dkCambridgeshire Posted July 30, 2019 Share #1 Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Visited Swaddywell Pit Nature Reserve near Peterborough UK yesterday where spotted a Water Stick Insect … Ranatra linearis . Photographed with Leica SL / Novoflex Noflexar 'T' 400mm lens / Novoflex follow focus mount / Leica R bellows / Leitz R 2x APO extender / small Gitzo tripod fitted with Novoflex fork mount. Ranatra linearis is Europe's largest water insect being 7cm in length including its 'snorkel' tail; the front two protrusions are prehensile legs … thus has 6 legs. The insect was quite still and erect for several minutes whilst I added the 2 extender. The long subject distance avoided disturbance. After a few 'snaps' , the insect submerged … and I did not see it again. When submerged it breathes though its tail. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Specimen was approx 2.5m from pond edge and it just about filled the frame height in landscape format … which cropped in post to vertical format. The Novoflex Noflexar 400mm T is an achromatic triplet and approx 50 years young … works well with Leica R bellows and Leitz 2x APO extender. Effective aperture f11 , 1/800sec, ISO 1600 …cont'd ... Edited July 30, 2019 by dkCambridgeshire 11 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Specimen was approx 2.5m from pond edge and it just about filled the frame height in landscape format … which cropped in post to vertical format. The Novoflex Noflexar 400mm T is an achromatic triplet and approx 50 years young … works well with Leica R bellows and Leitz 2x APO extender. Effective aperture f11 , 1/800sec, ISO 1600 …cont'd ... ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/299760-europes-largest-water-insect-ranatra-linearis/?do=findComment&comment=3787574'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 30, 2019 Posted July 30, 2019 Hi dkCambridgeshire, Take a look here Europe's largest water insect Ranatra linearis . I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
dkCambridgeshire Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! … to illustrate the apparatus described in #1 … Leica SL camera is supported on the trolley seat . Ancient Noflexar T lens is easy to source secondhand at budget prices. cont'd ... Edited July 30, 2019 by dkCambridgeshire 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! … to illustrate the apparatus described in #1 … Leica SL camera is supported on the trolley seat . Ancient Noflexar T lens is easy to source secondhand at budget prices. cont'd ... ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/299760-europes-largest-water-insect-ranatra-linearis/?do=findComment&comment=3787579'>More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! … to illustrate pond habitat and apparatus … the 4ft x 2ft plywood sheet enables the small tripod in #2 to be placed as close to the pond edge as possible. Plywood sheet fits on the trolley OK … it's a 5 minute downhill walk to the pond from the road … 10 minute uphill walk pulling trolley to return to the car park. The insects are on the pond foliage in the centre of the pond … at least 2.5m and up to 5m from the pond edge … hence the 800mm lens plus bellows. Best wishes dunk Edited July 30, 2019 by dkCambridgeshire 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! … to illustrate pond habitat and apparatus … the 4ft x 2ft plywood sheet enables the small tripod in #2 to be placed as close to the pond edge as possible. Plywood sheet fits on the trolley OK … it's a 5 minute downhill walk to the pond from the road … 10 minute uphill walk pulling trolley to return to the car park. The insects are on the pond foliage in the centre of the pond … at least 2.5m and up to 5m from the pond edge … hence the 800mm lens plus bellows. Best wishes dunk ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/299760-europes-largest-water-insect-ranatra-linearis/?do=findComment&comment=3787580'>More sharing options...
david strachan Posted July 30, 2019 Share #4 Posted July 30, 2019 Well done Dunk. Always good to see innovation. Good image. cheers... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted July 30, 2019 (edited) The moment when the insect suddenly submerged before manoeuvring under the leaves … legs visible but distorted by the optical effect of the water … Being 7cm in length plus the length of its front legs (which are displayed 'mantis-like' in the first photo) the creature looks enormous compared to other insects … larger than e.g. an Emperor Dragonfly … Ranatra linearis is the largest European water insect. dunk Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited July 30, 2019 by dkCambridgeshire 3 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/299760-europes-largest-water-insect-ranatra-linearis/?do=findComment&comment=3787815'>More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share #6 Posted July 30, 2019 ^^^ EDIT: legs are not distorted by the water … but note leg shadows on the leaf. dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
North / Northwest Posted July 30, 2019 Share #7 Posted July 30, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) Interesting looking insect. The images are amazing. Do people think you're carrying a gun when they first see you at the pond? 😋 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted July 30, 2019 Share #8 Posted July 30, 2019 Very nice 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted June 13, 2024 Author Share #9 Posted June 13, 2024 Reprocessed as original image is not sharp Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Water Stick Insect (Renatra linearis) Europe's largest water insect photographed at Swaddywell Nature Reserve cabin pond, near Peterborough UK Leica SL 601 / Novoflex Noflexar T 400mm f5.6 / Leica R bellows / Leica R APO 2x extender BW, dunk 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Water Stick Insect (Renatra linearis) Europe's largest water insect photographed at Swaddywell Nature Reserve cabin pond, near Peterborough UK Leica SL 601 / Novoflex Noflexar T 400mm f5.6 / Leica R bellows / Leica R APO 2x extender BW, dunk ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/299760-europes-largest-water-insect-ranatra-linearis/?do=findComment&comment=5346180'>More sharing options...
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