PentaxForums.com - View Single Post - Looking for suggestions on a macro Lens for butterflies and bees

audiobomber · 12-07-2008, 08:14 AM

I agree with everything Duh Vinci said. The Tamron's 1:2 macro means it isn't a true macro lens, but I don't think it's causing your difficulty. A 1:2 ratio lens is actually a much easier lens to work wth than a true 1:1 macro system.

It would be easier to diagnose what you're doing wrong with the Tamron if you would post some examples. The biggest problem with any macro work is usually depth of field. DOF requires very small apertures, which means low shutter speeds unless you add some light. The linked article is a good start, but be aware that his description of aperture is in relation to a prosumer camera, not a DSLR. With the Tamron you should be working with F11 to F22 to get decent DOF, and unless it's a very bright day, you will need to add flash. Even on a bright day it's best to have flash to keep the shutter speed up and freeze motion.

If you want to step up the magnification to 1:1 and even beyond, you could add a Raynox DCR-150 to the Tamron for about $50. A high quality hot shoe flash is extremely valuable for macros, but you can make do with a diffuser on your popup flash (e.g. Gary Fong Puffer) if you don't want to spend the dough. Of course a Pentax 100mm Macro lens is a nice lens to have, but not necessary at all for good macros. The first two photos in this set were taken with a K100DS, Tamron 70-300 and Sigma 530 Super flash + diffuser. The rest were taken with the Tamron/Sigma plus a Raynox 250. I like the Raynox a lot, but I recommend the Raynox 150 over the 250 now because it's easier to handle and has a longer working distance. For these photos I used apertures of F11 to F40, so without a flash I would have been screwed. http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/p...squeamish.html

12-07-2008, 08:14 AM	#3
audiobomber Pentaxian Location: Sudbury, Ontario Gallery Photos: 0 Posts: 1,010	I agree with everything Duh Vinci said. The Tamron's 1:2 macro means it isn't a true macro lens, but I don't think it's causing your difficulty. A 1:2 ratio lens is actually a much easier lens to work wth than a true 1:1 macro system. It would be easier to diagnose what you're doing wrong with the Tamron if you would post some examples. The biggest problem with any macro work is usually depth of field. DOF requires very small apertures, which means low shutter speeds unless you add some light. The linked article is a good start, but be aware that his description of aperture is in relation to a prosumer camera, not a DSLR. With the Tamron you should be working with F11 to F22 to get decent DOF, and unless it's a very bright day, you will need to add flash. Even on a bright day it's best to have flash to keep the shutter speed up and freeze motion. If you want to step up the magnification to 1:1 and even beyond, you could add a Raynox DCR-150 to the Tamron for about $50. A high quality hot shoe flash is extremely valuable for macros, but you can make do with a diffuser on your popup flash (e.g. Gary Fong Puffer) if you don't want to spend the dough. Of course a Pentax 100mm Macro lens is a nice lens to have, but not necessary at all for good macros. The first two photos in this set were taken with a K100DS, Tamron 70-300 and Sigma 530 Super flash + diffuser. The rest were taken with the Tamron/Sigma plus a Raynox 250. I like the Raynox a lot, but I recommend the Raynox 150 over the 250 now because it's easier to handle and has a longer working distance. For these photos I used apertures of F11 to F40, so without a flash I would have been screwed. http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/p...squeamish.html Last edited by audiobomber; 12-07-2008 at 08:20 AM.