Violet Oil Beetle (Meloe violaceus) photos
Calvin posted this on Jul 17th 2008 at 16:24 under Macro, Photo Blog, Photography, Wildlife
When staying at the Glengarriff Lodge in April, these bizarre looking creatures were all over the place. Didn’t have a clue what they were until further investigation revealed that they were violet oil beetles (Meloe violaceus).
I keep meaning to upgrade from my aged Nikon Coolpix 5700 – but this dated 5 megapixel camera still manages to surprise and delight me with the quality of image it’s capable of producing.
I’ve been toying with getting a DSLR for ages now, but while the kids are young I’m loath to swap what is a very capable and compact package for the bulkier SLR and associated paraphernalia.
Naturally there are times when I miss the speed and responsiveness of an SLR… but much less often than you might think.
Walter on 17 Jul 2008 at 19:35 #
Wow. Those are some stunning photos. I can’t believe they were taken with a compact.
Debbie on 17 Jul 2008 at 19:55 #
Wow, stunning pics.
Calvin on 17 Jul 2008 at 19:57 #
Thanks Walter. The 5700 is really very capable, and like most of the higher end models in the Coolpix line has excellent close focus/macro capability. If anything its predecessor, the 3.4 MP Coolpix 990 (which I still get out occasionally) was even better at macro stuff.
I might go for a DSLR soon though. A photographer friend who’s more into medium format might be selling his Nikon D200, which will work with my existing Nikon mount glass and my ancient but still kick-ass Metz flashgun. I’m sorely tempted and might not resist the temptation!
Calvin on 17 Jul 2008 at 19:59 #
Thanks Debbie, glad you like them!
Darren on 17 Jul 2008 at 22:03 #
Amazing photos and beetles.