Tamron 70-300 Tele-Macro zoom lens - an ideal insect lens

Having shot a good number of still macro photographs over the last 30 years, I knew that shooting insects and other small subjects on video was going to be a challenge. However, I'm beginning to discover it's in another league altogether. Keeping a small and fast-moving subject in focus while keeping the camera steady is extremely challenging. Unlike my stills macro set-up, I have to keep the camera on a tripod all the time. That creates difficulties when you're working with insects on flowers and shrubbery because the tripod legs can disturb the vegetation alarming the subject and causing it to flit out of reach. One technique that I'm finding successful is to use a lens that enables you to maintain a reasonable distance between the camera and the subject, and the Tamron 70-300mm macro is ideal especially for larger insects, like butterflies, damselflies and dragonflies. Shooting common blue butterflies this afternoon, I realised that my 105mm macro lens didn't allow enough distance from my subject and it spooked every time. However, using the Tamron I was able to keep my distance and obtain some decent footage before the butterfly disappeared to the next county. I have to admit that for stills the lens isn't the sharpest I've ever used, but for video it's a constant companion.
INTO THE BLUE: Filming this male common blue butterfly proved a little easier with the Tamron macro lens.