Macro lens

Hi all

im just starting to get into macro and was wondering if there are any good af/mf macro lenses for a budget.

i have the raynox dcr250 and have realised its good but the lens can only focus a small area but sometimes i want the whole area in focus if you know what i mean.

im using the kit lense and 50-200mm with raynox so tips would be good.

an old manual macro lens will do as manual focus seems better for macro.

Any help will be appreciated.

paul

I picked up a cheap Vivitar 55mm F2.8 Macro lens on Ebay (don't recall exactly what it cost but it wasn't expensive) and have found that pretty good - there are usually a few MF lenses kicking about at low cost.

Alternatively you could get a cheap set of extension rings - I've also had decent results with those (mine are the Jessops ones).

what about any of these

JUST IN Sigma 100-300 4.5 PKA E++......£65
JUST IN Takuma PK 135 2.5 E++.....£39
JUST IN SMC Pentax 28mm f2.8 M series for PK Cloudy E+......£49
JUST IN SMC Pentax 200mm f4 Cloudy E+......£39
JUST IN Tokina 80-200 f4 P/K fit......£43
Takumar 28mm f2.8 PKA E++......£68
Pentax SMC A 28mm 2.8 E++......£85
Tokina 24mm f2.8 PKA E+......£79
Tokina 28mm f2.8 RMC P/K E++......£49
Hoya 135mm f2.8 E++......£20
Tokina 28mm f2.8 + Box Mint......£69
28mm f2.8 + Box Mint......£40

I have a mint condition pentax-a F1.7 50mm which I'm about to auction on ebay if thats any use? I used it with closeup filters but obviously you could get a manual extension tube for a couple of quid and use that with it for better results.

Very sharp lens and I love it but I've just bought a dedicated 50mm Sigma macro from srs which is superb but obviously a lot more money.

None of those are macro lenses or all that great a choice for using with with extension tubes or close up filters. A cheap MF 50mm lens would be a better choice and those can be had pretty cheap, especially if you go for SMC-M or earlier lens.

This won't change even with a "proper" macro lens.

Close up, the depth of field is extremely shallow, and you have to maximise it with very small apertures and correspondingly lots of light.

It is not easy, and if you're looking for an easy solution, I fear you'll be disappointed.

The images I've seen so far from the use of the Raynox adapter are very impressive. Certainly as good as many others I've seen taken with a true macro lens. I was so impressed I bought one but it hasn't arrived yet. My other macro lenses are SMCP-FA 100mm 1:2.8 and a Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro Super (macro at the long end but not 1:1).

I have other Pentax zoom lenses with the magic word 'Macro' in their name, but these are not true 1:1 macro lenses, so don't be fooled by listings stating as such on auction sites.

Proper macro lenses cost big money and I'd recommend a 100mm over the 50mm any day because you can get that little bit further away with the longer focal length. Not much further, but usually enough to make the difference between getting the shot of an insect . . . and the darned thing having a panic attack and doing a disappearing act.

A decent 50 or 100mm prime on extension tubes is a cheaper alternative.

Heres a couple of practice shots i shot using a 50mm 1.7 with a 2 x teleplus macro extender not bad results.






A reasonably cheap alternative
Edit: wouldnt the Hoya 135mm 2.8 you have listed for 20quid with a set of extension tubes make a good alternative :

I think it'd need quite a number of extension tubes to get down to 1:1 with that.

Like I said, I've got a mint condition pentax-a 50mm F1.7 with a 49-52 stepping ring going on ebay tomorrow. If anyone from this forum is interested then please give me a shout. I've had a couple of old pentax lenses but this is a keeper as it's really top notch except I've just bought a 50mm Sigma so I can't justify keeping it! I'd let it go for 50quid delivered if anyone's interested before I stick it on ebay.


Cheers


Rob.

Heres a thread from another forum discussing macro lenses and the K10

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00LsK8

If you can afford it buy a true Macro lens. The Sigma and Tamron are both good.
I have used a Sigma 105m both with Canon and Nikon and will be the proud owner of a Pentax fit in a few days to use on the K10.

Can be used with Kenko extension tubes to get really high magnification or kenko 1.5x extender to make it into a 150m. Good for butterflies in the field.

Ok, just to show what an old Sigma can do (non DG)
This arrived, courtesy of E-bay, yesterday morning and I took this today.
Sorry don't know how to post an image.
http://www.photography1st.com/dragonfly%20pic.htm

I was quite impressed with the anti-shake on this.
Had to change the levels a bit as it was a little dark and this is heavily cropped so you can see the detail.