What Should My Next Lens Purchase Be?

[Dreichler]

Hmm, not so easy with E-mount ... not a lot of options for long focal lengths.

I don't mind buying some kind of adapter if it's possibility

 

[dxqcanada]

I've never really tried filters or extension tubes ... but I found this: fiberstrobe: Macro and close-up photography options for the sony E-system ... and there are probably other resources with similar info.

 

[dennybeall]

It's nice to have a good macro lens but it's worth it to try adapter rings first and see if you can get the shots you want. They are not optical, they just move the lens further out. You can buy really, really cheap sets that do not allow for the electronic connection but a little more money and the electronics will be there.

 

[Dreichler]

It's nice to have a good macro lens but it's worth it to try adapter rings first and see if you can get the shots you want. They are not optical, they just move the lens further out. You can buy really, really cheap sets that do not allow for the electronic connection but a little more money and the electronics will be there.

Do you think that if i get one of those screw on macro adapter "filters" id be able to get better shots from about 5-10 inches away? Im basically asking would one of those macro adapters have any usage for focussing on anything 5-10 inches away? Or would it only work from about 1-4 inches away?

 

[photo1x1.com]

Those screw on filters are usually crap and introduce all sorts of optical problems. I´d go with extension tubes. They don´t change the quality of your lens. They do reduce the depth of focus, however (but so does every other option that helps you get a bigger reproduction scale). Your corals hardly move (except for soft coral I guess) and you have all the time in the world to easily set your focus manually and get really really close. The longer the tube, the closer you can get with your camera to the coral. To the extent that you block the light with your camera (or have to dive into the tank ).
When you decide to buy a new lens, you need to look at these two specifications:
Minimum Focus Distance
e.g.: 0.92 ft (0.28 m)
tells you the closes distance (from sensor to your subject) your camera can focus. That´s why this symbol "∅" is shown on top of your camera - that´s the location of the sensor.
Maximum Magnification Ratio (x)
e.g.: 1.0x or 0.5x or with very special lenses 5.0x
tells you how large the subject will be displayed on the sensor.
If the subject is 2cm in size, it will be projected onto your sensor as 2cm. That would be a magnification ratio of 1.0x.
If the subject is 2cm in size, and it will be projected onto your sensor as 1cm, it would be a magnification ratio of 0.5x
Don´t mix that with the size of the subject on your image, because that is way bigger. A subject with a size of 2cm that is projected onto your sensor with 1.0x magnification ratio will almost cover your complete image.

These specs tell you that you get the listed magnification ratio at the minimum focus distance. The further you get away, the smaller your ratio will be.

 

[cherylynne1]

I agree with Derrel, I think your best bet is a fairly long fixed focal length. Sony's 90mm 2.8 macro would be incredible. You could adapt a zooming telephoto macro lens, but I don't think the shots would be as sharp. The 90mm 2.8 is one of the most highly praised lenses in Sony's entire line-up, and is often used as a portrait lens as well.

Have you mentioned a budget? I apologize if I missed it. If you're on a tight budget, then possibly a dumb adapter with a legacy macro lens (around 100mm, I think Nikon has a good one) would work. You'd have to learn to manually focus, but with focus peaking on the Sony it's really easy (and a lot of fun!) I think a lot of serious macro work is done with manual focus anyway, even if the lens can autofocus.

 

[Dreichler]

I agree with Derrel, I think your best bet is a fairly long fixed focal length. Sony's 90mm 2.8 macro would be incredible. You could adapt a zooming telephoto macro lens, but I don't think the shots would be as sharp. The 90mm 2.8 is one of the most highly praised lenses in Sony's entire line-up, and is often used as a portrait lens as well.

Have you mentioned a budget? I apologize if I missed it. If you're on a tight budget, then possibly a dumb adapter with a legacy macro lens (around 100mm, I think Nikon has a good one) would work. You'd have to learn to manually focus, but with focus peaking on the Sony it's really easy (and a lot of fun!) I think a lot of serious macro work is done with manual focus anyway, even if the lens can autofocus.

Well I was looking to get a used lens as I live in south Florida and there's a ton of photography store and people are listing lenses for sale on Craigslist and OfferUp in the hundreds. So a budget isn't really a problem it's more of getting a specific lens or setup. But used in looking to spend up to maybe $300. Could you send me some links as to what adapter or cheap macro filter or macro lens would work?

 

[cherylynne1]

Okay, $300 definitely limits things.

Here's the best source for info on adapters: Ultimate Guide to Sony Lens Adapters

I use a Novoflex for Nikon adapter on my a6000. It's a dumb adapter, which means it's manual focus only and you set the aperture manually. But it works great, and I bought it used from B&H for about $30.

For lenses: Best Macro Lenses

Note: I realize I'm sending you to Ken Rockwell, who I normally do NOT recommend as a reliable source for learning about photography. However, in my experience, he's pretty good with explaining and recommending lenses. If someone has a better source, please share!

Here's what I would do: A dumb adapter with the Nikon 105 4 Micro-Nikkor AI-s. There's one available here for $199:

Used Nikon Telephoto Macro 105mm f/4 Micro Nikkor AI Manual B&H

The 2.8 would be better, but I don't know where he's finding it for $300, I only see $700+ used.

This will not autofocus and you will have to set the aperture manually. However, it's not difficult to use. Check out a few YouTube videos about focus peaking with Sony. Basically, when you want to focus, you twist the barrel on the lens until the object you want to focus on lights up in red. Then click. In many situations, I've actually found it's easier to focus. I recently spent an entire day at the zoo with my manual focus lens (slightly different: Nikon 105 2.5 AI, no macro capabilities) and I didn't miss any more shots than I usually do. It's actually much easier to focus through glass or fences with the manual focus, since the autofocus gets confused so easily with things like that.