[Shanti]

You don't mention what sort of instruments you want to shoot, or the environments you want to shoot them in. A piano in a small room? A piccolo in a stadium? I would think that would limit your choices depending on the appropriate focal length. How come nobody is mentioning the 35mm 2.4 Ltd? I happen to be 'over the moon' for this baby - and not just for macro work, but as a wonderful "normal" one that is a joy to use most places, most of the time...

well a piccolo in a stadium would not be macro territory,least not for us in Europe
I do wind & string instruments, and just for details I need a macro,

---

---

is the 35 1:1, or how close can you get?

[Shanti]

Here is an example of what I need it for,OK I can use my Nikon P7100 but need more details sometimes(and a good reason for more lenses )

[Shanti]

Generally no on account of short working distance. With a 50mm lens at 1:1, the lens body is close enough to the subject to block illumination. A 50mm macro will generally be a more compact, but in the field that is not as big a consideration as you might think.



That being said, if you are looking at 50s, you should add the Sigma 50/2.8 EX DG Macro to your list as well as the Sigma 70/2.8 EX DG Macro (probably the best macro in the Sigma line).


Steve

Hi forgot the Sigmas...with my Oly gear a Zuiko 50mm 1.8 & ext. tubes worked well,so the Sigma 70 would give similar FOV I guess
alot of what I do is shiny metal so illumination is a bit tricky maybe if too close? see example here

[Boker]

For a good all around macro the Tamron 90mm is a very good lens.The problem with using a 50mm for macro is you must get so close to the subject that lighting can be a big problem in a lot of cases.

[civiletti]

Generally no on account of short working distance. With a 50mm lens at 1:1, the lens body is close enough to the subject to block illumination. A 50mm macro will generally be a more compact, but in the field that is not as big a consideration as you might think.



That being said, if you are looking at 50s, you should add the Sigma 50/2.8 EX DG Macro to your list as well as the Sigma 70/2.8 EX DG Macro (probably the best macro in the Sigma line).


Steve

The Sigma 70 is a great macro.

[Shanti]

The Sigma 70 is a great macro.

That one is on my shortlist now..are all examples good or must one try a few to find the best one?

[civiletti]

That one is on my shortlist now..are all examples good or must one try a few to find the best one?

Theere is always some sample variation, but it should be much less with primes than with zooms.

[p38arover]

If on a budget, look at the Pentax F 35-70mm Macro f3.5-4.5. It can be had remarkably cheaply - I've seen them as low as $15. The reviews at SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm F3.5-4.5 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database average at 8.71 The pics below were just taken a few minutes ago to illustrate this post. They have had no post processing nor cropping. Camera, *istD.

[Digitalis]

I have always been more of a fan of longer Macro lenses - because with reflective subject matter - and most instruments are highly reflective, it is easy to inadvertently include your camera in the image.Unfortunately many of the long Macro lenses 100mm and over are discontinued and no longer available new. Extension tubes and Close-up lenses can be used on just about any lens and are a good (cheap) way to get closer to subjects.


Pentax K-7, Pentax FA*200mm f/4 ED MACRO - My 18K Gold flute, very tricky subject to photograph - you can still see a few fingerprints on it that I forgot to clean off.

[GeneV]

I have both the DFA 50 and 100, and I use them both equally. The 50 also has the advantage of being one of the sharpest lenses ever made for Pentax, if you care to use it for other subjects which require ultimate detail. The 100 is usually about the minimum for live bugs IMHO.

[Shanti]

I have always been more of a fan of longer Macro lenses - because with reflective subject matter - and most instruments are highly reflective, it is easy to inadvertently include your camera in the image.Unfortunately many of the long Macro lenses 100mm and over are discontinued and no longer available new. Extension tubes and Close-up lenses can be used on just about any lens and are a good (cheap) way to get closer to subjects.


Pentax K-7, Pentax FA*200mm f/4 ED MACRO - My 18K Gold flute, very tricky subject to photograph - you can still see a few fingerprints on it that I forgot to clean off.

for that pic a normal 50-100mm can be used as well,but nice pic..funny my 18K flute has another color...are keys silver or gold on yours..is it a John Lehner?

[Shanti]

I have both the DFA 50 and 100, and I use them both equally. The 50 also has the advantage of being one of the sharpest lenses ever made for Pentax, if you care to use it for other subjects which require ultimate detail. The 100 is usually about the minimum for live bugs IMHO.

I also do butterflies,n bees sometimes...maybe even 70mm is too short for that? have used Oly 70-300 which has macro and it works very well,but not way to adapt 43 lens to Pentax yet? if ever

[Digitalis]

unny my 18K flute has another color...are keys silver or gold on yours..is it a John Lehner?

Gold is a tricky metal to photograph, it is hard to get the colour accurate. My 18K gold flute has gold keys as well - it was made by hand in Japan by Muramatsu. I have never played a John Lehner flute, I'm not a fan of american flutes- I have tried Nagahara,Powell, Haynes and Burkart flutes and they just don't feel right. American flutes also tend to have a brassy sound to them that I don't really like either.

[mee]

I have both the DFA 50 and 100, and I use them both equally. The 50 also has the advantage of being one of the sharpest lenses ever made for Pentax, if you care to use it for other subjects which require ultimate detail. The 100 is usually about the minimum for live bugs IMHO.

Agreed.. for an all around macro lens, I wouldn't go much shorter than 100mm

But, in this case, since you are only using the macro for musical instruments.. it is not a requirement..

That said, if you end up discovering that you want to take photos of bugs and stuff.. 100mm minimum is a good baseline. Actually, I have a 105mm Sigma macro and, at times, I wish it was longer.. bugs are skittish creatures and the more room you can get between them and your lens the better.

[GeneV]

Agreed.. for an all around macro lens, I wouldn't go much shorter than 100mm

But, in this case, since you are only using the macro for musical instruments.. it is not a requirement..

That said, if you end up discovering that you want to take photos of bugs and stuff.. 100mm minimum is a good baseline. Actually, I have a 105mm Sigma macro and, at times, I wish it was longer.. bugs are skittish creatures and the more room you can get between them and your lens the better.

My comment was more directed at which lens to buy. I would assume that the musical instrument would not be the only macro photograph the OP ever takes. The musical instrument shots depicted would seem to be fine with either lens.