[pepperberry farm]

I was asking about the 300.

oops - my bad; I barely registered that he had mentioned the 30mm lens...

[richard0170]

no - the 72B is the later and last manual-focus 90mm SP lens that Tamron made and is distinctly different than the 52B or 52BB...

The SP 300mm is the 54B I believe

[pepperberry farm]

The SP 300mm is the 54B I believe

gotcha...

[richard0170]

Richard.

You've got my curiosity up. Is that "old tamron sp" a 54B?

The one shown on the SP website looks like it might be useful.

Derek

I believe it is the 54B, and it is very useful if you do bot mind using the green button For some reason a PKA adaptor does not communicate properly with the camera.

[SharkyCA]

It really depends whether you want a dedicated Macro lens or a very sharp traditional 35mm lens that has a decent MFD. The 35/2.8 Ltd. is an excellent, bright, colorful multi-use lens in its own right, that also has some Macro capabilities.

I have the DA 35 Macro Ltd and I crop nice images to simulate true macro. I also have the following very large FF Macro lenses which you might not find suitable hand held on a K-70.

• Vivitar Series 1 105/2.5 Macro - 1:1
• Vivitar Series 1 90/2.5 Macro - 2:1 plus 1:1 Extension
• FA and DFA 100/2.8 Macro - I bought the DFA in a fit of LBA and I plan to sell it. The K, M and A versions are excellent, and a lot less expensive.
• FA50/2.8 Macro - (possibly the sharpest Pentax lens that isn’t the FA*200/4 Macro)

I think this fits my thinking originally looking to go with a little wider lens like the HD DA 35 and the 45/38 degree field of view adding the Macro as a plus to the lens.

As far as focus distance is concerned I think it is the way I am going to go.Or should I also include an extension adapter?

I do have a very old "Image Lens 28/80 Macro " fully manual on the K-70 if I need more distance from the subject.

[pentageek]

I do have a very old "Image Lens 28/80 Macro " fully manual on the K-70 if I need more distance from the subject.

This is pseudo-macro available in many zooms, and in terms of IQ and magnification it has nothing to do with any dedicated macro lens. However, you can pair it with extension tube (cheap and convenient way to turn ordinary lens into macro one) to experiment and see whether such focal lengths work for you.

[aslyfox]

I think this fits my thinking originally looking to go with a little wider lens like the HD DA 35 and the 45/38 degree field of view adding the Macro as a plus to the lens. . . .

if not complicated enough, when considering the DA 35mm Limited, do you want the HD version or the SMC version

perhaps this might help [ or just confuse the issue more ]:

HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes

Introduction

At Photokina 2012, Pentax announced a brand new lens coating which they named the "HD Coating". This coating is slowly starting to replace the conventional "Super Multi Coating" (SMC) on high-end Pentax glass. According to Pentax, the new HD coating greatly reduces reflectance without making any sacrifices in terms of durability. This kind of coating isn't new to the industry, however: Pentax digital medium format lenses have been treated with a slightly less durable variant called Aero Bright coating ever since their debut, and other manufacturers have been using "nano" coatings on their premium lenses for several years.

The modern SMC coating that DA lenses have been using for about a decade now isn't the same as the SMC coating that Pentax originally launched in the 1970's. In fact, most DA lenses have been said to have a "ghostless" coating, so while we don't expect the difference between SMC and HD coating to be be a game-changer, it should certainly still be easy to observe. . . .

Read more at: HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews


HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes
Conclusion

. . . During everyday shooting, you will most likely not be able ot tell the SMC Limiteds apart from the HD Limiteds. So, if you find a bargain on an SMC lens, or if you simply prefer the old lettering style, you shouldn't hold back. On the other hand, if you often shoot in harsh lighting or sunny environments, then you might want to step up to the HD lenses for their improved coating. The SMC lenses are discontinued, so chances are that they will only be available second-hand in 2014 and beyond.

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/hd-pentax-limited-primes/conclusion.html#ixzz5d5P6Mta2

[swanlefitte]

If you meant extensions for the 35mm it wouldn't do much. It just allows you to get even closer which is the problem of short macro lenses.
Just for fun I put 10mm extension, (just the camera and lens connections without tubes) on my 10-20mm and focus was touching the lens.

[monochrome]

I think this fits my thinking originally looking to go with a little wider lens like the HD DA 35 and the 45/38 degree field of view adding the Macro as a plus to the lens.

As far as focus distance is concerned I think it is the way I am going to go.Or should I also include an extension adapter?

There is no dedicated extension adapter for this lens. Again, think of it as a traditional 35mm lens that is particularly sharp - so it is a pseudo Macro lens.


At one time Mike Johnston (The Online Photographer) declared this might be the greatest lens ever (and there's a thread here discussing that).

My advice is - just get the lens, new or used, and enjoy it.

[pentageek]

If you meant extensions for the 35mm it wouldn't do much.

Exactly, but the zoom goes to 80 mm, and this is different story. With extension tubes OP could play a little bit and see how magnification and MFD work, and then decide on what to do next. 35mm and extension tube combo is good only when you want to touch the subject with the lens

[SharkyCA]

Thanks All for the great input!
As with all sales "the task for the salesperson is to convince the buyer that what they want is what they need" so I just bit the bullet and ordered the HD DA 35 mm LTD MACRO lens with a set of Hoya filters, uv,cpl, & ND. After all it's only money!

[BrianR]

Thanks All for the great input!
As with all sales "the task for the salesperson is to convince the buyer that what they want is what they need" so I just bit the bullet and ordered the HD DA 35 mm LTD MACRO lens with a set of Hoya filters, uv,cpl, & ND. After all it's only money!

Awesome, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I spent probably at least a year waffling about my first dedicated macro lens (dfa100 in my case). In the end my main regret was waiting so long to buy one

[richard0170]

As with all sales "the task for the salesperson is to convince the buyer that what they want is what they need" so I just bit the bullet and ordered the HD DA 35 mm LTD MACRO lens with a set of Hoya filters, uv,cpl, & ND. After all it's only money!

Congratulations! It won't solve your macro dilemma, but it will give you immense satisfaction in day to day use, and transform the handling of your K70. Trouble is it may just spoil you, and you wont be satisfied so easily by lesser optics. Could prove very expensive in the long term! Enjoy.

[aslyfox]

. . . so I just bit the bullet and ordered the HD DA 35 mm LTD MACRO lens with a set of Hoya filters, uv,cpl, & ND. . . .

. . . At one time Mike Johnston (The Online Photographer) declared this might be the greatest lens ever (and there's a thread here discussing that).. . . .

so now, should the OP decide to post a photo and

not be able to find any other suitable thread, or decide to start one, this one is available:

Theory on DA 35mm ltd 'greatest lens ever' (?) tag - PentaxForums.com

[SharkyCA]

Congratulations! It won't solve your macro dilemma, but it will give you immense satisfaction in day to day use, and transform the handling of your K70. Trouble is it may just spoil you, and you wont be satisfied so easily by lesser optics. Could prove very expensive in the long term! Enjoy.

Hahaha! The problems we have with recurring GAS attack! (gadget acquisition syndrome)