[simons-photography]

well my tamaron 70-300 mm lens has a macro range and there are the numbers 1:2 1:3 and 1:39 around the macro section of the focusing ring. what do these numbers mean ?

[Miserere]

Basically, they tell you how big an object the width of your CCD will look like in a photo. The K10D's CCD is 23.5mm wide. At your macro's largest magnification, 1:2, an object of that width will take up half the frame; that's why the 1:2 ratio is called "half life size". A true macro lens will reach 1:1, or "life size", which means an object with a 23.5mm width will take up the whole frame of the photo. Like wise, with your zoom set at 1:3, this same object will only fill 1/3 of the frame.

I hope this was clear enough!

[simons-photography]

yes thats quite simply explained thanks but basically thats practically implying that the focusing ring is also zooming so I would have to move the camera to get the size (zoom) I want

[Miserere]

yes thats quite simply explained thanks but basically thats practically implying that the focusing ring is also zooming so I would have to move the camera to get the size (zoom) I want

No, the focus ring doesn't zoom (change the focal length); but if you set a focal length and focus on your lens such that it's at the 1:3 macro setting, you will have to move closer or further away from your subject until it appears in-focus through the viewfinder. At that point, if your subject is 23.5mm long, it will take up 1/3 of the frame.

[simons-photography]

ok thanks that explains it