Today in March 2021 more shots of an Orchid hybride, Oncostele Wildcat 'Golden Red Star' in reflected ultraviolet photography as well as simulated bee and butterfly vision - but with a quite different lens, the Jenoptik CoastalOpt® UV-VIS-IR 60 mm 1:4 APO Macro quartz fluorite lens, which is on the scientific lens market for a few years now. UV filter used was the Baader-U filter, my "work horse" filter for reflected UV as well as my proprietary XBV filters for simulated bee and butterfly vision. All shots were done at f8. Light source used was a modified for high UV output Xenon flash. I have additionally used a 365nm UV LED for better focusing, (which unfortunately has influenced the white balance somewhat, in case you wonder).
[click on image to see a larger one]
Human Vision (VIS):
Reflected UV (Baader-U):
Simulated Butterfly Vision:
Simulated Bee Vision:
Quadriptych of human vision, UV, simulated butterfly and bee vision (left to right, top to bottom):
This orchid has a very specific UV pattern, its petals are very UV dark, but its lower petal lip shows on the lower center a very UV
bright spot which gets nicely visible.
This 60mm lens is a rather well working one, with a nice close up focus capability from infinity up to 26cm (0.26 meter). Sharpness is quite good and so is its contrast, even wide open. It has a transmission waveband of
290nm - 1500nm and is apochromatic from
315nm - 1100nm. It is had an advanced broadband BBAR coating which increases transmission considerably and reduced flares; my measured transmission spectra of it may be seen here. It has a standard Nikon-F mount, and covers full format sensors (41mm diagonal). There have been reports of a UV hotspot, but the solution to it has been found by using a tight sunshade.
I have written more about this orchid HERE.
Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...
More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos
