[mantis]

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no aperture ring?!?!

how are you supposed to work with that?

[yeatzee]

hi guys, sorry about this being my first post, anyway...

id like to get into bug photography and i dont know what lens to get to fully cater my needs for this, i want to get really close up shots of bugs, other models will be used but "bugs" is the best description.

right now i have a kit lens that came with my camera, its the 18-55 one, it isnt really that great for macro.

i would love something i can stay at a small distance to the model/target im shooting and get a really great really close up shot of a bee or something!

id also like to get photos of ULTRA close stuff, say... inside a flower? would this be a separate lens?

im not a tight ass but i dont want to go to town spending money if i dont need to, im only an amateur but id still like something that does the job well.

what do you all recommend?
i have a pentax k200d camera

Hi Mantis, have a mantis



You sir, are a spitting image of me about a year ago.... literally all the way down to the camera and situation

[MoiVous]

no aperture ring?!?!

how are you supposed to work with that?

You only use the e-dials on your camera - no aperture ring to fiddle with at all. So when you reverse it, or mount it to something without aperture transmission no effect .

Sad but true - but there are other lenses (not just the Pentax WR macro) with that problem. My Pentax 55-300 is the same - but not an issue for that lens.

Cheers

[mantis]

Hi Mantis, have a mantis



You sir, are a spitting image of me about a year ago.... literally all the way down to the camera and situation

ha, and your doing some nice work! what lens did you use for this mantis?

-mantis :P

[mantis]

You only use the e-dials on your camera - no aperture ring to fiddle with at all. So when you reverse it, or mount it to something without aperture transmission no effect .

Sad but true - but there are other lenses (not just the Pentax WR macro) with that problem. My Pentax 55-300 is the same - but not an issue for that lens.

Cheers

what edials do you speak of in the camera? the k200d dosent have any???

[MoiVous]

what edials do you speak of in the camera? the k200d dosent have any???

The K200D (and I have one too) has an e-dial at the back (page 19 of the manual) - in AV mode it alters aperture, in TV mode it changes the shutter speed, or adjust EV with it etc etc. I leave my K200D in AV mode most of the time anyway.....

It more advanced siblings have 2 e-dials - one front/one back

Cheers

[Digitalis]

"With prices to match, IF you can find them."

indeed, but you certainly get what you pay for with the FA*200mm f/4 ED macro. If anyone wants to sell their Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 macro I would gladly swap them the Sigma 180 for it! that lens is simply UNREAL.

On a practical note: For flash work I always work with lenses that have aperture rings. I Find it easier to work with that tactile feedback about how much I am stopping down. Some people are tactile learners and I certainly am, I grew up with lenses that had aperture rings. It feels strange to control the aperture electronically with dials that give you no auditory/tactile feedback on controlling aperture. And I usually have MY camera set to X On the mode dial, that way I don't have to worry if I'm on the wrong shutter speed and I can concentrate on the aperture and controlling DOF. Because even at f/3.5 @ 1:1 DOF is very shallow.

Sigma 180mm f/3.5 Macro With Pentax AF160FC Ring-flash:

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Last edited by Digitalis; 09-09-2010 at 10:55 PM.

[MoiVous]

On a practical note: For flash work I always work with lenses that have aperture rings. I Find it easier to work with that tactile feedback about how much I am stopping down. Some people are tactile learners and I certainly am, I grew up with lenses that had aperture rings. It feels alien to me to control the aperture electronically with dials that give you no auditory/tactile feedback on controlling aperture.

I'm with you Doug -aperture rings you can feel/touch/see are preferable to the others. Cut my teeth on manual lenses on a manual SLR - and exposure became intuitive.

Cheers

[mantis]

yea i dont like the idea of electronically changing it, would rather an aperture ring, will have to keep that in mind.

[yeatzee]

ha, and your doing some nice work! what lens did you use for this mantis?

-mantis :P

Sigma 105mm macro.
Its a decent crop actually

[JeffJS]

yea i dont like the idea of electronically changing it, would rather an aperture ring, will have to keep that in mind.

I use to think the same thing. No aperture ring, leave it on the shelf and keep my money in my pocket. However (and this may be different when using a K200), with 2 e-dials, one for changing aperture, and one for changing shutter speed, I rarely Use the aperture ring. That is, except on lenses that aren't auto aperture capable (M and K). Electronically changing it offers more than just a method of change. It shows me in the viewfinder what the aperture is, and it saves the information. A minor convenience perhaps but one I do welcome.

The bottom line is this.. I've yet to use a dedicated macro lens, both from pentax and third party, that I did Not think a great lens and wouldn't readily recommend. All have been silly sharp and a great performers. The real questions become, how much do you want to spend, how far away do you want to be from your subject, how are you going to light your subjects, etc.

[yeatzee]

I

The bottom line is this.. I've yet to use a dedicated macro lens, both from pentax and third party, that I did Not think a great lens and wouldn't readily recommend. All have been silly sharp and a great performers. The real questions become, how much do you want to spend, how far away do you want to be from your subject, how are you going to light your subjects, etc.

^ This.

+1 to you.

[mantis]

well i have already picked up my 90mm tamron, happy with it so far, havnt had a good play yet, just looking at extension tubes now, what do you guys think of this one?


3-pce PORST MACRO extension tube set PENTAX K-mount - eBay, Lenses, Lenses Filters, Cameras Photo. (end time 14-Sep-10 05:57:46 AEST)

[JeffJS]

If you don't mind going full manual with your tamron, go for it. That being the case however, you can get a set that will do the same thing, for about $5. There doesn't appear to be any aperture control what so ever on the Porst set (no stop down lever). But I could be wrong about that.

[mantis]

and how much are apature ones? where they arent manual