$190
surprisingly can take you REALLY FAR!
Here are just a few options:
Really Cheap Setups (Add A Good Manual Flash Like The YN-560 For About $65 More To The Following)
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$150 give or take a few bucks | PK Extension Tubes, Pentax-M 100mm Macro <- (Lowell mentioned these two things earlier - using the tubes you will get better than 1:2)
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$70 give or take a few bucks | PK Extension Tubes, Pentax-M 50mm (1.7, 2.0, etc)
Really, with the PK extension tubes, you can use any GOOD manual lens (K-Mount) and get great results - the above two is a good start for cheap.
It doesn't stop there though, $180 can buy you many M42 mount lenses, an m42-Kmount adapter and a set of cheap m42 extension tubes and you will be set.
Now, for the sleepers (this is where it gets good ) Say Whhhaaaaaaattttttttttt! Macro With An Older MF Zoom! For Real?
The brand with many many MANY sleepers is Vivitar. You can find many GREAT lenses for macro work from Vivitar, and rest assured that any of the Macro Labeled (Series One) Vivitar Lenses From KIRON or KOMINE will give you macro results that rival any of today's lenses. The 70~210 version 1 (Kiron 3.5 CA 1:2) and version 3 (Komine 2.8~4 1:2.5) are pretty remarkable when used properly, when using with extension tubes, really phenomenal! The Komine made 28~90 2.8 is also a great one, the great thing with this one is the ability to get macro results throughout its focal range. Another GREAT Vivitar Zoom Macro (and the biggest sleeper of them all) is the Cosina Made (The Good Cosina, Not The Bad
) 28~105 2.8 1:2.5, what an incredible manual focus zoom macro lens this thing is, it produces outstanding results. Oh, BTW, speaking of Vivitar/Kiron, it's worth noting the 105 2.5 (2.8 for Kiron), makes most macro lenses of today look like kids toys.
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