steve

Hi all, would the Sigma 2x tele converter also work with a sigma 150mm macro or would it become an unwieldy beast? I'm unsure whether to get the sigma 150 and try with teleconverters or whether to try extension tubes on my canon 28-135mm EF IS. Don't know if this will allow me to go tripod free or w...

Hi Dave, hope this thread hasn't gone cold as have just found it! Sounds like I'm in an identical situation as yourself. Had been using a sony dsc200? which has a great macro setting that allowed me to point and click at arms length. Got some great shots but very dependent on butterfly being in favo...

Thanks Alexander - just wish it would have come down from the tree! Guess that's the challenge when taking butterfly pics on a small digital camera

Hi all, spotted this in Devon last week - poor images due to it being high in a tree but think it's maybe a female silver washed fritillary? http://upload2.postimage.org/597058/Image1.jpg http://upload2.postimage.org/597071/Image4.jpg Secondly - female speckled wood? Lovely green on wings http://upl...

Thanks Martin,
they are of the same skipper so small it is!

Steve

Sorry to continue on the same theme, but took these today at same location and wondered whether the black tips on antenna denoted an essex skipper? Apologies for lack of focus on first pic :( steve http://upload2.postimage.org/74006/skipper.jpg http://upload2.postimage.org/74013/skipper1.jpg

Hmmm, just notice very similar posting further down!
Guess the conclusion is this is a female small?
Steve

Hello folks, snapped this today but am stumped as to the diference between a small and an essex skipper - both kinda small and brown!
Any ideas would be much appreciated. Picture taken in Hertfordshire.
Cheers - Steve