It looks like my Frankenmacro days are numbered
Today I managed to get my hands on an FA 50mm f/2.8 macro, and I've got to admit I'm in love. Not just because it's probably the sharpest lens I've ever used, and not just because I no longer have to shoot in M all the time. Up until now I've been using an M 50mm f/1.4 reversed with a set of extension tubes and/or a macro teleconverter, and while I've got a lot of mileage from the setup, I never realized what a pain it is to have to open the aperture to be able to see to focus, and then stop down as steadily as you can, all the while praying that your hands or your subject don't move too much. The first time I slapped the FA 50mm macro on my K-r, flicked my dial to Av, set focus to minimum and snapped a picture, I felt a few butterflies
I felt a few more when I zoomed in to 8x magnification.
I was a little sad to be reduced to just 1:1, but in the bag of gear I picked up today was a pentax 2x teleconverter. I've used some horrible teleconverters in my time, and I was a bit skeptical about this one at first, but it actually seems pretty good. At least, it pairs very well with the macro. (that or the macro is so amazing that you could probably shoot through the bottom of a dirty pint glass and still get a good shot) The converter has all those nifty little "A" type pins in it too, so the only thing I lose by using it is auto focus, which I don't really use anyway.
Here's a quick shot of my wife's eye, taken with the lens and teleconverter combo. I'm looking forward to getting outside tomorrow (weather permitting) and really seeing what this baby can do
Pentax FA 50mm f/2.8 macro & Rear Converter A 2x-s ISO 100, f/6.3 1/160s
Post #1 by Stoogie
Similar Threads 
