Can you use macro lenses as telephoto lenses?

daven1986

Established Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
198
Reaction score
17
Points
52
Hi all,

I am starting to look for my first "serious" lens (currently have a 18-70mm kit lens and a 70-300 tamron lens on a sony a200). I am into macro photography and would like to get something like a 180mm macro lens. Is it possible to also use this as a normal 180mm lens, or add a teleconverter and have a 360mm lens?

I assume the quality of the macro lenses are good enough to do this, but can they focus properly etc. at infinity?

Thanks

Daven
 
Yes, macro lenses generally will still focus at infinity. I use my Canon 100mm F2.8 as much as a portrait lens as I do a macro lens and it does a stunning job of it. Check reviews etc of the specific lens you have in mind though to see how it performs under all conditions.
 
Hi all,

I am starting to look for my first "serious" lens (currently have a 18-70mm kit lens and a 70-300 tamron lens on a sony a200). I am into macro photography and would like to get something like a 180mm macro lens. Is it possible to also use this as a normal 180mm lens, or add a teleconverter and have a 360mm lens?

I assume the quality of the macro lenses are good enough to do this, but can they focus properly etc. at infinity?

Thanks

Daven

Most certainly yes. I use my Sigma 150 2.8 for macro and general shooting and often with a 1.4tc and sometimes with a 2x. The main issue with a 2x in this set up is that AF will not work, but the results with MF are very good.

This was taken with the 2xTC fitted.



Click on the pic for large.
 
I am into macro photography and would like to get something like a 180mm macro lens?

You mean a dedicated 1:1 macro not something that does pseudo close-up as part of a zoom/tele? You won't find 'a serious macro' coupled into a zoom lens. Also, I don't think you'll find a dedicated macro much over 105mm for the Sony mount, and anything larger will have 'a macro capability' (say 1:4 or 1:2) at best.

Minolta Sony alpha lens database - Dyxum.com

Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro (see blurb) and Minolta 100mm f/2.8 (if you can find one) or it's new Sony 100mm f/2.8 replacement are regarded as the picks of the bunch for the A-Mount. Sigma 105mm f/2.8 also has decent reviews.
 
Last edited:
Tamron do a 180mm f3.5 macro prime in a-mount afaik.

As said above you can use it as a telephoto but the focus will be slower due to the longer focal path of macro lenses
 
That is the one I was looking at :D

Well slow focus is fine - I like manual focus! Plus I probably wouldn't be going straight from macro to telephoto so the focus should be roughly in the same area once I start shooting.

One of these plus a teleconverter is starting to look pretty good.

Thanks all - looks like this is on my shopping list for when I go to the states in a few months :D
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom