How about some more ... ed-ja-macation

[DonSchap]

Well, in an effort to improve my glass ... (everybody leans forward in anticipation) ...

Yeah, I went ahead with my glass from my Gear List's "el Wish List" and purchased the new SIGMA AF 85mm f/1.4 DG EX HSM Prime, to replace the Rokinon MF 85mm f/1.4 I received an educational discount on it, from B&H Video, and I have been waiting almost a year for SIGMA to release it for the SONY mount. Up until the end of April, B&H did not discount this lens at all. So ... to get something about as close to the SONY CZ 85mm f/1.4 without dropping another $500 for it ... I invested in the SIGMA, to compare it with the Rokinon 85mm and the cheaper SONY 85mm f/2.8 SAM.

Also, I picked up the TAMRON SP AF 60mm f/2 Di-II LD 1:1 MACRO, which has a $100 rebate on it, until July 31, 2011. It is a full stop brighter than the TAMRON SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di MACRO, does not extend when focusing and will work nicely on either the α700 or α850, in its APS-C capture mode.

It is really kind of a wash in focal length, because the 60mm on the APS-C is the same as the 90mm on the FF. Problem with the older 90mm Di, is that it extends almost two-full-inches as you go close focus in MACRO. My TAMRON SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di LD is a little darker ... and you really need a good ten-inches M.F.D. between you and Mr. Bug, to make it work correctly.

Pros: The 60mm f/2 is bright, light, and does not change shape as it focuses. It's like the best of all of them ... plus it is physically shorter and easier to tote.

Cons: I'll let you know.

I hot linked all the lens references so you can peruse the available information for yourself.

[sparkie1263]

The Tamron 60 macro was the lens I was going to get but I wanted a zoom to replace my kit first. Lets see some images.

Frank

[DonSchap]

The Tamron 60 macro was the lens I was going to get but I wanted a zoom to replace my kit first. Lets see some images.

Frank

With Spring nearly in full gear ... I hope to.

One other thing, at Ai, the Illinois Institute of Art, in Schaumburg, the Schaumburg-campus has revised its Digital Photography program to reflect the Chicago-campus's offerings, in order to eliminate discrepancies in curriculum if a student were to transfer from one to the other. A lot of courses have been renumbered and the curriculum slightly altered. My courses are staying the same, but new students are going to have to plan with this new line-up. I am posting this just in case anyone reading this is considering this educational pursuit.

[Rooz]

to replace the Rokinon MF 85mm f/1.4 [/URL]

what a waste of money that was. lol

the tammie 60/2 on the other hand...that looks like a hell of a lens. im surprised it hasnt been more popular around the macro forums. i hope thats not a bad sign.

[Switchblade906]

So does the Tamron 60mm macro have AF? This picture shows an AF switch but the product highlights say full time manual focus http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...mm_f_2_DI.html

[DonSchap]

I know, big surprise.

The Rokinon (Samyang) 85mm f/1.4 was an experiment in image quality and a $259 band-aid in lieu of the "not-yet-released" $900 SIGMA 85mm f/1.4 DG EX HSM. It was a "get there from here" solution to decline from investing in the $1400 SONY CZ 85mm f/1.4, which I still, to this day, think is over-priced and rather heartless in the "big-picture."

Sorry, but if you are willing to drop that kind of coin for a silly CZ-certificate, fine ... have at it. Not this guy. The CZ 135mm f/1.8 is one of a kind, so there you're rather stuck buying Zeiss-glass. But, the 85mm f/1.4 ... not so much. SONY recently offered the 85mm f/2.8 SAM, which is a nice consumer-grade lens, but ... the f/1.4 is two f/stops smoother and the build far studier ... and it is hard to argue that, in the grand design of modern photography. Anyway, my suggestion is that if you are strapped for cash and still need a short-tele for portraiture (and who doesn't?), this MF baby can deliver the goods. Manual focus is not all that critical or crippling in a studio setting, so unless your subject is hopping all over the place (it could happen), this would be a reasonable purchase, despite opinion to the contrary.

A "waste of money" is up for debate.

[Switchblade906]

So is it full time manual focus or is it like the picture and has AF?

[DonSchap]

The short answer, "Switch", is that the SP AF 60mm f/2 Di-II LD is autofocus, designated by the "AF" in its name.

Here is a key to some of the other TAmROn Optical/Mechanical Feature Acronyms:

IF - Internal Focusing
ASL - Aspherical
LD - Low Dispersion
AD - Anomalous Dispersion
XR - Extra Refractive Index Glass
Di - Digitally Integrated Design
XLD - Extra Low Dispersion Lens Element
ADH - AD-Hybrid Aspherical
Di II - Lenses for Digital SLR Cameras Only
FEC - Filter Effect Control
SP - High-performance S3pecifications
ZL - Zoom-Lock Mechanism
LAH - LD-Hybrid Aspherical
VC - Vibration Compensation
AF/MF - AF/MF Switchover Mechanism
USD - Ultrasonic Silent Drive
PZD - Piezo Drive

TAmROn tends to be a bit effusive in describing their lenses in their titles, but you know what you are getting.

I hope you find this information useful.

[DonSchap]

Okay okay ... why not? If you don't toot your horn, who is gonna?

So, on Wednesday ... I went for it, again. It's mug time!

[Switchblade906]

Is there something special about the mug? I don't see it's importance.

But the photo looks good though.