Eye shot - Close up with extension tubes

[Graham Mitchell]

I decided to see how close I could get with 60mm of extension tubes the other day. I expected to achieve the greatest magnification with the 150mm f4 PQS lens but I couldn't get close enough. The 180mm f2.8 PQ went rather soft close up - not suitable. In the end, the humble 80mm f2.8 PQS lens won because I could get really close, with great sharpness.

ISO 50, f11.

[Asher Kelman]

A beautiful result, Graham!

With the eye looking up at first it's strange but then we get the idea of "thought".

I wonder whether you might have an objection to adding a sharper iris as this is where magical detail, fronds of branches overlying a blue sky might be discovered?

Asher

[Graham Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Asher Kelman

A beautiful result, Graham!

With the eye looking up at first it's strange but then we get the idea of "thought".

I wonder whether you might have an objection to adding a sharper iris as this is where magical detail, fronds of branches overlying a blue sky might be discovered?

Asher

I thought about the iris. The DOF is so shallow that you can't have both the iris and eyelashes in focus. So I looked through the other files and found a more focused iris (with the thought of stripping it in) but actually there wan't much difference in detail for some reason (is the iris a few millimeters back from the surface of the eye?), and the position of the eye relative to the camera has to be identical or it could look wrong very easily. In the end I left it as it is. After all it was just a test shot. I thought this might be of interest to others with these lenses who are considering extension tubes.

[Asher Kelman]

Originally Posted by Graham Mitchell

I thought about the iris. The DOF is so shallow that you can't have both the iris and eyelashes in focus. So I looked through the other files and found a more focused iris (with the thought of stripping it in) but actually there wan't much difference in detail for some reason (is the iris a few millimeters back from the surface of the eye?), and the position of the eye relative to the camera has to be identical or it could look wrong very easily. In the end I left it as it is. After all it was just a test shot. I thought this might be of interest to others with these lenses who are considering extension tubes.

Yes Graham, the iris is a little back from the cornea. The latter is convex. The iris is more like a lens aperture diaphragm and is considerably deeper than the surface of the front of the black part of the eye where one find reflections of the flash head.

I think you should do more and work with two planes.

Amazing that the skin is all focused pretty well. Looking at the face and the eyelashes, I think that the iris is more like 5mm to even more behind the plane of focus.

Asher

[Andy brown]

Interestingly, I took this shot of my son about two weeks ago.
Very similar setup, 50mm lens with about 60mm of extension.
I was trying to get the reflected landscape(mostly ocean).
I also wanted the camera to be the pupil.
I'm standing waist deep in the water.

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Andy,

I love reflections in the eyes. We say that eyes are "gateways to the soul" but also what's reflected in the pupil represents their world. I am always intrigued by the accidental reflections one sees.

Asher