Originally posted by Dewman Holy cow, Matt! That's a mighty fine image there, son! You're really nudging me toward the Pentax 100mm lens! If I understand right, it's a 1:2 magnification, but with the 1.5 TC, it brings it closer to 1:1, right?
I hear ya' about the back! Some days mine's not too bad, then other days, it's a mother dog! Today, not so bad. But, I think that's because I've been shooting static shots, standing up, with my subject on the dining table. Oh, but to be young and supple again..... sigh.
Lens is 1:2 or half life size , as produced by the sensor ..
A 1.5 tele Converter makes the lens 150mm Rather than 100mm ...
So it becomes a 1:2 150mm Lens .
But yes , the zoom compensates for the 1:2 , making the image larger ..
I have seen amazing Macro taken with 500mm Lenses that focus down to 1 meter or there about's .. And its all because of that 500mm ...
That's why there are 1001 ways of doing macro , almost any lens can produce Macro images with just a little imagination ..
That Tamron Zoom lens of yours , if you put a +2 close focus filter in front of it , it would turn it into a Macro lens .
I hear you about being young again ! ( I have made it to the ache'y breaky Pain years , and it blows )