confused about finding a macro lens

hello everyone, first post on here. I have a k10d and usually use my tamron 70-300mm lens but I have really got into macro photography and now wish to upgrade my lens to a specific macro lens. Now I find the depth of field on the tamron way too shallow but I understand this will happen with high magnification. I am looking into a sigma 50mm f2.8 EX DG macro lens and I am 99% sure but I was hoping anyone on here could help me out with any other advice or if anyone has this lens, let me know if its any good.

many thanks

worldthroughalens

worldthroughalens

I currently have two Macro lenses, a Pentax SMC DA 35mm and a Tamron DI 90mm both of these lenses are great and perform very well when used correctly. Personally i prefer the Pentax SMC DA 35mm, but if you need more reach the Tamron DI 90mm is very good and priced very reasonably.


I have not used the Sigma 50mm f2.8 EX DG but you can find reviews on line and compare them with other lenses. If you are buying a Macro lens for the first time I would really recommend looking at the Tamron DI 90mm.

Without teaching you to suck eggs one thing to remember with Macro is that your depth of field (DOF) is reduced dramatically when working close up, so close down your lens, I have found that f/18 f/20 work very well and you can focus on different parts within the image you are taking and then focus stack the images together in order to get sharpness across the image.

This image was taken with a Pentax SMC DA 35mm link

Hello. Pretty much any macro lens will be capable of giving razor sharp close up pics, and the sigma 50mm will be no exception I expect. The key aspect to consider if this is going to be the right lens for you is what you want to photograph with it. If you are looking to take pics of things you can get very close to (and especially if they are still) - plants and faces etc., then it will be great. If you are trying to get insects which are easily spooked and other things which move when you get close to them, then you may find that a 50mm lens means you have to get too close to get a frame-filling shot - i.e as you compose the shot you scare off the subject. Of course you could be very stealthy, or there are other focal lengths for macros in pentax fit - 90mm, 100mm, 105mm, 180mm and 200mm which I am aware of - they would give a longer 'working distance' than a 50mm lens I think - is there any way you can get to a shop and try a few out?

Cheers

Thank you for the feedback, I agree that longer focal length would be better. So would a Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro lens do the job? I many take nature shots so the subject will always move lol

I have been in that position as well. For insects such as butterflies and Dragonflies I personally think 100mm is the minimum focal length. 150mm or 180mm can be expensive. Alternatives are your 70-300 with an extension tube but it will be manual focus and manual exposure (depending on extension tube) or a teleconverter is pretty good on a 100mm macro as they are so sharp to start off with. Then of course the Raynox macro lens would work well on your Tamron ......
That hasn't helped has it! But you should consider everything and in the end it is the use that you want it for that should be the deciding factor.

Hello worldthroughalens,

Before buying, can you put some examples up of the sort of shots/dof that you're trying to achieve? That may provide a better clue what you need to get

-Johan