D-FA 100mm Macro

The SMC-F and SMC-FA 100mm macro lenses are astonishingly sharp. The FA version benefits from a 'brake' that makes focussing a little stiffer and stops the lens from creaping when camera and lens are mounted vertically. They both have focussing limit switches to prevent the lens focussing from infinity to minimum when used in AF mode. Personally, I focus manually for macro work anyway. Any Pentax 50mm lens will also work very well on a bellows attachment as well as extension tubes. Bellows affords the benefit of micro adjustment of focussing but with a 50mm lens attached, you do have to get very close to the subject.

You can also use so called 'stacked' lenses. That is 2 lenses mounted back to back, joined by an adapter between their filter mounts. If you have, say a 200mm prime and a 50mm prime stacked as I have described, you will get roughly 200/50 (4 times) magnification. One of the lenses can also be a zoom.

Thanks Matt

My previous SLR incarnation involved manual screw lenses so I am still learning about these new fangled things (ie post about 1970!) I did have a basic ME but even that had a screw converter fitted I flogged the lot about 12 months ago - big mistake - now I am slowly getting things together again so bear with me.

Do these lenses have the neccessary electical contacts or do I need any adapters to fix lens to camera?

If 100mm (150mm @ 35mm equiv) is good for macro what advantage is there for using a 50mm?

I have never used E-Bay, but my daughter has - guess I could leave the bidding to her.

I take it the Pentax 100 mm that you refer to is not the same as the "D" 100 that is now advertised.

One final thought, I was moving towards the Tamron 100mm - someone said it is better than any Pentax, but then few people that have spent £3-400 on something are hardly likely to admit it is inferior. Any comments?

Cheers
Graham

Graham,

As I mentioned, all the genuine Pentax SMC-A, SMC-F, SMC-FA and newer SMC-DA will all work perfectly well on the *ist-D series.

Regarding 100mm vs 50mm - it depends on your needs! I find 100mm is just perfect for flowers, longer distance portraits, and the like. You see I do also have a non-macro 50mm/f1.4 which complements it nicely.

You are right, I have the (very) old SMC-F 100mm/f2.8. After the SMC-F came a redesigned body shape with a larger focus ring. Optics generally remained the same - these were the SMC-FA series. The new "D" 100mm/f2.8 is probably closely related to the older 100mm's, but is smaller, lighter, and does require a hood (which is supplied).

The point is - you can often find the older 100mm macros on ebay, and at second hand camera shops (I got mine from LCE Group for £200). I did ponder "upgrading" to the newer lens, but it's such a good lens already and I like the weight

The Tamron 90mm macro is well regarded... but I made a conscious decision to stick to Pentax only glass - it means I have consistency of colour, contrast, bokeh, and controls (like zooms all work the same way). I would rather go for a good condition second hand Pentax than a new other make... but that's only my decision As I said, many have been very happy with the Tamron.

Places to check for 2nd hand: www.ffordes.co.uk (can be expensive), www.mxv.co.uk, www.lcegroup.co.uk

Hope that helps!
Matt

Hi Graham,

Since getting my 'D' a year or so ago, I've really caught the macro bug, first using a Pentax 50mm (f/1.7) with extension tubes, then getting a Sigma 105mm.

The 50mm was great, and I still use it occasionally, but I much prefer using the Sigma for insects - the greater working distance is useful, but more importantly, I feel, is that you're not constantly finding that with a particular extension tube on, you can't focus near/far enough away, and you have to either recompose, or change tubes. I found that a pain sometimes. With the Sigma, or any 1:1 macro lens, you can focus from infinity down to 'lifesize' with no bother.



50mm + extension tubes (all three?)

I've used a 24mm lens on extension tubes too, but only for fungi and stuff, as it gives a different perspective, including more of the background in the shot. You end up very close to your subject.



24mm + 10mm extension tube


I'm considering the Sigma 180mm, to add to my arsenal.

Incidentally (and I think I may be sticking my neck out here, should really just try it out before I say this ), I understand it that the depth of field is the same for a given magnification and aperture, regardless of focal length. So, if the image is reproduced on the sensor at lifesize, the depth of field should be the same whether you're using a 100mm or 50mm lens, but the angle of view would be different.

It sounds wrong, but if you think of using a 300mm lens to take a photo of a Robin on a branch, at f4, the background would be blurred. Taking a picture from the same position using a 50mm lens at f4 would render the background much more in focus, but the Robin would be magnified far less - it would be tiny in the frame. Moving closer until you had the same size image of the Robin, the background should be as blurred as when you used the 300mm (although you'd see more of the background, due to the different field of view, which might make it more identifiable).

So, if that's right , choose your lens based on what you want to photograph - insects would benefit from the greater working distances of the longer telephoto, general still life would be easy using a 50mm and extension tubes, or indeed a 50mm macro.

Anyone, please let me know if that's wrong

All the best,
Dan

I recently decided to swap my FA100 Macro for the new DFA version for a couple of reasons. I didn't like the handling ( thats just me so ignore it in YOUR decision processs) the other reason being I have come to really like the quick shift between AF and MF and the feel of the DFA lenses.

However, like other posters I have got the macro bug and got to thinking about a longer macro lens, my pot of gold would be the FA200 f4 Macro, but they cost a kings ransome IF you can find one, so I've gone and ordered the Sigma 180mm F3.5 EX APO Macro IF (another brute of a lens to go with the 70-200 f2.8 ).

Since I sold the FA100 I've been using my FA135 coupled with a 21mm extension tube (with the electrical contacts), this combo is not bad at the odd macro.



Pentax *ist D ,Pentax smc P-FA 135mm f/2.8 IF ,21mm Tube + AF360FGZ(HSS) 1/180s f/22.0 at 135.0mm iso400 with Flash and Monopod
Not far of the full frame, I did a minimal crop to A4 in CS2.

Image below, full frame with the Sigma 105mm, 1/125s at f/5.6, no flash, handheld, ISO 200. I really like this lens





McBrian, can I ask where you bought your 180mm from? I'm thinking of having one to replace my 80-200 2.8 - it's an old Tokina that I suspect isn't quite as sharp as a new Sigma would be. I'm figuring with a 105 and a 180, with 1.4x and 1.7x convertors, I'd have most eventualities covered. The 80-200 isn't great with extension tubes.

Dan

Hi Dan, follow this link.

http://www.microglobe.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?pName=sigma-180mm-f35-ex-apo-macro-if-hsm-autofocus-telephoto-for-pen&cName=lenses-sigma

What is it with this dragon/damsel fly fettish ? But they are beautiful aren't they? Here's my most recent effort captured using istD, Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro (at 300mm only), hand held, 1/250th f:9.5 ( a bit slow for the lens & hand held considering it's the equivelant of 450mm) ISO 200




This is uncropped, full frame, colour/contrast/brightness/curves adjusted very slightly in PS-CS2, sharpened with sharpen-o-matic (thanks Matt), then squirted through ImageReady for the web. The background looks fabricated but its not, there was only dried grass and a sage bush about 3 feet behind, hence the completely blurred look. It works for me. The image would have been much sharper with a tripod or monopod. In my opinion, the lens I used is a cracking performer when switched to Macro but it does need practice to keep it still at < 1/500th when handheld.

Hi
Thanks to Mat, Dan, Brian for your input. It takes a little time to get my head round things these days. I have a couple of LCEs within about 12 miles so I will have to give them a look.
Cracking shots - something to aim for.
Graham

Thanks Brian - good price. You having it delivered? I could go and pick it up for you if you want, not far for me really, and I have a friend who's moving to Edinburgh in a few weeks, she could bring it with her, unless I forgot to pass it on... No trouble, really

Hoped to have a look at one today, in Chelmsford, but no-one, sorry, neither of the shops had one. Did have a feel of the 10-20 Sigma though, and it felt nice

Peter, I'm not sure exactly what it is with Dragonflies and Damselflies, but I do know I was laying in the muck next to a lake on saturday, elbows in the water, waiting for one of the dozens flying about to stop in front of me. Did they? Do I have to answer that? Your background look great, probably one of the trickiest things to get sorted 'in the field', they just don't take it into account when they land, do they? Just realised too, that the species of which you've got a shot was exactly what I'd gone to the lake to find - Red Veined Darter, unless I'm wrong. Did you take this in the UK or Spain? Bit of a rarity over here.

And I'm not sure about the depth-of-field stuff I wrote yesterday, woke up this morning thinking about it. Will have to try tests, but think I'm wrong.

Graham, have fun with whatever you choose to get and use - creeping up on a dragonfly can be very rewarding, just make sure you have plenty of time and patience; they have a special 'In-Focus' sensor in their heads which makes them fly off just as you're about to shoot.

Dan

Daniel,

The shot was taken in Spain a couple of weeks ago. We have a rambla (small stream that swells to the size of a large river every few years when it rains very heavily) near our house and they probably live, feed, and breed there. This one was out in the dry open space close to our house and well away from water. I got a few shots of a green one too, but none as good as this one. I'm not sufficiently knowledgable to be able to tell you it's name though. Contrary to your shooting position, I was out in the blazing sun, with not a drop of water anywere . . . except in the bottle I was carrying of course.

There are some fabulous insects and spiders near us out there. Spiders that sit on the edge of flowers, waiting for unsuspecting insects to land. If they do . . . they die.

And the background . . . was one of those happy accidents. I was concentrating on not disturbing the dragobnfly and took no notice of the background until I got it on the PC. I have told the tale in another thread of my PC in Spain failing which caused me to lose some data. These pics were among the lost ones that I recoverd when I got back to UK. I'm glad I was able to.

Peter, it sounds idyllic, can't imagine why you go go there!

I might be wrong, I frequently am when it comes to insect ID (unlike an ex work colleague, whose favourite phrase was "I was only wrong once, and that was when I thought I was wrong, but found out I was right after all". They're a migrant to Britain from the continent, and we've had a few of them turn up at the lake at Bedfords Park, near Romford, where I work for Essex Wildlife Trust. But I just haven't got down to the lake to see them. They'd already 'gone to roost' when I went on Saturday.

Never mind, got lots of other shots instead

Dan

Daniel,

this was taken on the Costa Calida (warm coast) near Mazarron in southern Spain, between the Costa Blanca and Costa de Almeria (about 2 - 3 hrs drive south west of Benidorm). It takes Ryanair and Easyjet 2 hrs 20mins to fly it with the wind behind them, I guess these little beauties take a bit longer

Cheers,

I also have the Sigma 105 Macro that I use on the DS2 - superb. I also just purchased the Sigma 70-300 APO Macro which is also superb. The macro works between 200 & 300.

I went on a Damselfly & Dragonfly course at a local university last Wednesday but it rained all through the afternoon walk so I didn't take the camera out and still have to try the macro on insects.

Both IMHO are excellent lenses from Sigma.

Mike

Mike,

My Sigma 70-300 APO Macro has a switch to change it to macro focussing. This switch can only be engaged at 300mm and can only be disengaged once the focus ring is outside the macro range. I don't know if I have the Super or Super II version but it will only focus in the macro range at 300mm. How is yours able to 'do macro' at 200 - 300mm?

Regards,