Seems like it was only a few days ago, on the first day of spring in fact, that I was lamenting the state of the crocus (croci?) in our yard. Being the the tidal zone of a river, where the cold air from the ocean comes inland on every high tide, our spring is delayed when compared to our neighbors less than a mile inland, so I am always sensitive to the bloom of the crocus. Since the first day of spring, however, we have had three days of faux-summer here in Maine, with record setting temperatures in the 80s, and the crocus just leaped up.

Looking back through my The Yard gallery on WideEyedInWonder, I see that I have been faithful for at least the past 4 years to document the first bloom of the crocus with a series of close-ups. This year I am still learning to get the best out of my new Canon SX40HS. When I went back to the Canon, after a brief flirtation with the Nikon P500, the only thing I missed from the Nikon was the superior macro function. The Nikon, in Macro Mode, set the lens to 34mm equivalent and focused down to 2cm. It was wonderful. The Canon, on the other hand, only focuses really close (0 cm…touching the lens) at 24mm, which is, in reality, a less impressive macro effect.

A week ago, while shooting a few macros in NJ, it occurred to me to try using the digital tel-extender function with macro at the 24mm end of the zoom. I have gotten some impressive macros at the long end of the zoom at 1680mm equivalent using the DTE function, but you have to be 4.5 feet away. That is very useful with bugs, but not so handy with flowers.

These crocus are my first real experiments with extended macro on the Canon SX40HS. I’d say it works. The 1.5x and 2x DTE function allows you to shoot at 36 and 48mm equivalents, while still focusing to 0 cm. You can use the extra magnification for more impressive macro effect, or to back away from the subject to a more comfortable working distance (1 to 4 inches). And the image quality is just fine for my uses (whether seen at reasonable sizes on a computer monitor, or blown up to wall size on and LCD projector).

For comparison (and just for more crocus fun) here are two shots of the same flower…the first is at the wide end of the zoom, using macro and the 1.5x DTE for a 36mm equivalent field of view. The second is at the long end of the zoom, using macro and the 2x DTE for a 1680mm equivalent. The first is from an inch. The second is from 4.5 feet.

And to finish up, a low angle shot…just peaking over the petals to the orange fans at the center.

The addition of the DTE to the macro on the Canon SX40HS has cured my Nikon envy. And, of course, the crocus helped!