Japanese orchids

[KyushuCalanthe]

Nice photos Naoki. I "need" to buy a macro lens this year. Interestingly, this species is just coming into flower here as well, though at a very different latitude!

 

[Stone]

And here is the last one to flower from this purchase: Spiranthes sinensis.

A link to a great article about this species by Tom (botany boy): A Beautiful Orchid Weed: Spiranthes sinensis

Indeed, it is a beautiful "weed"!


Spiranthes sinensis on Flickr


Spiranthes sinensis on Flickr


Spiranthes sinensis on Flickr


Spiranthes sinensis on Flickr

I've been trying my new, cheap macro lens (M.Zuiko 30mm/f3.5 Macro) for the 1st and 3rd photos above. 60mm is easier to work, but 30mm is an amazing bargain.

This supposedly grows just down the road from me (not far from the shoreline!) but I have yet to see it. (but that may have something to do with the fact that I've never looked for it)

 

[NYEric]

Thanks for sharing. With the Spiranthes sinensis I grew for
Charles I left it near the slightly open window over the Winter.

 

[SlipperFan]

Very cool!

 

[Ozpaph]

the crystalline texture is lovely

 

[naoki]

Nice photos Naoki. I "need" to buy a macro lens this year. Interestingly, this species is just coming into flower here as well, though at a very different latitude!

This 30mm macro is an amazing bargain. I use it to get the extra magnification over Olympus 60mm. The first S. sinensis (the close up) photo is near the maximum magnification without extension tubes (I don't think I cropped it post-processing). To get this, the lens was only 2cm away from the flower, so it was really difficult to compose! So if I had to have one macro, I would choose Olympus 60mm or Panasonic 45mm. For the macro work, the image stabilization probably doesn't help much (I think this applies to video, too), so the extra working distance and cheaper price of 60mm (which is a superb lens) might be nicer than 45mm. But OIS is nice to have if you want to use it for other general purpose, too.

This supposedly grows just down the road from me (not far from the shoreline!) but I have yet to see it. (but that may have something to do with the fact that I've never looked for it)

I didn't know that they occur in S. hemisphere, but you are right! Not so many plant species can have such a wide geographic distribution!

Thanks for sharing. With the Spiranthes sinensis I grew for
Charles I left it near the slightly open window over the Winter.

It is cool that they make different shaped leaves for winter and summer!

the crystalline texture is lovely

The flower is so tiny to appreciate without a magnifying glass, but I agree the texture is beautiful.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

This 30mm macro is an amazing bargain. I use it to get the extra magnification over Olympus 60mm. The first S. sinensis (the close up) photo is near the maximum magnification without extension tubes (I don't think I cropped it post-processing). To get this, the lens was only 2cm away from the flower, so it was really difficult to compose! So if I had to have one macro, I would choose Olympus 60mm or Panasonic 45mm. For the macro work, the image stabilization probably doesn't help much (I think this applies to video, too), so the extra working distance and cheaper price of 60mm (which is a superb lens) might be nicer than 45mm. But OIS is nice to have if you want to use it for other general purpose, too.

Yes, the results from this lens are indeed impressive. I think I would like a bit more space between the subject and lens (2 cm is just too close for a bug), so I think I'll spring for the Panasonic/Leica 45mm when I'm feeling rich. Agreed on the image stabilization. A weird thing about these OIS lenses too - they make a horrible rattling sound when they are turned off. Very unsettling at first!

 

[Linus_Cello]

And here's mine from a couple weeks ago. Hoping I get seeds.

 

[Cosmic Orchid]

A cool looking plant! The best effect in this case might be when the plant is grown clustered with others to create a mass effect in a garden. That would be a sight!

 

[naoki]

Just a heads up, they are taking the pre-order for 2008. Cypripedium debile is an exciting new addition. Calanthe reflexa and a couple varieties of Pecteilis radiata and Bletilla striata are new, too. 20% off with a Promo Code PREORDER18 right now.

My Amitostigma and Poneorchis are starting to go dormant. A. kinoshitae did make keikis, but I'm not sure what to do with them. They were very small before the plants became brown. I put them on the media, but I think it was probably too late.