BTW ken, thanks for the link to the forum. There is a lot of good information there on the SB.
Well I have to say that the Tamron macro and I just aren't seeing things eye to eye. I think for whatever reason this focal length does not suit my style of macro photography. Which is incredibly disappointing since I really love the build quality and styling of this lens. And oddly enough one of the wasp photos I posted yesterday actually got Explored on Flickr.
to be regarded warily | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Not being an expert macro shooter, I can say that trying to get 1:1 with extension tubes, handheld is a challenge. The plane of focus is extremely thin and the slightest movement, either wind movement or subtle body shifts, throws it off.
Very true Rich. I shoot all my macro handheld and 1:1 is definitely a challenge. I have a Minolta MD Macro Rokkor-X 50/3.5 that goes to 1:1 with its tube and I love shooting that lens. (Curse you Metabones! Release a Minolta to NEX adapter!). My keeper rate with the Rokkor is much higher. Again, this has nothing to do with the lens itself which is fantastic and sharp, its more of an issue of being used to a certain mindset when it comes to focal lengths and how I view my subjects. Weird, but there it is.
So with that being said I will post up the last couple of shots from the Tamron before I put it up for sale on my Etsy shop later today. One is a close up on a fence wire and the other was one of those "the one that got away" shots. If the bug had just stayed there for a nano-second longer...
All shots straight out of the camera with no processing. And people are complaining that the SB makes bokeh look bad.
a fence in three parts No.3
a second to late
Before I left the field I was shooting in I mounted up the Biotar again on the SB and gave it a quick whirl. The more standard 58mm felt like coming home.
a fence in three parts No.2
a fence in three parts No.1