150mm Lens

Sorry Pentaxians , here I am using Canon ...



I really like the 150mm Lens , it's not perfect but it is very versatile ..



Here is a action shot , no flash and I am utilizing auto focus .
Now the Sigma 150 does focus hunt , and when it does so you can forget about getting the shot . What happens is the camera/lens begins by going in the wrong direction and once that happens you may as well take your finger off the shutter button .. ( Tis a very common issue if running AF ) This lens can take some very nice flash free photos due to the lens design and the working distance . Possibly the most versatile macro lens in my lens collection and the results are very good even if you set everything to auto ( Green mode - auto focus ) .. The only negative is the weight of this lens , its heavy and with extended use you will feel every ounce .





Moving to flash assisted Macro is also rewarding @ 1:1 , the working distance is good and you tend to scare insects far less . Now the only thing I dont like besides the weight is the PRICE , the Sigma 150 is a expensive lens and if you decide you don't like Macro it can be a slow lens to move out of your collection , especially if you dont want to lose $$ . This is the lens you invest in once you know your going to stick with Macro photography .
From a picture taking perspective , the Sigma 150 can just about hold its own against any lens out there and many consider it the best lens . And from a versatility perspective I would have to agree , it works with or without a flash and it can work in manual mode or full auto . In hindsight , I would pick the 150 over a 100 . It is more versatile , easier to use and might reward the photographer more often with some very nice photo's .

Negatives would be price and weight . ( Focus hunts - bit they all do that )
Positives -
Working distance
Works with and without a flash
Use in manual or full auto or in between
Less critical on camera settings due to working distance
relatively easy to work with
As with the 100mm lens , moving to a 150mm lens means maintaining a decent shutter speed and thankfully this particular lens is designed to pull in some light making it easy to maintain a workable shutter speed .

So much of the positives are dictated by the magnification and the longer working distance ( DOF is less critical ) so you have a broader aperture range to work with , making shutter speed easier to maintain as well as keeping a reasonable ISO range . For years I read posts by people claiming this lens to be the best bar none and now I can see why they would post such . And I can certainly understand the perspective they have formed from using this lens . ( How do I describe it ? Its like a big friendly dog that does as its told )

[Ginos]

OMG!!!!
What does Canon do here?

[old4570]

Well , when the devil drives !
I dont think Sigma makes a 150 Macro for the Pentax .. ( Do they )
And reading people claiming it was the best macro lens you could buy , well ?
How could one possibly resist owning the best macro lens you can buy ? ( Claims made by people who love the 150 )
And how could I not talk about allegedly the best lens ever for Macro ?
It is a good lens , I don't know about the best ? but definitely worth jumping ship for !

[Ginos]

Ignore it, it was a joke ...

True, they say Sigma 150 is the best, maybe. It's also true that we do not have it for Pentax ...
Now, having two systems to be able to have this lens, I do not know if it is very necessary, I have been looking at Canon precisely for that reason. I'm also looking if I find a Sigma 180 f3.5 at a reasonable price for Pentax ...

[old4570]

I use , Pentax , Canon , Nikon ... Each has its pros and cons

[West Penn]

Given this thread deals with non-Pentax equipment, I don't mind suggesting that folks head over to a non-Pentax forum (DPReview) for a few fantastic Macro butterfly images done with Pixel shift and the DA 100mm -- Pixelshift closeup with K3II: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

If you click on one of the images you'll end up at the gallery where you can view the images at 100 percent, showing absolute phenomenal detail.

[normhead]

Your D FA 100 with the 1.4 TC gives you 140mm ƒ4 macro, with the 1.7x gives you 170 mm ƒ4.5. Macro lenses are sharp enough you won't notice any degradation because of the TCs if you buy good quality TCs (like the HD DA 1.4 TC or the F 1.7x AF adapter.)

And of course mention should be made of the FA 200 ƒ4 macro...
https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-FA-Star-200mm-F4-Macro-Lens.html

Quite simply, one of the sharpest lenses ever made.



We frequently use our TCs to increase macro magnification, as well if something is really small, using the 24 MP K-3 sensor is gets you about 20% more magnification compared to a K-5 or K-1.

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Last edited by normhead; 09-07-2017 at 06:19 AM.

[old4570]

Given this thread deals with non-Pentax equipment, I don't mind suggesting that folks head over to a non-Pentax forum (DPReview) for a few fantastic Macro butterfly images done with Pixel shift and the DA 100mm -- Pixelshift closeup with K3II: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

If you click on one of the images you'll end up at the gallery where you can view the images at 100 percent, showing absolute phenomenal detail.

Very nice ! Tripod shots , maybe a remote trigger ?