The same day I ordered my first digital SLR, a K100d, I also ordered a Sigma APO-DG 70-300. My primary photo subject is horses, and the 70-300 seems to be perfect for that use (see ocalahorsepix.com if you are interested). One of the features of the Sigma is the MACRO function. Yes, I know this is not a true MACRO lens.
One day while our horses were doing nothing interesting I began to play with the close focus feature, and came up with a couple of nice images. (I've attached two or three samples). I was so pleased with the results I blew the rest of my photo budget on a true MACRO via Ebay. Totally manual, but a true MACRO never the less.
As soon as it arrived I was back in the same field trying to duplicate some insect photos I've "wowed" at for years. I quickly discovered that a bug or lizard that will let you shoot from 3 feet (the approximate minimum focus of the 70-300) will be long gone when you try to move in to 2 feet, much less 2 inches. I really missed the 300mm. I never expected to be able to hand hold the MACRO, and I couldn't. I also could not use a monopod consistently. The tripod worked, sort of, after I built a substitute close focus rail, but even a very slight breeze not only moved the subject out of the depth of field, but often right out of the view finder. As luck would have it, every time I had the MACRO on the camera some horse would finally do something interesting and I was stuck with 80mm when I needed 250.
I called a friend who is good at insect MACROs and he offered to show me some tricks. The first trick was a cold refrigerator filled with a good selection of insects in various plastic containers (He assured me that chilling the insects was not lethal, at least for a few days) Then the real tricks appeared: glue boards, like you find in insect/mouse traps, ultra fine sewing needles and foam project boards, and various tubes of glue. "Don't you ever take MACRO's outside" I asked. He replied "God himself does not have time to take MACRO photographs of insects outside"
The purpose of this post? People who think they want or need a true MACRO to photograph insects, lizards, flowers etc. might want to consider a used close focus zoom lens from Ebay first. Start with easy shots, and if you like the MACRO thing, and you have a lot of time, you can always resell the zoom and but a true MACRO