Macro Lens

Hi All

Can anyone please recommend a good macro lens for my K10D.

Pentax:
SMC-DFA 100mm/2.8 (new)
SMC-DFA 50mm/2.8 (new)
SMC-FA 100mm/2.8 (s/h)
SMC-F 100mm/2.8 (s/h)

(Note the older 100mm/3.5 is not 1:1 magnification)

Also highly regarded is the Tamron 90mm macro, and the Sigma 105mm macro.

I have the SMC-F 100mm/2.8 and it's a cracking lens - razor sharp and solidly built. However, it's pretty heavy and bulky so doesn't get carried around as much as it should

HTH!
Matt

In addition to Matts fine suggestions

if you're looking for second hand and don't mind manual focus then the Tamron SP adaptall lenses usually offer very good value for money and come up often on a certain well known auction site. I use one myself with very satisfactory results. I got mine with a matched 2x converter for £50.

Similarly the Kiron 105mm is a cult classic lens and reckoned by some to be the best ~100mm macro ever made bar none. Its cult classic status pushes the price up somewhat but it can often be picked up at around the £100 mark.

I will give a vote for the sigma 105 DG macro which I bought about 4 months ago. The lens seems to be well built and I'm very happy with the results. I got mine from microglobe as they offer to provide a VAT reclaim form for customers going out of the EU which meant that the lens came in around £210 - a saving of about £40.

HTH,

Steve

Thanks for all your help and advice.

There are a few cheaper options you might want to consider as well:

1) Manual focus lenses - there are lots of these pretty cheap, including Pentax ones. Manual focus isn't a problem for macro shooting (it's more reliable than AF anyway) however it might limit the lenses usefulness for general purpose stuff. With older (pre KA) lenses you'll need to work out the exposure when stopped down manually as the K10D isn't accurate with small apertures set.

2) Cosina 100mm F3.5 macro (or the Pentax badged version of the same lens) - It has AF (noisy but fast & accurate) but only goes to 1:2 (although an optical adaptor is supplied for 1:1) but is good optically.

If you're going to be doing a lot of Macro shooting then the Pentax/Tamron/Sigma AF options would definitely be your best option.

I've just seen a Tamron SP90 f2.5 with a 1:1 extender and a Pentax mount adapter. Also a Pentax A 50mm f2.8. Any good ?.

I can heartily recommend the Tamron SP90 2.8 macro (the later model, 1:1 without an adapter). It's plastic, but has the most fantastic action and incredible bokeh. It's a joy to use and completely addictive.

I too am looking for a macro lens ... don't mind manual.
I seem to remember a 90mm Vivitar lens from some years ago which had a good reputation; is my memory deceiving me and/or is it worth looking for one of these on a well known auction site?

Why not look for one of the Pentax manual focus macro lenses. Good though the Vivitar and Tamron ones may be, the Pentax ones will be better and more compact as well.

Correct though John may be (I've never used a Pentax MF macro lens), the Tamron SP 90mm is superb and a lot easier to find.

Don't get me wrong, if you can pick up a Pentax then go for it, but don't turn your nose up at an "off" brand because you're waiting on the Pentax, because you might be waiting a while. Also macro lens prices are pretty stable so if you buy a Tamron tomorrow and find a Pentax next month which is better, you'll almost certainly get your money back on the Tamron.

Interestingly, according to Bojidar and Adaptall-2.com, the Tamron SP90mm is 10mm smaller in diameter and 23mm shorter in length than the Pentax 100mm A series. It's 50g lighter too.

The one I tried certainly wasn't, so there must be more than one model with the same spec. The one I tried was a monster of a lens!

I think there was a Vivitar/Kiron 105mm macro that is supposed to be superb, however they're fairly rare and tend to command quite high Ebay prices.

There are also a couple of Komine build macro lenses badged as Vivitars (I have the 55mm) and those are also very sharp but a lot cheaper (I can'd recall exactly what I paid for my lens but it was in the region of £30 I think). These can be found from time to time on Ebay although the prices seem to be increasing (as they are with many Pentax fit lenses now).

I've just seen that a Vivitar Series 1 90mm macro lens has appeared on e-bay. I think this is the one I remember, goes to 1:2 native and 1:1 with adapter. The dealer's blurb suggests it's a star product but there are lies, damn lies and ....