Sony α7R II Camera + 90mm Sony Macro Lens + Macro Filter: Extreme Close-ups of ‘Hidden World of Bugs and Insects,’ a Macro Photography Series

The following video presents α7R II – Product Feature | α | Sony:

See reality as your mind’s eye envisions it with the incredible new Sony α7R II. The world’s first*1 back-illuminated 35mm full-frame CMOS image sensor gives this camera capability to deliver 42.4-megapixel*2 resolution, high sensitivity and fast response that are apparent in every amazing picture. The Fast Hybrid AF system’s extra-wide dense focal plane phase-detection AF coverage keeps
subjects in sharp focus, while 5-axis image stabilization reduces blur which otherwise tends to affect handheld shots. High-resolution imaging is further enhanced by 4K movie recording now featuring full pixel readout without pixel binning. With so much innovation packed into such a compact form, it’s clear that there is more to life than meets the naked eye.
*1 Among digital still cameras equipped with a 35mm full-frame image sensor. As of June 2015 based on Sony research.
*2 Approximate effective megapixels.

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Sony’s macro photography series, ‘Hidden World of Bugs and Insects’, shows extreme close-ups of some of the smallest creatures in your homes – all possible with the ultra-high resolution Sony α7R II combined with the 90mm Sony Macro Lens and a macro filter.

 

PRESS RELEASE

What’s bugging you at home this winter?

 Nov 20, 2015 00:01 GMT

The new ultra-high resolution Sony α7R II camera gets up close with the bugs in your home this winter and reveals the magnified world of our tiny tenants

Top ten everyday bugs and insects living in your homes this winter identified, including the daddy long-legs spider, the European earwig and the common clothes moth

Incredible macro photography series shows extreme close-ups of some of the smallest creatures in your homes – all possible with the ultra-high resolution Sony α7R IIcombined with the 90mm Sony Macro Lens and a macro filter

Striking series of macro imagery has been taken by photographer Mikael Buck – exploring the unseen world of some of the tiniest lives on the planet – invertebrates.

Subjects captured up close using the Sony α7R II combined with the 90mm Sony Macro Lens and a macro filter, with the amazingly detailed pictures putting faces to the names of the most common creepy-crawlies we all share our homes with – such as house spiders, the common woodlouse and seven-spot ladybirds.

The camera’s incredibly high resolution capabilities, paired with the macro lens’s exceptionally high sharpness highlight the intricacies and complexities of the tiny denizens of our houses and flats, revealing an almost ‘alien’ look to the insects. Due to the lens’s advanced magnification ability and the camera’s 42.4 megapixel sensor output, details that are normally not visible to the naked eye are made suddenly prominent, such as the intricate wings and golden compound eyes of the green lacewing, the earwig’s distinctive pair of pinchers, the amour-like shell of the woodlouse and thehairy legsof the female house spider.

Working with conservation charity Buglife, ten of the bugs to keep an eye out for this winter have been identified as:

1.House spider (Tegenaria species)

2.European earwig (Forficula auricularia)

3.Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

4.Common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea)

5.Bluebottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria)

6.Common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella)

7.Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

8.Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)

9.Common woodlouse (Oniscus asellus)

10.Daddy long-legs spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

Vanessa Amaral-Rogers, Conservation Campaigns Officer at Buglife comments, “Bugs and insects are often considered vermin or pests and are not recognised for the hugely important ecological role they play. Sony’s ‘Hidden World of Bugs and Insects’ photo series allows us to get up close and personal with the almost alien faces that can’t be seen by the naked eye. The amazing detail that is captured in the picture series reveals how magnificent and beautiful these common bugs and insects truly are, instead of simply seeing them as creepy-crawlies.”

She adds: “These fascinating creatures are some of the most common species found within our homes over the winter, and some of the most interesting. The colder season can be a particularly tough on bugs and insects as they are reliant on the heat of the sun for their daily activity. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see them moving indoors. Some can even be found hibernating in the quieter parts of the house like the attic or the porch. For instance, ladybirds can often number in the thousands when they find spaces to hibernate in. Across European countries, such as [insert country], these animals represent just a fragment of the amazing diversity that can be found all around us.”

As displayed within the photo series, the α7R II camera allows both hobbyist and professional photographers alike the ability to get up close and personal with their subjects, ensuring they stay in sharp focus.

Offering the world’s first back-illuminated full-frame sensor, the camera delivers high resolution, high light sensitivity and high speed autofocus response up to 40% faster than the original α7R thanks to 399 focal plane phase detection autofocus points. The α7R II can also shoot and record 4K video in multiple formats including Super 35mm andfull-frame format, a world’s first for digital cameras.

Tailor-made for high-impact close-ups and portraits, the 90mm Sony Macro Lensdelivers an impressive blend of clarity and exceptionally smooth background defocus – to produce incredibly sharp and detailed pictures.

Interesting facts about bugs

• There are millions of invertebrates living in your home, from house spiders which scuttle across the floor, to dust mites which are barely visible to the naked eye (Buglife, November 2015)
• Up to 25,000 harmless bugs can be living in your Christmas tree (Jordal, University Museum of Bergen, 2012)
• There are roughly around ten species of spider living in your home (Buglife, November 2015)

About Buglife

Buglife is the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates. The conservation trust is actively working to save Britain’s rarest little animals, everything from bees to beetles, worms to woodlice and jumping spiders to jellyfish.

About the bugs

• House spiders (Tegenaria species)

• Autumn is the time of year when many of us think our houses are being invaded by rather large eight-legged creatures. These are male House spiders and although they are actually in your house all year round, we only see them around this time of year. It is now when they’re on the prowl, searching every corner of your house looking for the lady spider of their dreams. It is quite easy to work out whether a spider is a girl or a boy. The males have smaller bodies but longer legs than the females and the palps – like tiny legs either side of their jaws – look like little arms with boxing gloves. These are the ones more prone to running across your carpet.

• European earwig (Forficula auricularia)

• An old wives tale once thought that we call these insects Earwigs because of their habit of climbing into people’s ears, although it is more likely that their ear-shaped wings gave them their name. They definitely don’t deserve a fearsome reputation being harmless to humans. The females are very caring mothers, defending their young from predators and licking the eggs to keep them free from mould. They come into houses as they’re attracted to lights, similar to night-flying moths.

• Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

• With beautiful black wings bearing red bands and white spots, the Red admiral is one of the UK’s most striking and easily identifiable butterflies. Although this butterfly is in fact a migrant which flies all the way from North Africa, some can often be found hibernating inside houses to see out the winter. They wake up in the spring, only to be joined by many other butterflies which have travelled thousands of miles to the UK to then lay their eggs during the warming weather.

• Common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea)

• With their long antennae, golden eyes and two pairs of transparent wings that are nearly twice as long as their abdomen, the Common green lacewing can grow to 1cm in length. Even though their name suggests they are all green, Common green lacewings do vary in colour and some are striking shades of blue. During the cold winter months, adult lacewings hibernate mainly in buildings. With the change in season, adults change in colour too. Their colour goes from a beautiful shade of green or blue to a yellowish-brown colour, often with red spots on their bodies whilst they overwinter.

• Bluebottle fly (Calliphora vomitoria)

• Can often be seen buzzing around the house, the Bluebottle is looking for somewhere to lay its eggs. The adults feed on nectar and are important pollinators of many types of flowers and even crops and orchard trees. The adults will lay their eggs on decaying meat which will feed the larvae once they hatch out. Bluebottles are incredibly important in forensic science as scientists are able to determine time of death from the development of the larvae

• Common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella)

• Clothes moths can be quite happy living inside your house, and were at one time considered a pest species. As the English name suggests, the larvae feed on clothes made from wool and other natural materials. Now, these shiny, golden moths aren’t as common as they used to be and declines in numbers are thought to be down to an increase in man-made fabrics being used for clothing.

• Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

• This lovely little beetle is a gardener’s favourite, helping keep numbers of aphids down. The adults can be active all the way into November, but when it starts to get cold, they move into homes and outbuildings to hibernate over the winter and can often found clustered together in groups for warmth. These creatures are struggling at the moment as their numbers are dwindling, so they’re best left sleeping in the house to give them a much needed boost in the spring.

• Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)

• How many times have you switched on the light in the bathroom, to see fast-moving silver shapes dart quickly across the floor and under the bath? These nocturnal insects are the Silverfish and like to live in damp areas in the house. Whilst the odd individual one isn’t a problem, large numbers of them could be an issue. They feed on carbohydrates and sugars including the glue in book bindings and wallpaper or the starch in clothes.

• Common woodlouse (Oniscus asellus)

• Woodlice are particularly unusual bugs, in that they are more closely related to crabs and shrimps than anything else which can be found on land. Whilst normally found outside under logs and in compost heaps, they love damp and dark areas. So when searching for these in your house, check the bathroom. Just before mating the male climbs on top of the female, uses his front legs to drum on her back and licks her head.

• Daddy long-legs spider (Pholcus phalangioides)

• This fragile-looking little spider can often be seen lurking in the corners of households in their messy webs. Although they look like delicate beings, they definitely punch above their weight when it comes to their eating habits. These spiders are the natural enemy of the large House spiders seen running around your home. Not a fussy eater, the Daddy long-legs spider will also feed on flies, bees, wasps and even other Daddy long-legs spiders when food is scarce.

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You can buy the Sony α7R II camera and 90mm Sony Macro lens at B&H:

• Sony α7R II (model ILCE-7RM2), body only

• Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens