[newarts]

I agree with the others that have said a 50mm macro is too short for bugs. I have the old 50mm f/4 Takumar preset.

Yep. But it is not too short for non-bugs. I have both the Macro-Tak and 90mm Tamron. I reach for the Tak or Raynox 150 on a 55-300 zoom for non-bugs.

I think that shorter than 50 is too short for easy lighting, and longer than about 105 is too long for easy holding.

It seems like almost *any* non-zoom macro lens is a good lens. Ideally you want maybe 70-105mm 1:1 mag; f-stop & auto-focus don't matter unless you want to use it for other purposes like portraits.

Dave

[SOldBear]

How could I forget this lens?

It's Vivitar 135mm F/2.8, made by Komine (28nnnnn serial number). The official name is "Vivitar 135mm Auto Telephoto Close Focusing." It's fairly rare but I've seen it popping up in local Craigslist once in a while.

Its max. mag. ratio is 1:2. Manual focusing is very easy. Like most lenses by Komine, it's built like a tank and feels that way. The filter thread is 62mm but I step down to 49mm and use a 49mm Pentax lens hood.

[wallyb]

There is a Vivitar 100/3.5 AF macro that was just listed in the marketplace... wink wink

In all seriousness though, it's probably your best bet if you want AF.

Yep. But it is not too short for non-bugs. I have both the Macro-Tak and 90mm Tamron.

OP is into bugs Dave.

I am big into bugs, and I would like to get some real close up photos.

[jadedrakerider]

I am big into bugs, and I would like to get some real close up photos.

My budget on this lens though probably wouldn't be more then $200-$300, so I don't know exactly what I can get.

Consider a macro-bellows perhaps? I'm el-cheapo, but that's the route I'd take. You could put any glass you wanted

DealExtreme: $45.88 LVSHI Camera Macro Bellow for Pentax (0.74X~2.86X)

I'd say get a nice piece of manual-glass (you'd have to use stop-down metering).

Just my 2 cents.

[newarts]

OP is into bugs Dave.

OOPS! maybe I should read the OP's O.P.?

[xxDavexx]

Here's a... ahem... "thrifty" way to get started with macro photography.

Find 1 or 2 cheap MF primes in the 28mm to 55mm range. While a K-mount or even M42 mount would be nice, it doesn't make much difference since you'll be using the filter threads instead.

Then visit eBay and find a cheap Asian K-mount reversing ring that matches the filter size on your lens.

I found an old Zenit 35mm camera, with Helos 44-M-4 58mm and Pentacon 28mm lenses, for a total of $5 at a yard sale last summer. I spent about $6 on the reversing ring on eBay. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I was able to shoot this handheld with the 44-M-4 :

[jezza323]

i have done the same, this is a pentax M 28mm f2.8, reversed onto a 2x TC (works without the TC too, just not as much magnification). I already had the 28mm when i decided to try some reverse macro, so cost was very small, about $10-15AU for the reversing adapter

you do have to get VERY close to the bugs though!

[rhodopsin]

The 100/4 Macro-Takumar goes from 1:2 to infinity.

The 100/4 Bellows-Takumar on bellows goes from 1.6:1 to infinity.

Both are available used for US$100-150.

[slow2focus]

Interesting... I am looking into macro to shoot my friend's corals in his salt water tank. Is 50mm macro enough? his tank is about 20" front to back. I would need to go from front of the glass to back of the glass depending on coral placement.

thanks

[newarts]

Macro through a layer of water is an interesting situation because the water's optical properties affect the apparent distances. *

I believe you'll find the camera thinks the distance from the front to the back wall of the tank is about 3/4 of the actual distance because light travels only 3/4 as fast in water as in air.

I think you should estimate the actual size of the thing you'd like to see in your viewer and work from there. Since your sensor is about one inch wide, a two inch wide piece of coral would require a magnification of 1/2 (or 1:2 as it is usually written.)

Say you want a to image something 2" wide behind 6" of water. That's like imaging something 2" wide behind 4" of air. The necessary working distance therefore decreases due to the water layer. Piece O' cake!

Dave

* take a flat bottom glass 1/3 full of water & drop a coin in it. Put a similar coin on the table beside the glass. Looking down at both you will notice the coin in water looks larger (closer) than the coin in air even though they are the same actual distance from your eye.

[Marc Sabatella]

Interesting... I am looking into macro to shoot my friend's corals in his salt water tank. Is 50mm macro enough? his tank is about 20" front to back. I would need to go from front of the glass to back of the glass depending on coral placement.

You don't need a macro lens to focus within 20". Even the kit lens focuses to within 10" or so. A macro lens - or a closeup lens to use in in conjunction with an existing lens, or extension tubes - would generally be needed to focus much closer than that.

[rhodopsin]

Interesting... I am looking into macro to shoot my friend's corals in his salt water tank. Is 50mm macro enough? his tank is about 20" front to back. I would need to go from front of the glass to back of the glass depending on coral placement.

thanks

The M42 Macro-Takumar 50/4 set at 1:1 focus distance is about 7"; with distance set at 20" the ratio grows to about 1:7 (the Super-Macro- and S-M-C Macro-Takumars at 1:2 focus is about 9"). Conclusion: 50mm lens is probably not "enough" for macro photography for subjects in the back half of the tank.

With M42 S-M-C Macro-Takumar 100/4 set at 1:2 focus distance is 18". With this lens you would be able to photograph anything in the tank within 18" from the glass, at 1:2.

[xjjohnno]

Goanna, if you don't mind parting with around $300 USD and prepared to wait for a bargain variants of the Kiron 105mm f2.8 macro might be worth considering. Lenses you'd be on the lookout for would be the Lester Dine 105mm f2.8, the Kiron 105 f2.8 or the Series 1 Vivitar 105mm f2.5. I've posted some pics from my Kiron 105mm in the off brand thread and the picture of the week thread.