> A50 2.8 MACRO IS NOT A "NORMAL" LENS. > IT WILL NOT PERFORM AT INFINITY AS > WELL AS THE OTHERS LISTED WILL. IT'S > COMPROMISED AT INFINITY FOR BETTER > CLOSEUP PERFORMANCE.
I haven't found that to be true, JCO. My A 50/2.8 seems to do quite well at infinity (at least up to a 5 x 7 - 13cm x 18cm - sized print, which is the biggest photo taken near infinity with the 50/2.8 that I can lay my hands on here right now). I do know that older macro lenses may have favored macro over infinity, but I have not myself noticed this with the A 50/2.8, F 50/2.8, A 100/4, A 100/2.8, or A* 200/4 macros, all of which I have (or my wife has) used at one time or another at or near infinity. (Note that I am not saying this is not true, JCO - I am merely saying that I have never noticed it.) Since I often pack the A 50/2.8 Macro (since it's so nice and compact, even though I prefer the bulkier A 100/2.8 Macro when I know I am going to do some macro shooting), and sometimes do have to press it into service as "the only 50mm lens in the bag", I will have to look more carefully at infinity focus images taken with it - as I've said, though, I haven't noticed any "crummy" shots yet (judging for sharpness, not for composition - <g>). Fred
