More Proof you need a Tripod for Macro

I try to use a tripod for macro shooting whenever possible, but sometimes I see an opportunity and I don't have mine handy. This is what happened today. There were a few problems with this; first of all I was using a 100mm macro lens, which is quite a long focal length to be shooting with handheld anyway, but especially for a close subject. Second, it was windy, and therefore the subject was moving. And third, various clutter around the subject was confusing my autofocus enough that I switched to manual—something I usually hate to do when I don't have a tripod.




click to enlarge, or see it on Flickr
Aperture: f/3.2
Shutter Speed: 1/125
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 100mm
Handheld


I shot anyway. Considering all the factors involved, I think I got a pretty good result for a 1/125 shutter speed, handheld, with manual focus. But the sharpness issues (caused both by motion blur and slight positioning adjustments after focusing) become quite apparent when you view the full-size image.

Either way, there will be a redux of this sometime when I have my tripod and a spray bottle handy to create water droplets.