Originally posted by Mark Morb Hi,
I'm keen on adding a good Macro to my collection.
I've just spent a fair bit of time reading through here and I'm struggling to see a consensus of opinion.
Ideally I want a fairly fast lens as I would like to take pictures of things that don't hang around for very long (butterflies, ants, etc...) although I would still want to do tripod shots.
If money was no object then what would be the current pick of the crop?
I'm also hoping to upgrade from my K10D to a K7 in the next few weeks as well...
No, I'm not made of money but I'm selling guitars to finance this...how things change!!
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark
I own three macro lenses (used to be 4 but gave my Sigma 105 to my brother-in-law for his birthday) I have the Pentax A 50mm F2.8 macro, the Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro and the Sigma 180 F3.5 macro.
For your first foray into true macro photography, I'd recommend a 'mid range' macro, something in the 90-105mm range. Generally speaking a lens in this range is still small enough to hand hold while usually giving you enough distance so that you don't scare your subjects away.
There are three highly regarded lenses in this range, the Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro, the Pentax DFA 100mm F2.8 macro and the Sigma 105mm F2.8 macro.
I own the Tamron and love it. It has two features I find especially useful in macro photography, 1) a focus limiter switch, which allows you to narrow the focus range down, very useful when switching from macro mode where you need limited range to 'normal' photography where you would want the full range.
2) a MF/AF clutch: Most macro photographers use MF, the depth of field is simply too narrow to use AF, part of the art of Macro photography is what is left OOF as compared to what is in focus. A MF/AF clutch lets you quickly switch between the two. The Sigma I owned also had these features but I like the ergonomics and color rendition of the Tamron a tiny bit more, tho to be absolutely truthful a mouse could starve on the difference between these two lenses.
I bought the Sigma 180mm for insect photography, but I've found it to be too big to hand hold. Decent results can be had with a monopod, but to be truthful this beast really needs a tripod to get the best from it. For that reason, I will probably be selling it sometime this winter.
The pentax A 50mm macro is a great lens, and very good for product shots and flowers and the like, but you have to get really close to your subject, and most insects will bolt before you can get close enough.
I have to also say that both the Pentax A and the Tamron 90 make excellent "normal" primes. The Tamron is especially versitile, being a very good torso portrait lens and an excellent short tele. I've found the Sigma 180 to be an OK performer as a normal lens, but nothing to write home to mom about.
NaCl(hope that helps)H2O