[aslyfox]

I believe this is called focus breathing.

not to be confused with the technique used in meditation and other purposes

You Tube

You Tube

[Minimonster]

I currently have:

M 100/4 macro
A 50/2.8 macro
F 100/2.8 macro
DA 35/2.8 macro limited
Tamron Adaptall 90/2.5
Macro Takumar 50/4 preset 1:1
Raynox 150

They are all wonderful in their own ways and I regularly use them all. The least used is the F 100 as it is very big and heavy. It does have the auto-focus advantage but I mostly focus it manually.

For starting out I would say the A 50/2.8 or the M 100/4 (if you are happy with manual/green button stuff). The A 50 is easy to use and sharp with a pretty narrow dof and it doubles as a great walk around lens but you have a couple of decent 50's already. The DA 35 is an awesome lens with 1:1, the AF advantage (better than the F 100) and great for general stuff too but it is much more expensive, possibly worth saving up for though and even looking to sell your other 35 to fund it as you won't want to use it again if you get the limited!

For pure macro I'd go for the M 100 as a great starter lens. (If you are happy with it's manual only nature)

The Raynox 150 will go on all your lenses and allow them to focus closer. It's a pretty neat little thing and doesn't seem to impact on image quality much. I carry mine pretty much all the time. You will need a 49 to 52/55/58 step up ring as the attachment doesn't go as small as 49mm for your 50's and 35.

[aslyfox]

as far as cost is concerned [ and it can be a concern ]

remember that the F, FA, D FA ( non WR ) 100mm F2.8 Macro lenses do share the same optics as the newest D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro

Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 WR Macro Review
Specifications
The lens covers the full 24x36mm format, not just APS-C. The aperture blades are rounded, delivering a smoother bokeh which is important for a macro lens. However, unlike its predecessor, it has no aperture ring.

Rounded blades

The optical design is the tried-and-proven formula of the previous generation D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro lens, which in turn had inherited the optical design from the well-respected FA 100mm F2.8 and F 100mm F2.8 macro lenses introduced in 1991 and 1987, respectively. None of these earlier lenses had rounded aperture blades.

Read more at: Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 WR Macro Review - Specifications | PentaxForums.com Reviews

don't forget to check the forum's market place ( " buy/sell " ) to find the older lenses

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/?security...d+States&all=1

[que es tu]

i claim no expertise, I like to read and have good memory

[ I also post a lot ]

I dabble in macro but not a great deal

perhaps a review of this tutorial might help:




Read more at: The Advantages of a Dedicated Macro Lens - Tutorial Videos | PentaxForums.com

as far as I know, the MFD has little to do with magnification ( I hope that is correct ) but more with how close you can be to your target

DA 21mm Limited
Min. Focus 18 cm Max. Magnification 0.15x

DA 35mm
Min. Focus 30 cm Max. Magnification 0.17x

DA 35mm Limited Macro
Min. Focus 14 cm Max. Magnification 1x

D FA 50mm Macro
Min. Focus 20 cm Max. Magnification 1x

D FA 100mm Macro
Min. Focus 30 cm Max. Magnification 1x

Hmm, but if the max magnification at 18cm for the 21 limited, for example, is .15x and you are able to shorten that by 3 times to 6cm then your subject would be much bigger in the viewfinder, and I am not sure if this is a linear progression, but it seems as though your max magnification would then be 0.45x. If you attached a close-up filter to a macro lens could you achieve greater than 1x mag?? Remember I am using a Canon 500D close-up filter which lessens the MFD by about 3 times on the 55-300mm making .28x into .84x. If I am correct. Sorry for the run-on sentence, but I do find this stuff fascinating!!

[aslyfox]

as I understand it, if you use a close up filter with a true 1:1 macro lens you get more than 1:1

I would suggest you post your question in the macro lens club thread

*Macro* lens club - PentaxForums.com

____________-

another article

. . . If we shoot a 1cm fly and its projection on the sensor measures 1cm as well, the magnification is 1:1. The 1:1 ratio has an important meaning for macro enthusiasts. Technically speaking, macro photography means shooting at a magnification ratio of at least 1:1. Therefore, a 'true' macro lens has the ability to produce a magnification ratio of 1:1, or higher.

At this point you may understandably ask, what's so special about a macro lens? Surely one can take any old 50mm f/1.8 lens and just move it closer to your subject until you reach 1:1 magnification. The problem, however, is that a regular lens will not be able to focus at such close distances. A more specific definition of a macro lens, then, is one whose minimal focus distance is short enough to allow photography of a focused subject in 1:1 magnification.

Macro photography: Understanding magnification: Digital Photography Review

[que es tu]

Ah, thank you! There are so many threads that it is easy to get a little lost! I will look up the Macro Lens Club.

[normhead]

My first was a Tamron 90, and it's still my wife's favourite. She also uses it as walk around lens on her K-5.

Zoom lenses are rated in focal length, macros are rated in both focal length and magnification, the important part being magnification unless you want to use it for something other than macros. The Tamron 90 is 1:1.

You only get confused by the focal length of a lens for close ups, if you ignore the magnification. A 50mm 1:1 will give you the same magnifications as a 100 1:1. They are both 1:1 (in which case the size of the image on the sensor will be the same as the size of the object n real life... which was much more confirmable with film than it is with digital sensor.) The Field of View however will be different for things in the background.

When I first started thinking about such things, I went out and bought a set of magnification "filters" - convex on one side, concave on the other, that screw in like a filter but they're just like magnifying glass lenses. Lots of distortion, not worth the effort. Good for letting the grandchildren observe bugs, though. After that, I bought a bellows unit. That works, but does not transmit electronics, so manual focus only and wide-open aperture only.

"Forget the cheapo options", I said to myself. Went out and bought a "Pentax-D SMC FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro Lens"; a little over four hundred bucks. Wonderful lens and works fine on both full-frame and APS-C cameras. And I figure that if I'm going to be taking pictures of bugs and flowers, I'm gonna be outdoors a lot, hence the necessity for the WR.

You don't get what you don't pay for (the usual expression, "you get what you pay for" is not necessarily a true statement - depends on the seller with whom you're doing business). I recommend you save your pennies to buy something really good - and watch the "marketplace" section for good used stuff.

[35mmfilmfan]

I have a Sigma 105mm 1:1 macro lens, which I don't use as much as I should, considering the price ! (Under £150, though !). Tried a cheap 'ring light', but although it is constant LED light, which helps with focusing, I wanted something to arrest movement, so got a second-hand Canon ring flash, which needed a little work done (insulation gone on connecting cable), but works fine on my K20D. Again, a cheap (ish) option which works for me - YMMV.

[McCMac]

I recently acquired a box of old lenses a retired professional photographer was tossing out. It included a two timer and a lens which goes in front where filters go. It is a C+1 and brings in the max focal length. Kind of turns your lens into a macro for a very small price. Worth mucking around with if you are learning, like me!

[Ivan]

On crop something 28-35mm with manual focus. Of course with macro rings. You can get by with a budget of 20 EUR. I do not recommend taking something longer than 50-120mm, the depth of field will be less, it will be more difficult to get a high-quality picture.

[haroon88]

My first was a Tamron 90, and it's still my wife's favourite. She also uses it as walk around lens on her K-5.

Zoom lenses are rated in focal length, macros are rated in both focal length and magnification, the important part being magnification unless you want to use it for something other than macros. The Tamron 90 is 1:1.

You only get confused by the focal length of a lens for close ups, if you ignore the magnification. A 50mm 1:1 will give you the same magnifications as a 100 1:1. They are both 1:1 (in which case the size of the image on the sensor will be the same as the size of the object n real life... which was much more confirmable with film than it is with digital sensor.) The Field of View however will be different for things in the background.

How do these macro lenses perform in terms of portrait photography option, let's say..., people! Is there a secondary use of them?

[aslyfox]

How do these macro lenses perform in terms of portrait photography option, let's say..., people! Is there a secondary use of them?

I suggest you review this article and its video, it won't take long

The Advantages of a Dedicated Macro Lens

The Advantages of a Dedicated Macro Lens - Tutorial Videos | PentaxForums.com

[Lord Lucan]

I recently acquired .... a lens which goes in front where filters go. It is a C+1 and brings in the max focal length. Kind of turns your lens into a macro for a very small price.

Sounds like what is called a close-up lens, and yours sounds like a One Dioptre. I picked up a used one years ago for about £1. I have never used it but have read that the image quality is not exactly stellar, especially near the edges. Looking through this old thread I did not notice anyone mention extension tubes. They give better results and you should get a set for £10-20 on Ebay, as long as you don't want the bells and whistles. Vivitar Automatic Extension Tubes AT-22 [K Mount] reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database

[rodcy]

I have a Pentax 35mm macro lens. It's not much use for macro work. You have to be on top of the subject. Use my 90mm macro much more.