macro lens suggestion?
ToTaLKaRNaGe
Registered Users Posts: 21 Big grins
Not sure this is the right forum but ill post it here anyway lol. I have Been using my Pentax k-x since christmas. I have seen some incredibly close up macro shots people have taken of insects and water droplets that you can see your relection in. With my nikon d70 i had a 28-80 sigma macro lens which did awesome but nowhere near as close a magnification as i see with most of the macro pictures posted by other photographers. So my question is what am i looking for in a macro lens in order to get as close as possible to get such a close shot?
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Sigma AF 105mm f/2.8 EX macro DG
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/301-sigma-af-105mm-f28-ex-macro-dg-lab-test-report--review
Tokina AF 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D macro
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/270-tokina-af-100mm-f28-at-x-pro-d-macro-canon-review--test-report
Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP macro
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/282-tamron-af-90mm-f28-di-sp-macro-test-report--review
I wound up purchasing an older version of the Tamron 90mm for myself and I'm pretty happy with it.
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thanks ziggy you seem to always answer my questions.
I also use the older model Tamron 90mm f/2.8 AF SP Macro. This is not the Di version which in Tamrons alphabet soup nomenclature indicates that the lens is "optimized for digital". I don't really know how my Tammy could be any sharper because it rivals my 70-200mm f/4L IS and 24-70mm f/2.8L lenses in image quality. NOTE: this is NOT the Tamron 90mm f/2.5 Adapt-All lens.
I would look for a lens which can focus down to a 1:1 image ratio without adapters. Almost all macro lenses produce very-good to excellent image quality however, some of the macro lenses only focus down to a 1:2 image ratio without adding an adapter (55mm f/2.5 Canon is one).
I would select a lens of about 90-105mm focal length. This is a great compromise between lens to subject distance (important for lighting and when shooting little creepy-crawlies) and weight. IMO, the 50-60mm lenses do not give enough lens to subject distance and the 150-180mm lenses, while providing plenty of distance, are fairly heavy and expensive.
I have the Canon-mount version of the Tokina 100mm macro. By Canon standards, its AF is rather slow, and in low light, prone to hunt. But when it can get a lock, it's accurate. The AF speed might bother me more if it weren't for the fact that most of my macro shots are taken with manual focus. I suspect this would be the case with any macro lens no matter how good its AF was.
Got bored with digital and went back to film.