Shooting note: Photo taken handheld with using a NEX-7 and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens attached via a Metabones Speedbooster adapter. This adapter is unique in that it allows the lens to be used at its rated focal length on on the NEX-7's APS-C sensor. In the process, it also increases the maximum aperture by 1 stop, from 2.8 to f2 in this case. This is primarily useful for wide-angle lenses.

The image is only cropped on the right to 4:5 aspect ratio from the sensor 4:6 proportions. The only sharpening is a little clarity in ACR. Slight hilite reduction in Shadow/Hilites to reduce some of the glare off the petals.
#1525873

Nicely done as it looks like your main subject was in direct sun but the back lighting helped to keep the shot soft rather than harsh as I often get in direct sun shots especially with yellow or red.

Looks like the lens combination worked well. #10670519

All kidding aside, this is a well thought out and executed capture and is well done. Even so, I still think I would do just a bit more processing to get the most out of it.

As Mike mentioned, the main subject is in direct sun but the image as a whole is a bit flat. Give this a try to see if you like it. Duplicate and apply a 30% screen blend. Then apply a levels layer and move the mid-tone slider to the right to about o.60 to add a bit more contrast to the shadows.

Of course, since you are working with the original file, your settings might be just a tad different. #10670534

I will refine this image, Dale. Thanks for the suggestions. #10670824

Since you didn't describe the changes you wanted to accomplish, just the process, I concluded that a darker background with a brighter primary element was your intent. If I were to go the opposite direction, I fail to see how a lighter background behind a bright foreground would have decreased the appearance of being "flat".

Jeff it is an interesting gadget. To the degree is has any drawbacks, it is focusing speed, which may be slowed down. But I'm having enough trouble managing focus with the camera itself that at the moment the difference can't be considered a determining factor. If you apply the common wisdom that macro shots need to be manually focused anyway, then the "focus peaking" feature of the camera should actually improve manual focus speed and accuracy, if I can ever "get the hang of it". #10674355

You brought up a good point. It is a good idea to state the intent and not just the procedure. I try to always do that, but failed to do so in this case. #10674366

Sounds like a very interesting gadget. #10674721

BECAUSE, the point you missed is that this isn't just a mount adapter, which would behave as you described. This gadget contains optics that allows my 100mmm lens to remain 100mm on the crop sensor camera, and in the process increased its "speed" by about 1 full f-stop.

Where this really comes becomes useful the ability to use my 17-40L "ultra" wide angle lens as a 17-40 on the crop-sensor NEX. Just a mount adapter would have made the 17-40 into a 25-60, within the same wide-angle range as my walk-around "Kit", 18-200 lens. It seems that on these mirrorless cameras, because they are so thin, it is very hard to build a truly wide-angle lens. Prices for quality, 3rd part lenses like Zeiss, for this camera are higher than "L" glass.

Image quality remains very good. If you read the pixel-peeper reviews there will always be some that find fault. There may be some corner degradation, but it hasn't been an issue to me yet. I wouldn't have gotten this picture if I'd had my standard lens mounted at the time. In the full-size image, the detail in the lace and brocade is incredible.
#10680340

For me, anticipating a trip to London where my prime destinations were quality visits to Westminster Abbey and Kensington Palace, the January announcement of the Speedbooster was a godsend. My 5DMII would have worked maybe better, but the confined spaces and crowded conditions, and extensive "tube" and crowded sidewalk travel during rush hour made the NEX very attractive. Turned out, you can't take any photographs inside the Abbey, and we skipped Kensington Palace and ended up in Windsor instead. 5DMII would have been fine.

I have also learned that for me, in crowded conditions or for more casual family photography, I simply will not pull out even my 50D with its loud shutter with a less conspicuous Tamron 24-75 lens. I will bypass the photo-op altogether. I took a lot more of this kind of picture on this trip. #10680473