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Old 07-20-2010, 02:55 PM
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josie josie is offline
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Default macro lens help

I want to get a macro lens for my Pentax *ist DL... the lens I have with it is a 18-55mm.
what should I go for?
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Old 07-20-2010, 04:05 PM
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Hi,

I have a 50mm macro and find it is great for close up shots within 6" of the glass, anything further away and it loses its effectiveness quickly. If I had to do it again I would probably pick up a 100mm
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Old 07-20-2010, 04:22 PM
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Effectively all macro lenses are capable of the same magnification (1:1) no matter what the zoom. The difference is the minimum focus distance which is the distance from the lens to the subject to achieve this maximum magnification. For example a 60mm needs about 8" while a 100mm needs 12". I went bigger and got a 150mm which needs 18" because at the time I had a 36" cube tank so this lens allowed me to take true macro photos of anything in the tank.

So when choosing a zoom length for a macro the most important factor in my mind is this minimum focus distance, determine what you need and choose appropriately. As for brand I would recommend sticking with the same as the camera whenever possible.

Last edited by sphelps; 07-23-2010 at 02:49 PM.
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