[Sprags]

Get the FA 100mm F/2.8 if you can find one.

[grainbelt]

I just bought the Tamron 90mm 2.8 Di from a forum member. Seen great reviews in several mounts, and I got a good price. Will post samples once I get it.

[jfsavage]

Get the FA 100mm F/2.8 if you can find one.

I have ordered one from B&H used - arrives tomorrow. I've also ordered some ebay focusing rails, so I'll post my findings on them.

[grainbelt]

Received my Tamron 90mm macro this week, and due to work schedule and dodgy weather, have only been able to putz with it around the house.

Couple of observations -

SHARP! Wow. Even wide open it is extremely sharp.
FOCUS LIMITER. Is mandatory. On the K200D it hunts quite a bit without it.
TRIPOD. Glad I have a good one... I'm not real steady to begin with, and at macro-focus distances, it is useless without one.
BIG! Not huge, but feels much more balanced if I have the battery grip mounted.

Here's a sample of a notebook that was in a bowl on my center island.



F5.6
1/125
ISO 400

And one handheld, of a plant



F8
1/5
ISO 100

Not particularly inspired photos, but give an idea of color rendition and sharpness. Both were shot as JPGs, no post processing.

[Blue]

Why exclude the Pentax Macro lenses?

At the 180-200mm range, price and availability.

I'm looking for some general advice about which macro lens to get. I'm inclined towards something like the Pentax 100mm f2.8. Something longer, like the Sigma 180mm macro would give a longer working distance which would be handy. My reading of reviews and posts does not seem to suggest there is one lens that is far superior to the others, but I may have missed something.

(I did some searches of this forum and did not find a general 'macro' thread')

I lot of people that have used multiple Sigma macro lenses, consider the 180mm the best of the bunch.

[Blue]

A shorter lens will typically be easier to hand hold for macro shots for a couple of reasons. The first and most important for me is shutter speed. With a 50mm, it is possible to get away with 1/60 the shutter speed where as with a 90mm, 1/125 is needed. Low light can compound problems.

I'm used to a 50:4 Macro-Takumar. I got a Tamron 90:2.5 macro for the longer working distance and better subject isolation due to the relatively larger background. These photos show how focal length affects subject isolation.


I've noticed that the 90mm lens is more difficult to hand-hold than the 50mm lens at the same magnification. This is because the focal_length/shutter_speed correlation holds for macros too (for macros multiply the actual focal length by 1+magnification.)

It is not a deal breaking problem with the longer lens but is a consideration.

Iowa Dave

[Eaglerapids]

How soon we all forget:-). Monochrome and I must be the only ones left who remember the Vivitar Series 1 105/2.5 Macro. Built like a tank, I love this lens.

[danielchtong]

I have posted a long thread re Tamron 90mm and FA100mmF2.8

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/33940-tamron-9...tml#post626529


Daniel