Originally posted by photoptimist From the critter's PoV, the front of the IRIX will look visually larger
Eeeek!
Questions regarding macro gear usually come down to factors that might be deal breakers and what those might be depends a lot on choice of subject, intended approach, and whether the gear will be used for tasks other than macro. The D FA 100/2.8 Macro WR is an impressive tool with an established optical heritage in a compact and well-made package. The Irix 150/2.8 offers similar optical performance with manual focus in a well-made package. It would appear that price might be the major determining factor. However, I suspect that the devils found in the details will not show themselves until the third or fourth user session.
This short list is not based on personal experience with either lens (both are attractive to me, truth be known), but reflects the points of pain I have experienced doing close-up and macro work:
- Hood? There is a strong case for hood use when doing flash work with macro. The D FA 100 extends within its hood which contributes 6cm bring the overall length to 14 cm regardless of subject distance. The Irix has a hood which I estimate adds an additional 5 cm regardless of subject distance. Yes, the matter of working distance (again)...
- Total bulk including flash solution (on-camera, attached to camera rig, or off-rig)
- Lighting...lighting...lighting...
- On or off-tripod?
- AF as a rule vs. MF as a rule vs. fixed focus (CIF, proximity trigger, etc.)
- Higher than 1X magnification? (Raynox will only go to 67mm filter size...bellows and most extension tubes require aperture ring...and so on...)
- Viewfinder dimming implications
- Use at magnifications less than 0.3X?
While we can give our opinions on threads like this, there is no way to anticipate how the lens might be used. There is a reason why I have extension tubes, bellows, and three dedicated macro lenses (50mm, 90mm and 105mm). None was or is pain-free. I would really benefit from a focus rail too, truth be told, but there is likely a demon their too.
I wish @biz_engineer my best in making a good decision
Steve