Macro/flora questions

Hi all.

I have been looking recently into doing some different flora work. I have done a bit of research in doing some photography with a reversed 50mm lens. Is there a 'best' lens to reverse a 50mm on? I have noticed that Michael Brown uses a 100mm macro. Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance.

Nathan

Nathan I've used a reversed 50 f1.8 and a reversed 50 f2 lens. I've also tried a 55 micro reversed but the results with it weren't great because of the design of a macro. I've also done macro with a 50mm lens reversed on the front of a 200mm and a 100 mm lens also with good results. John Shaw in his book "Closeups In Nature" talks about these and other methods. In general if you have access to more than one 50mm lens I'd try them. Different designs can produce different results. Nikon makes a reversing ring BR2 I think or something similar that can be used to reverse a lens easily. Hope this helps.

Nathan, I use a Nikon 50 mm 1.8 reversed on a 35-70mm Nikon lens which is not the best zoom on the market. This combination is working well for still objects but is difficult to use on moving insects, for flora subjects it should work OK. I got the used 50mm from a friend who didn't use it anymore.
Here is an example I posted in the Flora galery :

http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=68371&b=vg4&st=100&la=442&ph=115&sid=30879&u=30907

Nathan, ... I honestly don't know how the reversed lens method will work on other macros, since the 100mm macro is the only one that I have ever used for this method.
I simply got me a old Nikkor 1.4 lens that was clean and sharp for about $35, slapped it onto the Canon 100mm macro, and have been having me some interesting fun ever sense!

Not quite sure what type of florals you are interested in shooting, but you can go to my journal and move over to the "Search" box, type in "50mm", and it probably will bring up any posts and images created with this method.
http://macroartinnature.wordpress.com/

And Nathan, ... have a good time creating buddy!!

Thank you all for the suggestions.

Michael, I love your work and have done a little bit of shallow/abstract work myself (though never to what you have done I feel). I have felt lately that I have been in a slump. I shot lots of high key stuff, focusing on shape and form through the winter, with subjects that I bought at a flower shop, but that is just not doing it for me now. I really want to try your method, including the 'cram it'. I am going to look locally for a 50mm...otherwise it seems that they can be had on the auctions pretty affordably.

I have had some money that I have been planning to use for a new body, the D80, but I see that doing little for my creativity, I would just have larger 'boring' files. I think I might put some money into a setup like has been discussed here.

Thank you all again.

Nathan

One more question...what would I get by reversing a wider lens, such as a 28mm 2.8?

Thanks.

Nathan