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Macro lens (WHICH ONE )

kitcarson
Posted 21/06/2011 - 09:51 Link
Being fairly new too digital photography can anyone tell me what they would consider too be a good Macro lens to buy for a pentax Kr .
R.M.Carson
i-Berg
Posted 21/06/2011 - 09:56 Link
This is a good start:

link

Along with this:

link

I use the latter - very good lens.
mujirushi
Posted 21/06/2011 - 09:57 Link
I guess its good to mention they type of macro photographies you do? As the working distance play a part on the focal length!

From Pentax Primes, there are the DA35Ltd, DFA100 (with/without WR)
From Tamron Primes, there is the SP 90 Di

All these offer 1:1 magnification.
Still learning!

Zooms: DA12-24 | DA16-45 | DA*50-135 | DA55-300
Primes: FA31 | DFA100WR | M50F1.7
Fun: LensBaby Composer + Kit
Mike-P
Posted 21/06/2011 - 09:58 Link
An idea of budget would be good also.
fritzthedog
Posted 21/06/2011 - 11:05 Link
Agree with the above comments.

I have just started using my Sigma 105 macro on the Kr and am really impressed by this combination, here are a few examples taken on Sunday - if this is the sort of macro photography you are looking to do - this lens should be considered.

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No matter how many lenses I have owned - I have always needed just one more
beginner
Posted 21/06/2011 - 11:11 Link
There is very little difference in image quality of the three main ,and most popular macro lenses!...Pentax 100mm,Sigma 105 and Tamron 90mm.I can't comment on the Sigma,but I owned both the Pentax and Tamron,finally sticking with the Tamron!.....Hope this helps!
K20D...ist DS ,DA18/55,DA16/45.DA* 50/135,"A"1.7 50MM..."A" 70/210..M 50mm f2...Tamron 90mm macro,28/300 Tamron,200/500 Tamron 6.9....A Pentax DA*300... Sigma10/20,FA31mm 1.8 Ltd*********,FA 77mm Ltd!
flat4
Posted 21/06/2011 - 11:52 Link
mujirushi wrote:
I guess its good to mention they type of macro photographies you do? As the working distance play a part on the focal length!

From Pentax Primes, there are the DA35Ltd, DFA100 (with/without WR)
From Tamron Primes, there is the SP 90 Di

All these offer 1:1 magnification.

If you like 50 mm FOV, you could go for either pentax DFA 50/2.8 macro or relatively cheap Sigma 50/2.8 macro.

I think all of the above mentioned are very good. The only question is what focal length you prefer and what is your budget limit.

Cheers, Luka
Link to my PPG
George Lazarette
Posted 21/06/2011 - 12:02 Link
Happily, there is virtually no such thing as a bad macro lens.

For insects, the longer the lens the better. Short macros are best for things like documents.

Many people prefer to focus manually, so don't pay a large premium for AF.

Likewise for exposure.

An old SMC Pentax-M 1:4 100mm, coupled with extension tubes, will be a great low-cost way into macro photography. And don't ignore lenses by Chinon and Ricoh.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
bretti_kivi
Posted 21/06/2011 - 12:08 Link
I like the fact that i have an AF 50 that's also Macro.... the D-FA 50.

Bret
my pics: link
my kit: K3, K5, K-01, DA 18-55, D-FA50 macro, Siggy 30/1.4, 100-300/f4, 70-200/2.8, Samsung 12-24/f4, Tamron 17-50, and lots of other bits.
kitcarson
Posted 22/06/2011 - 10:51 Link
reading all your comments im thinking the Tamron 90mm sounds ideal Thanks for all the information .
R.M.Carson
claudefrog
Posted 22/06/2011 - 14:56 Link
I use the Sigma 70mm f2.8 MACRO, you can pick them up fairly easily and they double as a fantastic portrait lens as it equates to 105mm on a crop sensor.

Never had any issues with mine either, built like a tank and cost less than £300
Pentax k-5
Metz 50 AF-1
Pentax SMC 50mm 1.4
Sigma 70mm 2.8 MACRO
Sigma 17mm-70mm F2.8 - 4
Pentax 18mm-55mm f3.5-56 DA WR
Pentax 50mm-200mm f3.5-5.6 DA WR
rhallman
Posted 23/06/2011 - 12:05 Link
There's a Pentax 100mm macro in the classifieds at the moment. I have just received the Samsung equivalent, and from my limited tests so far, it's a nice lens.
RioRico
Posted 29/06/2011 - 00:04 Link
Anything labeled MACRO-ZOOM isn't macro. Except the Schneider Betavaron enlarger zoom, but that's not really relevant here. Modern AF macro lenses like those mentioned are excellent tools but rather overkill for macro work. AF is NOT your friend when working at 1:1 magnification. Those with A-type contacts, including AF lenses, are mostly useful because of aperture control and ease of using flash.

If you use existing or controlled light rather than flash, consider an older manual-focus macro lens. I have a few... but I hardly use them. Why not?

Well, my favorite gear for getting REAL CLOSE are cheap enlarger lenses (EL's) on bellows and/or tubes. (Two more just arrived today, an EL-Nikkor and a Schneider Componar, costing US$6 each, shipped.) EL's are designed for edge-to-edge flatfield sharpness, same as macro lenses. EL's longer than 80mm will focus to infinity on most bellows and so can be used for non-macro general photography too. EL's longer than 150mm may need cheap tubes as well as bellows to reach macro range. Small inexpensive bellows and cheap tubes are widely available. A flexible lenses+bellows+tubes kit is cheap, small, and lightweight. Did I mention cheap?

But bellows-mounted lenses and manual-focus non-A-type lenses are a bit more work than a modern AF macro lens. If you have the money, any of those mentioned above would be a good choice. Have fun!
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: Too many film & digital cameras & lenses, oh my!
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Edited by RioRico: 29/06/2011 - 00:06
petrochemist
Posted 29/06/2011 - 23:27 Link
Macro is area where with a bit of patience you can achieve excellent results for very little.
PKA macro primes are certainly the easiest to use - and even my £50 Cosina (100mm PKA) gives great results.
As RioRico points out enlarger lenses with a suitable extension work very well too - from what I've seen elsewhere on the internet this can even be with homemade cardboard tube extension!
You can even get good results just reversing a prime either directly on the body or in front of another lens. The second of these is my most frequent approach, as my Camera bag usually has a 50mm 1.7 (or 1.4) in it for low light work so adding a stacking ring gives me options around 1:1 to 2:1 for hardly any extra weight. (Stacked on a PKA lens you still get auto aperture).
Another option to consider is a macro focusing teleconverter - probably not as high quality - but they do give better working distances without costing an arm & a leg.
The various approaches above can even be combined to give huge magnification at near zero DOF. (Note the order will make a big difference if combining TCs & extension. TC-Extension-lens has higher magnification & shorter working distance than extension-TC-lens).
It's all enough to keep a gear head amused for years.
Mike
.
Pentax:K5ii, K7, K100D, DA18-55, DA10-17, DA55-300, DA50-200, F100-300, F50, DA35 AL, 4* M50, 2* M135, Helicoid extension, Tak 300 f4 (& 6 film bodies)
3rd Party: Bigmos (Sigma 150-500mm OS HSM),2* 28mm, 100mm macro, 28-200 zoom, 35-80 zoom, 80-200 zoom, 80-210 zoom, 300mm M42, 600 mirror, 1000-4000 scope, 50mm M42, enlarger lenses, Sony & micro 4/3 cameras with various PK mounts, Zenit E...
Far to many tele-converters, adapters, project parts & extension tubes etc.

.[size=11:].FlickrWPFPanoramio
RioRico
Posted 30/06/2011 - 21:14 Link
petrochemist wrote:
Macro is area where with a bit of patience you can achieve excellent results for very little.

Indeed. Basic macro kit: mount-reversal ring (US$5) and cheap PK macro tubes (US$10), applied to a Fifty.

Quote:
You can even get good results just reversing a prime either directly on the body or in front of another lens. The second of these is my most frequent approach, as my Camera bag usually has a 50mm 1.7 (or 1.4) in it for low light work so adding a stacking ring gives me options around 1:1 to 2:1 for hardly any extra weight.

A note on this: Lens-reversal forces a close working distance, about 45mm with Pentax and similar lenses. Magnification results from extension, not simple reversal. If a prime has a deep front inset, that acts as extension when reversed. Without such an inset, or for more magnification, just add some extension (tubes or bellows).

Quote:
(Stacked on a PKA lens you still get auto aperture).

But this is sometimes a problem. Closing the aperture of the PKA lens on the body (the PRIMARY) rather than the stacked/reversed manual-aperture lens (the SECONDARY) can cause vignetting. This depends on the lenses involved. But such stacking can give GREAT magnification, by the ratio of PRIMARY:SECONDARY. If I stack a 25mm onto a 200mm, M= 200:25= 8x! Too hot to handle! Whip out the tripod, eh?

I agree on macro TC's, good for giving more working distance. We can also add extension (tubes and/or bellows) to longer lenses. Back in the day, I had a half-frame SLR (Olympus Pen-FT) and a Spiratone 400/5.6 bazooka. I mounted lens, 2X TC and 400mm of extension onto the Oly, set the whole rig onto a shoulder stock, and shot closeups of live rattlesnakes in the field, from a safe distance (3-4m). On bright days, of course.

Quote:
It's all enough to keep a gear head amused for years.

Indeed. Add the use of enlarger-copy-projector-xray-other lenses, and just stuffing the bellows with any optical material that will fit, and playtime never ends!
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: Too many film & digital cameras & lenses, oh my!
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