John Richmond

Thanks for the spot, Ian

Many thanks, Bryan

The 1.4x converter will either increase the magnification for the same working distance or increase the working distance for the same magnification. You need as much DOF as possible with macro so f8 will be fine. I'd leave the converter on.

The NISI ones do and they look like the best bet. I used to use a Canon 5D close up filter on a 55-250 mm and the results were nearly as good as with my Tamron 90 mm prime. 55 mm thread only unfortunately.

Before I switched from Canon APS-C to Olympus I used a Tamron 90mm (non IS), Sigma 105mm (IS) and Sigma 180mm (non IS) as my macro lenses. For general 'ambling around' use, the 105mm Sigma was definitely the most useful, offering excellent image quality and the benefits of good stabilisation. A Tamron 90mm with IS would offer the same benefits and cost considerably less than the Canon 100mm L IS macro already recommended. The 180mm Sigma was definitely a specialist lens. Brilliant for working distance on a sturdy tripod (it was heavy!), I used it mostly for static plant portraits, fungi, lichens etc. Even the IS versions are way too cumbersome as a general carry along lens for hand held shooting. In any case you may not actually need one. Stick a high quality close up filter - the NISI ones are supposed to be excellent - on your 100-400mm and you'll get very near macro capability and the benefit of zooming for framing the shots at a fraction of the cost of a long tele macro. Having said that be warned. Nature Macro is very seductive. You'll find yourself 'investing' in flash gear, extension tubes, teleconverters etc. You'll also find yourself endlessly searching to identify many of your subjects only to realise, having narrowed down the field, that the one view that would provide a definite ID is the one view you didn't take.

I usually check with the RHS website - they're pretty up to date with nomenclature. The problem is that DNA analysis is now replacing the older types of species differentiation and the taxonomists are finding that what they thought were related plants aren't - and then they need new names. Keeping up is a nightmare, even for people who've done some botanical studies in the past.

Hi Allan This is now renamed to Ficaria verna. You've also got the old name as Ranunculus ficario when it should be Ranunculus ficaria. Hope this helps you make a sale (I take far less commission than A). John

Yes, that works Mark. 👍 You made a little typo where -taketaken should be -datetaken but the meaning was clear and easy to understand. Thanks.

23 licences for $402 gross. CTR of 0.70 with 39 zooms. Not a brilliant month, the highest licence being for $36.71 (though there were 6 of them) and too many low $. Still, the compensation was that my total licence sales have now passed $50,000 - though it's taken 2,788 licences to get there.

Thanks Sally It is a magical place, run as a charitable trust and I'm glad to be a volunteer there to help preserve the garden. The ethos of garden's founders, Lionel and Nancy Fortescue,, to grow only the best still prevails and as a gardener as well as a photographer I really appreciate that. It's not always fun, though. On the day I took those photos we had rain, light overcast, dark overcast, hail and the occasional bit of sun and warmth. Standard edge of Dartmoor four seasons in a day stuff - but challenging photographically!

A few for the end of the month. All at The Garden House:

A mountain is just a hill with an altitude problem.

Sea swimmers in January sunshine on steps of the rocky shoreline at Firestone Bay, Plymouth Sound, Plymouth, Devon, UK - Image ID: 2WEA948 Ancient stone steps in the walled garden at The Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, Devon - Image ID: 2PB3XCD St Andrew's cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo, Amalfi, Italy - Image ID: ERRFK7 Steep stone steps on the coastal footpath above Salcombe, South Devon, UK - Image ID: KJ184A

A few from me, the first four taken at The Garden House, near me in Devon and the charitable trust where I'm a volunteer. It's looking good at the moment! Magnolia 'Shirazz' and Cornus 'Amy's Winter Orange' Acer palmatum 'Katsura; Magnolia 'Felix Jury' Spring bulbs and a final one taken in my own front garden. Magnolia 'Raspberry Ice'

I'll agree with the M43 recommendation, especially if you choose used gear. I'm currently getting excellent results with second hand Olympus EM1 Mkii, 40-150mm f2.8 Pro, 12-40mm f2.8 Pro and a 60 mm macro. Fully weatherproofed and great to 800ISO, acceptable to 1600ISO and above with some noise reduction. That combination might be a bit heavy at around 4 pounds and too much for your budget but there are plenty of lighter, cheaper options including the weatherproof f4 combo of 12-45 Pro and 40-150 Pro perhaps paired with an also weatherproof EM5 Mkiii body. Image quality would be very similar if not the same and more than acceptable for Alamy. I've only ever had one QC fail with M43 gear and that was my own fault. Here's a couple of 800ISO shots with the 40-150mm f2.8 Pro: