Matt, are you getting a bit short-sighted?

To me, the darker image is excessively over-sharpened, and looks unnatural - though very dramatic.

It could be that our screens are very different. I invested in a new LCD screen a month or two ago, and it gives a much more detailed image than the old CRT.

The result is that over-sharpened images appear even more so.

G

Pray, how do you perceive the difference?

G

http://tinyurl.com/32kwv6

G

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 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

A descending order sort is required, methinks.

G

It seems to me that the sooner you upgrade to SP2 the better. It will quite possibly fix this problem, as well as make the OS safer and better.

G

For fans of Strobist, and for those who don't get on with P-TTL, here is a suggestion.

Strobist recommends Nikon SB-28 guns, and their predecessors, because they are powerful, have full manual control, and can be triggered by PC cord.

Well, Pentax has something similar, and nowadays it can be had pretty cheaply on Ebay because they are not P-TTL compatible. And because they were used by 67 and 645 owners who are ditching their kit.

The AF-500FTZ is powerful, has full manual control, and can be remotely triggered either by (expensive) cable, or by a built-in slave sensor.

I obtained one from Fleabay a couple of months ago, and a second one arrived this morning. Now that I am catered for, I am happy to pass on the recommendation.

G

Long time, no hear. Welcome back.

Is that a Ricoh lens on the LX?

EDIT: I'll answer my own question: it's the SMCP-A 50mm 1.2 Special. Looks like a Limited lens. I suspect this is the cream of your collection. Certainly very rare.

G

No, but Tamron lenses generally are not bad, and almost all macro lenses are pretty good. One seldom hears of a bad one.

If you can get this cheaply, it's worth a try. It's a very useful focal length.

G