Thank you Jason! I hadn't noticed..;) Janet

Congrats on your 2k ,yay!!:-)

No I am twice fifteen and then seven on top ,LOL,thanks for the tips ,hopefully you've shown me the fast track to good macro shots,many thanks Janet.

So Jason, if you started at the age of 10, then in the last 5 years....that makes you 15!! LOL. Oh yes you will have to go the manual route, I was intimidated at first but once you get the hang of it you will be surprised just how easy it is, and yes you won't get the results until you do go manual. You might yet need a 2x teleconverter though :)). If you need any tips just ask, it takes a while to get used to the best settings. Now I have found it's best to use 1/200 with f14, +0.7EV and when it's a dark subject or in extremely poor light such as inside up the Flash compensation to +0.3 or +0.7, if still too dark go the full hog to +1.0. Use spot focus for best results too. I have my flash mode set to the one which highlights the background, on my camera it shows snooker balls with the trail behind. ISO400 but the camera still changes that if need be, and white balance I have on flash as that's what I use most. Now try it! :)) Janet

pt2:-Yes my interests in natural history are becoming more and more diverse and my range of ID skills are growing with that.At the moment I'd like put my macro on AF,but I guess that this will not bring the best results.:-)

Hi Janet,I started out as a birder at about the age of 10,then in the past five years I've become more of an all rounder,I didnt ever think back then I'd end up studying insects.SNHS surveys also made me look at Ladybirds,Shieldbugs and their alllies,Longhorn Beetles amongst others.I've just got a 105 macro,I still dont like the idea of manual:-)

Part 2 :)

Where there's a will there's a way as the saying goes. It's a self feeding hobby, lol, wait until you get hooked on flies, I thought moths were difficult but they are a piece of cake compared, then try those oodles of tiny wasps that you never knew existed, harder still! There's not enough info about the smaller wasps, but there is a place I can try the experts at the HMYIS forum if I ever get time! At the moment I'm still taking around 165 pics a day, low compared to a good day, macro photography opens up a whole new can of worms which I am enjoying immensely. With moths, I spent many hours trawling through moth sites trying to ID mine, eventually they start to come together so stick with it. :) Janet

I think I'm on the road to covering most wildlife I have found Jason. It takes a lot of time and determination though, but I have an abundance of both! My interest in insects etc. started when I got a digi camera in 2005, a 5MP compact which I outgrew (got frustrated!) so my son bought me a Nikon D40X with a 55-200mm zoom lens which was great to learn on although dauntingly scary for a start. I couldn't get the small bugs though, and my desire made me sell lots of stuff on ebay to buy a 105mm micro lens and a 2x teleconverter, then I had to learn to use it in manual but it has been well worth the effort. Message too long so will post the rest separately! :) Janet

So you've got the Ladybirds covered as well then:-),I'm a beginner with moths though ,I dont run my own trap,I'd like to ,at the moment I get access to one,as a friend surveys them and must be afraid of the dark,so asks me along,It certainly wouldnt be because of moth ID skills.Cheers Jason

Ah, I still havent put in a link yet,I will put it to the top of my list:)Cheers Jason.