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02-15-2012, 08:18 PM   #1
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Tamron macro

Hi Everyone,i just have a quick qurstion if i may, i just purchased the tamrom 70/300 zoom lens for my KR, my problem is and as i'm also new and it may just be me not having a clue what i'm doing. I placed the tamron lens on the body and then set the lens to between 180 and 300 then turning on the macro switch,the problem comes when i watched a youtube tutorialand the guy did the same but he pressed his af button to zoom in and then move his foacal point,well when i do this the lens zooms all the way in,then back out,it wont focus,if i then manually change my aperture on the lens from auto to manual and set the lens to auto focus the camera won't do anything,the picture capture button does nothing and its almost like the camera has been switched off, i cant seen to have the macro lens on and get close as it can't focus and there i was thinking the whole idea was with macro was to get nice clear ,crisp images,i've only had this camera 6 weeks and i'm so done with it already,my point and shoot compact produces much better results all the time,i wanted to learn photography but it seems so complicated its just causing me stress and i thought it was meant to be relaxing,i've not taken a single picture yet worth saving and have spent in the region on£1200 quid,even got ps cs5 but can't use it either as i have no pictures,anybody wanna buy a lovely big beginners kit,complete with slingshot bag and lenses,tripod,monopod....all sorts...this stuff is all new with receipts

02-15-2012, 08:52 PM   #2
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Welcome aboard. I'll take a stab here, but your post is a bit confusing. This part seems to be key:

QuoteOriginally posted by Matt268uk Quote
well when i do this the lens zooms all the way in,then back out,it wont focus
This will happen if you're too close to the subject. Check what the minimum focusing distance is for your lens, and be sure the subject is outside that. Then, move closer bit by bit, until you're at the closest point that it will focus. This is assuming you want the closest "macro" magnification it can provide.

Another cause can be if the scene is too dark for the AF to work properly, but I'll guess that this isn't the case here.
02-15-2012, 09:43 PM   #3
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I think Philoslothical (nice name) is right. This isn't a macro lens where you work close to the subject, you need some space between the lens and the thing you attempt to photograph.
Also patience is a virtue. This is K-5 with the Tamron and it took me half a year to get there by learning how to take photos with a DSLR.
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02-15-2012, 10:04 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Matt268uk Quote
land set the lens to auto focus the camera won't do anything,the picture capture button does nothing and its almost like the camera has been switched off,
It seems like you have AF.S set to focus priority (i think this defaults to this setting). Check your menu configuration I think its on page 1 of the tool symbol. When this is on the camera won't take a photo if a focus is not locked.

02-16-2012, 08:00 AM   #5
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Thankyou for your advice guys, i will take a look at the kit later and give it a go,also when i'm in the macro range setting the lens is hard to focus,manually,its really sticky and jumpy,if this makes any sense,so you get near to the focal point,then bang you've gone by it and have to bring it back,could this be because the lens is new ? its not smooth like the kit len. I love your pics visualdarkness,thats what i want to be taking but i have not taken a single shot,i've already spent hours reading and watching tutorials....maybe this is just not for me.
02-16-2012, 01:05 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Matt268uk Quote
Thankyou for your advice guys, i will take a look at the kit later and give it a go,also when i'm in the macro range setting the lens is hard to focus,manually,its really sticky and jumpy,if this makes any sense,so you get near to the focal point,then bang you've gone by it and have to bring it back,could this be because the lens is new ? its not smooth like the kit len. I love your pics visualdarkness,thats what i want to be taking but i have not taken a single shot,i've already spent hours reading and watching tutorials....maybe this is just not for me.
Thanks! It's encouraging for a beginner like me to here that I'm on the right track, soon you'll be there too.

You're correct when calling the ring "sticky and jumpy" when describing the lens, mine is exactly the same when it comes to build quality. Actually I almost couldn't zoom when I took the pics that I linked as the zoom ring froze in the cold temperature (took a few wiggles to loosen it) and I focused by moving my feet instead of using the ring due to the focus ring and the coldness. The lens is a bit unsharp in the edges when in full macro mode and I had to cut the magenta channel in many of the shoots in Lightroom due to purple fringing. Still I really like the result in a light cheap package, my Sigma 70-200 was too heavy for use with an aching back.

Just read into the basics of photography and take LOADS of photos! Just point it around at anything and play with the settings, there will be keepers and they will come more often with time. Also take on a challenge where your actual results matter but keep the stakes resonably low. For example I learned a lot by shooting for local hockey teams just for fun, but still I want to pics to show after the games.
02-16-2012, 01:08 PM   #7
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That lens is great for butterflies because you have to be 6 feet away from the subject to focus.. it's not so good for getting in close for really sharp clear images. It's good for what ti's good for.

02-16-2012, 01:28 PM   #8
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I have a similar lens, a 70-300 Sigma that has a "macro" mode that gives 1:2 magnification. I find the best way to use that feature is to manually focus it to its extreme, and then move myself to get the subject in focus. AF is not your friend for macro, even at a humble 1:2. Also, it's even more important with this lens to keep your shutter speed up, as the physical length of the lens makes it much more difficult to keep adequately stable. I have a much easier time using a tube with a 50mm to get the same 1:2, although it requires getting closer to subject, so it's not for everything.
02-17-2012, 01:57 PM   #9
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I have the Tamron 70-300 and if you set the aperture ring off the A setting the camera will not function correctly unless you enable aperture ring in the menu system. The macro works quite well but the min distance to subject is about 2 Feet

Hans
02-17-2012, 05:07 PM   #10
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Thankyou Hans,That clears up why it wasn't working,i never knew there was such a setting,i guess we learn something everyday,thank goodness for this forum
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