Albert, Think about what you might want to photograph Marco. I think you are on the right track in steering away from the 50mm macro and to the 100mm length. I've used both and the 50mm doesn't get much use. The working distance is much too close for flowers and insects.
A 100mm Macro is a good choice, but a bit expensive. I went to the Brookfield Zoo's butterfly enclosure this summer with an A100/2.8 Macro on one camera and a M100/2.8 plus extension tube on another. The A100/2.8 Macro is outstanding, but rare and outrageously expensive these days. The results with the much cheaper M100/2.8 plus extension tube were very good and only a small step down from the expensive macro. I wouldn't be afraid to try this option. If you watch, you may be able to find a cheap bellows and lens on eBay. Used Pentax equipment is hard to find in Chicago. Central Camera downtown on Wabash is about the only source. Helix headquarters or local stores are hit or miss on Pentax gear. After that, watch for swap meets about every 2 months (Tribune Classifieds on Sundays under Cameras). Regards, Bob S. [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << I've started thinking about acquiring a macro lens for my ZX-5N. I've tried macro work before using Tamron "macro-zoom" at 1:2 magnification and held by Bogen 3001BN with 3262QR head. Result from Fuji Velvia were OK, but sharpness was certainly not up to par with true macro lens. So here the question, what moderate price set-up would be in order for occasional use. I have several option in order of financial pain needed to acquire: 1. Peanuts (i.e. Half-Assed) Extension tubes and close-up filters for my FA-50 f/1.7 2. Bearable (Damned Compromise): FA-100 f/3.5 Macro with close-up filters for 1:1, although this lens gets good optical scores from photodo.com, I am not sure if it is the best for manual focusing. Also, its only 1:2 and can't use Nikon's close-up lenses. 3. Hurts so Good (to open up the wallet): FA-100mm f/2.8 1:1/Tamron SP-90mm/Sigma 105mm f/2.8. I like the build quality and optics of these beauties, but they might come out of the bag only once a year. But, resale value should be high in case I wimp out. I've also considered a FA-50mm Macro, although I believe that a 100mm would make my life a bit easier for flower and insect photos. And last point, should I worry about mirror shake from my 5N at 1:1? I've had no problem at 1:2 and shutter speeds of 1/30 to 1/15, and I am not ready to buy MZ-S or PZ-1p just for macro use. Should I be looking for a used lens, and if so where can I find one in Chicago? It seems that there's very little used Pentax gear around here. >> - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
