cheap macro lens

I considering buying a cheap macro lens to take flower and insect shots maybe buy from ebay
What do you recommend
I use a Pentax K5
I have been advised this Tamron SP 272E Macro lens - 90 mm - F/2.8 - Pentax K

Hi Roberrt, welcome to PU. The Tamron 90 Di is a cracking lens for the money but also consider the various 100mm Pentax lenses.

John

thanks

im looking for the cheapest option with AF function and would preface the Pentax lens

Some of the older F & FA lenses occasionally come up for sale s/h on Ebay, may be worth a look. There was also 50mm but may not suit your needs, the Sigma 105mm was decent but having owned both Sigma and Tamron I prefer the rendering of the latter.

John

I will look on eBay at the Sigma 105mm

thanks

AF is not all that useful with macros.

I was advised AF so that if I am taking a shot of an insect it will be faster to focus before it moves away

I'd be tempted to get one with a limiter (like the Tamron) to avoid the lens racking back and forwards through the entire range, the Tamron works very well as a short telephoto also.

John

Was that advice from someone who doesn't actually take photos of insects?

With practice you'll be able to manually focus on an insect quicker than most AF systems.

The key is to get the eyes in focus, wherever they are in the fram. Using AF you'll probably need to focus on the eyes and then recompose the shot by moving the camera slightly.

Two things scare insects away, noise (AF system), and movement (recomposing).

Manual focus is the preferred focusing method of most macro photographers for a high percentage of their work, if not 100%.

The advice you have been given is flawed.

Agreed.

My keeper rate has increased significantly since I stopped trying to use auto focus and focussed manually.

thank you for the advice peter and Mannesty

thats good advice

the photos he took using AF are awesome but I agree with what you say

Bob

A few thoughts:
- Forget about AF for both flowers and insects. It's much easier and more practical to set your focus and slowly move a but backwards or forwards accordingly. AF on macro lenses is always very slow as it is because of the 'long throw' of the lenses.
- The 90mm Tamron is very nice (I enjoy it too), expect to pay around £175-£200.
- For flowers 50mm and 70mm are fine too and I've made excellent macro shots of insects (incl wasps) with 50mm so don't feel you have to discount those too. People say you 'need' 90/100/105mm for insects but I don't agree.
- I say this because if you want to get into macro for cheap there are 50 and 70mm lenses by Sigma that are more affordable than the ones around 100mm
- Personally I do prefer a lens with an 'A'-setting but if you can do without then you have more cheaper choices.
- Do check that the lens goes to 1:1 macro, I recently sold a Pentax A 50mm f/2.8, great lens but 'only' 1:2 magnification which is actually fine for flowers but may be lacking for insects.
- Do just watch eBay but also the for sale section here, what you are looking for regularly comes up here too.

Good luck.

thanks for the good advice Joostdh

I ordered the Tamron SP 272E Macro lens - 90 mm - F/2.8 - Pentax K today

Bob

Nice. Trust me: you won't regret it!

i will let you know when it arrives and I try it

thanks for all the advice

Bob