Macro Lenses - Advice required.

I am on the verge of purchasing a Macro lens for my K10D and I heard that one is better with a 100mm lens rather than the 50mm. I have therefore looked at the specs and prices of the following :-
Pentax 100mm f2.8 at £399, Sigma 70mm and 105mm f2.8 at £279 & £309 and the Tamron 90mm f2.8 at £279 all of them the current versions.
I don't feel justified in spending £399 on the Pentax so I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on quality of results etc, from personal experience of course on any of the others.

I think you'll find they're all excellent lenses, and your eventual purchase will be based more on what one you can find in stock.

I use the Sigma 105mm (non-DG version) and love it. Very solid build, good results at all apertures.

Dan

I don't understand this compulsion to buy new lenses. Almost all my lenses were bought second-hand, usually at much less than half the price of a new one, and invariably in excellent condition.

I NEVER buy a lens new, unless there is no other way to obtain it. A second-hand lens will retain its value almost indefinitely, provided you buy wisely. A new lens loses half its value as soon as you purchase it.

The best macro lens you can buy for any camera anywhere is the SMC Pentax-FA* 1:4 200mm Macro IF & ED. It's so good that nobody ever parts with them - indeed most owners are buried with them, I believe.

But in the real world, the FA 100/2.8 Macro is unsurpassed, and can be had for around £200.00 in lovely condition. I can't understand why anybody would choose a new Sigma lens when they could have one of the best Pentax macros for less money.

If you don't believe me, ask John Riley. Few people on the planet have bought more lenses on Ebay than JR. Choose your seller with care, and the chance of a dud buy is almost infinitessimally low.

G

or if you don't mind manual focus and want something that turns up on Ebay more often, the Tamron 90mm adaptall lenses are very nice indeed. I have the early 90mm F2.5 version with a matched flat field converter. Set me back the princely sum of £50, and even though prices have since gone a bit mad you should be able to get one for less than £100. Only problem with them is the KA mount is hard to come by.

I use a Tamron 90mmSP and the results are every bit as good as any of my Pentax glass.

Somebody has to.


Well, no that's true. But then I got my Sigma secondhand for £90 incl. a three year warranty. Also, if you really want any lens, it may be worth spending a bit more to have one sooner, rather than waiting for one to come up on ebay later.

Dan

I use this as well but the one with a dedicated Pentax mount NOT the Adaptall and its a great lens. It doesn't magnify down to 1,1 only 1.2 but a 45mm (i think) extension tube will fix that. Look for Kirons and Vivitar series 1 macros also i have read they are all superb

Believe him.

Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to post a reply,but no one has actually commented on any of the actual lenses which I quoted. Does no one buy new lenses these day - as someone said 'Someone has to' !!. In answer to George's suggestion about buying second hand - ok but where? is Ebay the only source which people use ? I am a bit diffident about using that source as I don't know how you go on if there happens to be something wrong with the goods when received - is there any arbitration policy. ?

Ebay is a very good source for lenses (and other gear for that matter)Just check the feedback of the seller before you bid. I have purchased 90% of my gear from Ebay and i have yet to have a bad experience. I am forced to use E-bay because of the outrageous prices Retail stores in Australia think they can charge.
And yes E-bay do have polices in place to protect the buyer. Use Pay Pal and your money is insured if items are lost in transit.
I was skeptical at first but i swear by it now.

Take the plunge. Only buy from sellers with a good history who seem to know what they are talking about. There is some sort of guarantee scheme if things go wrong, but to be honest I find that if you take care you shouldn't need it.

As far as the actual lenses are concerned, the general rule is that almost all macro lenses are very good. I wouldn't buy the Sigma 70mm as another general (but not invariable) rule for macro is: "the longer, the better".

G

I have huge admiration for Pentax glass but when it comes to macro lenses I use a Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 (1:1). I have always been extremely happy with its performance, both as a macro and as a telephoto lens.

All the best,

Batty

As I said before, I use the Sigma 105mm (non-DG version) and love it. Very solid build, good results at all apertures. I can't see that the DG version would be any different.

Dan