Originally posted by swanlefitte Thanks for the link!
---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 07:08 AM ----------
Originally posted by Not a Number A set of "auto" extension tubes would do the trick. These have the aperture lever but no contacts. So you could continue to use open aperture metering with the green button. Pentax made a set as well as some sold by Vivitar and no doubt other brands. Not exactly rare but not often that you see them for sale which can make them pricey.
Note however if you want to change magnification you need to change tubes. This can become as tiresome as changing filters.
Pentax made a helical extension tube. Like bellows the extension can be adjusted, in this case by turning the barrel like manual focusing a lens.
Bellows are another option but are heavy, bulky and fragile. Not the best option for field work.
The helical extension tube sounds pretty nice, but I doubt I'd find one.
I'll try to keep an eye out for those auto extension tubes, thanks!
---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 07:12 AM ----------
Originally posted by UncleVanya Raynox macro lens add on devices will be sharper and easier to use than the cheap ones you have. The quick fit attachment makes them easier to use.
They're pretty good for the price I got them.
The Raynox seems like it'd be a step up from them for sure, though.
---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 07:14 AM ----------
Originally posted by Not a Number Or you could find a copy of the Pentax 100mm "Dental" macro lens with closeup lenses that attach magnetically.
That'd be pretty neat, but I doubt I'd be lucky enough to find one within my budget. Is it mostly the same as those 100mm F4 Macro lenses?
---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 07:16 AM ----------
Originally posted by pathdoc Another alternative is to look for an old teleconverter that is advertised as having haze or fungus or what-have-you. It is easy enough to remove the glass and make an extension tube out of it. Often these will have at least the aperture lever (green button), and a little while ago I managed to find one being sold de-glassed that also had the A contacts. Third-party ones also exist which have a screwdrive AF pass-through, but these are more likely to have been well cared for and would not be sold on unless the elements are damaged. Be careful, as some of them are also designed to be compatible with later Ricoh film cameras and may have a malignant version of the Ricoh pin.
I remember seeing something about that a while back, using old broken teleconverters as extension tubes. Thanks for the suggestion!
---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 07:22 AM ----------
Originally posted by Doundounba A couple of points/questions:
1) Are you using flash? If not, you may not be able to close the lens enough to get decent DoF and/or you might be ramping your ISO to astronomical level or just using too long a shutter...
2) Do you have any longer lenses? A diopter's effect is directly proportional to the focal length of the lens it is used with, so if you have something longer than a 50mm (e.g. a 50-200mm), a diopter would work much better on that. But see also #1 (re flash).
3) As my Flickr feed attests, I'm a huge fan of the Raynox DCR-250. Yet I'd still recommend you get something that can at least do 1:2 natively (and the longer the better). A Pentax-M 50mm F/4 Macro perhaps - a bit short, but light and inexpensive (probably under $75) - or maybe a Tamron Adaptall 90mm F/2.5 (52B or 52BB), but it's tougher to find a good deal on those. But see also #1 (re: flash).
4) I'm also a big fan of Adaptall zooms. Some of them can do decent near focus, and if you add the excellent adaptall 2X tele-converter (01F), they become quasi-macro lenses and the combos are long enough that a diopter will have a pretty good effect on them too. The 35-80mm F/2.8-3.8 (01A) is especially excellent, but the 35-70mm F/3.5 (17F) is pretty good too, and can probably be had for a song. But see also #1 (re: flash).
p.s.: If you're set on using a 50mm, I'd go with tubes (but make sure they at least have aperture coupling). With something near or above 100mm, I'd go with a diopter, preferably a Raynox.
Thanks for your informative response!
I haven't really messed around with flashed much at all. I have the one built-in to my camera, a Pentax AF160, Pentax AF160SA, and a Vivitar 560D. Would any of those be alright?
I do have a 300 and 200mm, but they're so heavy I rarely like using them. I recently got a M-series 135 F3.5 so maybe that could work alright with diopters or the Raynox?
And thanks for all the lens suggestions and whatnot, I'll look into them and see if they're viable options for me!
---------- Post added 03-12-19 at 07:25 AM ----------
Originally posted by baro-nite Extension tubes and the like are no less of a pain to work with than diopters. Get a Pentax-M Macro 1:4 50mm, then you'll have a lens that goes from infinity focus to 1:2 macro (allowing you to fill the frame with a subject around 50mm or 2" across on full frame an APS-C sensor) with just a turn of the focus ring. You can easily find good copies of this lens for under 100 USD.
Alright, thanks for the input!
Ideally I would get a dedicated macro lens, but it's difficult finding them for affordable prices. I'll see what I can find the 50mm F4 macro for, though.