[JayR]

Still hooking up more and more lenses, but reading all the reviews here its kinda hard to work out what to go for when everyone rates the lenses so high in the database! example being a good macro, Pentax FA100 F2.8 vs Tamron 90 F2.8.

Anyone have any recommendations or suggestions particularly re approach?
Pentax vs Sigma/Tamron etc??


hunting through ebay is making me sweat
though think im going to have to go for the FA77 1.8 limited brand new, cant find any for sale recently. sounds like i cant go without it though...


i think im now ridiculously hooked on primes.

[MrApollinax]

Check these threads out:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/72903-pentax-1...105-macro.html

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/63625-better-l...0mm-2-8-a.html

[cheekygeek]

Not that opinions here aren't important, but you're more likely to hear "Pentax" if you are asking on a Pentax forum. To suppliment the opinions you get here, you might want to look at images and discussions for each of the lenses you are considering on Flickr, pbase and photo.net. You can do this by entering the following into a search box (for example):

Pentax DA 100mm macro site:flickr.com

Even though you shoot Pentax, you can hear what other brands shooting with the Sigmas/Tamrons/Tokinas think of the lenses and see examples of the sort of images they can produce.

I'm a "bang for the buck" kind of guy and don't require AF (especially on a macro). I got a classic Tamron SP 90mm f2.5 macro 52B (1:2 without tube/converter) which is reputedly one of the sharpest lenses ever made, for $100. Should be in my hot little hands today. Seems like a no-brainer compared to the $600+ for the DA 100 macro.

[chinotenshi]

My husband just picked me up a Tamron 90mm this past weekend. I got to try it out at the local park this past Sunday and I must say that I am impressed with it. Does seem to do a lot of hunting, but I think that was more of me forgetting to change the AF out of continuous than anything. But when it finds its target, it pretty damn sharp, and the 1:1 ratio is really nice.

[rustynail925]

I think you cant go wrong with any of the tamron, pentax and sigmas macro..
I got the Tamron 90mm for almost a week now on ebay. I really like the Images it produce.. Very sharp even wide open, The color/contrast and the bokeh is really nice.

heres a link of the tamron 90 snaps ive taken:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/91270-macro-tammy-90mm-m...est-shots.html
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/91504-macro-cactus-bokeh-orchid.html

[TanGU]

I own the Tamron 90mm, what i dislike about that one, is the way the focus work.

It is outside the body! so you have to move back and forth to be able to focus.

I don't thing that the pentax is like that, the focus is into the lens, so you can ajust your focus without actually moving the body of the camera.

[MrApollinax]

In addition to my above post, I own the Non-DG version of the Sigma 105mm. Excellent lens that is in my bag whereever I go.

[Pentaxor]

if it's ultra-sharp macro that you wanted, you should try out the Sigma 70mm/2.8. that lens is amazingly sharp. whole lot better than my FA100, in terms of sharpness.