WTB: long macro lens

I'm looking for a macro lens 135mm or longer. If anyone has one to sell, please let me know.
Cheers.

Just a suggestion, Tamron 90mm Di Macro with 1.5x Teleplus TC.

John

There aren't many options. I think you've missed the last Sigmas 180/3.5 on clearance at Jessops a few month ago (at £429, an excellent price! - I think it's cheaper than what they go for used in the US), and they aren't in production anymore. The Tamron 180/3.5 was never made in Pentax mount, nor the Sigma 150/2.8, so you're left with the very rare A* 200/4 or the even rarer FA* 200/4 - if you've got a spare couple of grand there's one for sale in France right now.

You can also wait for the new Sigma 150/2.8 which will be OS (stabilized) and HSM, but who knows when they'll be available... and at what price

If you can find a used Sigma 180mm 1:3.5 lens in good shape, go for it without hesitation. As a macro lens, it is the nearest you'll get to the fabled SMC Pentax-FA 200mm macro lens, and a small mortgage cheaper too.

It's not so great as a telephoto prime, but at macro distances it is truly superb.

The next best in the range you mention is the Sigma 150mm macro.

It depends on what you want the macro for... but as people say, there aren't many long ones around.

I use a tamron 70-300 macro for butterflies/dragonflies but I currently exploring the possibility of putting an extention tube on my sigma 120-400mm to try using it for the same purpose. If you've got a decent long zoom, that might be a cheaper option?

Martyn

There is a manual focus 180/3.5 Sigma on ebay now for £299 BIN. no connection to the seller etc.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/__pentax+180mm_W0QQ_dmdZ2?rvr_id=234809861085&clk_rvr_id=234809861085&crlp=1039220955_284591_284611&UA=%3F*S%3F&GUID=1e45ab921300a47a2f6678b6fe2d1043&agid=429495375&tm_kw=pentax+180mm&siteid=3&MT_ID=10&tt_encode=raw&keyword=pentax+180mm&geo_id=21&ff4=284591_284611

Ffordes also have the 150/2.8 DG HSM for £629 new.

That's an older 180/2.8 lens, not f/3.5, different optics, and it can only do 1:2 macro.

That's surely a mistake, as this lens was never produced in Pentax mount:
check here

Possibly a mistake. It is here:



http://www.ffordes.com/product/100723163510129

The Ffordes one is - allegedly - the older, non OS one (couldn't possibly be the OS at that price!), which was never made for Pentax: it's actually been a long time complaint from the Pentax crowd that it wasn't available in K mount since it's supposed to be an excellent lens.

The Park Cameras one is the newer OS HSM one, but as far as I'm aware it isn't available yet - I'd be really surprised if it was in stock (I'll ring them tomorrow to check because I know lots of people who would be interested) - heck, I don't think it's even available in the US or Japan!

Good luck!

The advert is wrong .. Sigma never made the 150mm in Pentax mount.

The new OS will supposedly be made, they said that about the 120-300mm but it looks like that is now on the back burner as well.