Originally posted by bertwert I consider DA 35 and DA 50 for their price
14 year olds can't afford much
Bugs and flowers and anything...
Also like macro in the rain, which why I would prefer the 100 for WR and also the longer working distance.
Other photography I like:
Wildlife, Landscapes, Macro.
Pretty much anything to do with nature.
I found the DA15 to be difficult to use. I think my general locale is not conducive to UWA shooting. But you live in a more beautiful area. Just keep in mind that the DA15 is specialized.
It really sounds like the 100 Macro WR is for you, pricey though it is.
For larger macro subject matter - spiders, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. - you may want to consider a Tamron or Sigma 70-300 Macro, if you can find one cheap. I've owned several copies of the Tamron version, and it's capable of really good image quality. I've bought and sold a number of them over the years, looking for "better", but really the combination of image quality and working distance (3m) hits the sweet spot for me when shooting some larger insects. My current Tamron 70-300 I bought for $50/shipped as part of a 2-lens lot. If you can find one cheap it's worth getting, and loads of fun.