I have used macros from 50mm to 180mm on 35mm format, (33mm to 120 on APS equiv.) and I find that its good to have multiple focal lengths just like normal photography, but just like normal photography, if you only have one lens, you dont want only the long end of the scale and a 90-105mm on APS is the long end of the scale. 50mm on APS is nearly IDEAL single macro lens (75mm 35mm format equiv which was never or rarely made). To each his own, but if 50-60 and 90-105mm were so popular for MACRO in 35mm format, then 33.3mm and 60-70mm is what would be equiv on APS and a 50mm lens like the 50mm SMC-A F2.8 puts you firmly in that popular range, leaning towards the longer end, whilst a 90-105mm lens puts you way out there at 135-150mm equiv which is too long imho for a general purpose, one lens Macro lens kit. I would recommend a 50mm to start with and go with a longer lens only as a two lens macro kit, and if you go with three lenses, find a 35mm macro lens if you can. jco
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Walters Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 7:20 PM To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List Subject: RE: Macro Lenses I guess it depends on how close Walt wants to get. A lot of what I do is "close" rather than "true macro" and I find the extra distance with the 90mm Tamron on the *ist DS is more workable than with my 50mm Macro Takumar. I often use flash and find that I can't get the light where I want it with the 50. Cheers Brian ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Brian Walters Western Sydney Australia Quoting "J. C. O'Connell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > If you are going to shoot APS digital I would recommend > a 50mm over any 90-105mm Macros for a sole macro lens, those others > are too > long for general purpose macro IMHO. I would go with a fast > manual focus 50mm, which really limits you to the > SMC-A 50mm F2.8 because the F4 models, while good, are > a little too hard to focus at 50mm. I have one ( SAM-A 50mm F2.8, > I > actually > bought it for APS digital years ago before I even got > APS digital because the price was right, and it works > quite nicely on the istDS and I would imagine even > better on a K10D as its so sharp in the macro range. > > I cant stress the 50mm strongly enough over 90-105mm if > you only want one macro lens for APS. I often find > even the 50mm too long, I would like a 35mm 2.8 Macro > for APS too but I dont know of any out there yet. > > jco > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Walter Hamler > Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 5:43 PM > To: pdml@pdml.net > Subject: Macro Lenses > > > I need a macro lens. Don't want to spend the bucks for the latest > Pentax AF, > for that matter I think I would prefer a MF version. KEH has some > 100mm > f/4 > in different versions, one being an A model. They also have a Sigma > 90mm > > f/2.8 A . > Anyone know anything about these or others that I need to consider? > > Walt ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Click for free info on human resource careers and make $150K/ year http://tags.bluebottle.com/fc/CAaCMPJdTD3YSriLIIQEtXsC7xg5FB94/ -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
