Macro Options for K10d

Paul
I can vouch for the 90mm Tamron SP, though mine is getting on a bit and weighs like a brick!

I got these with it:

http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/Macro%20Work/

Those are great, Mr Spider. I shall be very pleased if I end up producing anything like that sort of quality.

Paul,
Why dont you try a set of extention tubes on some of your other lenses before going to the expense of a specific macro lens? the tubes will still come in useful later, the pics I linked to were taken using the Tamron with extension tubes.

As for producing pics like mine, IMHO macro is all about knowing your gear and being lucky, I was lucky that the greenbottle sat there for as long as it did so I was able to take my time (I only took two shots) the bees are a different matter, I must have shot over 50 "frames" to get a half dozen decent images.

I have the SMC-F 100mm/f2.8 that I picked up for £200 from LCE a few years back.

On the K10D the quality is absolutely astonishing! (My "chair" : http://www.ephotozine.com/gallery/showlargepic.cfm?photoid=785575 should hint at some of the detail possible! At full resolution it is soooo clear!)

Matt

Another very useful option is the 50 2.8 A - only 1:2 rather than 1:1 although with the "crop factor" of 1.5 that is sort equivalent to 1.33:1 on a full frame SLR. It is small and light and has the advantage of being an A series lens - and can be had reletively cheaply on ebay. (think I paid about £50 or 60 for mine). I also have the Sigma 105 which is excelent but not quite so good for handholding. The 50 2.8 is great for wandering around where there are a variety of macro subjects around and just taking 'macro snaps'.

A slightly off-beat option would be the sigma 24mm 1.8 DG EX bla bla Macro. f1.8 and very close focusing (they list 7" but I _swear_ it focuses down to 2" or so manually) can get you pretty creative results, plus it's a great all-around lens (I have it for about 5 days now and haven't taken it off the mount yet).

example:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/371710259_944db8a662_o.jpg

Quoted focus distances are often measured from the film/sensor plane rather than the front element.

oh well, you live you learn. Thanks.

Hmm, offbeat is right. As a macro novice, the advice I've been given is that even a 50mm macro puts you uncomfortably close to the subject. So I'm either going to get the Tamron 90 or the Sigma 105. As the Pentax 100 is more than £100 more expensive, with minimal if any quality advantage, I've reluctantly decided against it.
Although I'm now willing to make the purchase, it's a bit academic at present, as there's such a surge in demand for Pentax fit lenses that there's a wait of several weeks for delivery of either of the above.

Hi Paul,

Ffordes have the Tamron instock at the moment (www.Ffordes.com), £169 in E++ condition (can never remember the +'s refer to the amount of wear or the pristineness of the lens ). Don't know what the postage would be (or you could pick it up if you're near Inverness!).

Dan

I am always torn between the Tamron and the Pentax.

The Pentax is smaller and lighter and has Quick Shift.
The Tamron has the limiter and is much cheaper.

ATM I am leaning toward the Pentax because I like the Quick Shift very much. The limiter is not so important with the K10 and its fast AF motor.

Thanks Dan. Took a look at the Ffordes site. It's not terribly clear whether the lens is the current Di spec - if it's not, it's definitely overpriced. And I'm in Guildford, which is fair way from Inverness. Interesting, though, I might call them.

It's worth keeping an eye on Ebay, and remembering that for many macro applications you don't need AF, or super-multi-coating, or even open-aperture metering.

Some of the older Pentax and Asahi macro lenses were very good indeed, such as the M series, and even the screw-mount Takumars and Super-Takumars.

The K, M and A 50mm and 100mm macros were superb, and can often be had for very little money. And if you are not shooting fast-moving creepy-crawlies, 50mm can be perfectly satisfactory.

For those of us who like to follow the Riley Rule, Pentax has plenty of possibilities, and they are not all DA lenses.

G

You've lost me there George - "Riley Rule"?

Dan

Hi Dan,

Riley Rule = buy only Pentax glass..

Cheers

Liam