Macro 100mm F2.8 lens - Minolta


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Eyesthruthelens

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Hi,
I received this lens yesterday and I have few questions..
1. There is this switch Limit or Full on the lens.. what is this switch for?
2. The lens is slow.. I think this is normal for macro lens.
3. The lens seem to hunted and missed during focusing.. Is this normal.. seem like it does not lock on focus as easy as the 50mm lens or kit lens..

and it's heavy.. difficult to hold still for good macro shot :confused:
 

I received this lens yesterday and I have few questions..
1. There is this switch Limit or Full on the lens.. what is this switch for?
This is for limiting the focusing distance and speed up the focusing. Do you have the manual? Can't remember the exact numbers already, but generally, one is more 'macro' distance and the other 'normal' distance.

2. The lens is slow.. I think this is normal for macro lens.
Yes. It take a lot of rotation from one end to the other unlike normal lens. Learn to use the limiting switch, it will helps!

3. The lens seem to hunted and missed during focusing.. Is this normal.. seem like it does not lock on focus as easy as the 50mm lens or kit lens..
Seems to be normal (my previous one also the same). Use the limiting switch so that it won't zoom all way in and out. Pick a more contrasty subject. For macro shooting, try to do MF, the big focus ring is helpful!

p.s. its not too heavy lah, just that at macro range, the hand shake magnifies.. AS will be useful here. Are you using (D) lens, if not, you should not use the limiting switch at macro range with AS (according to the manual)
 

deslim27 said:
I received this lens yesterday and I have few questions..
1. There is this switch Limit or Full on the lens.. what is this switch for?
This is for limiting the focusing distance and speed up the focusing. Do you have the manual? Can't remember the exact numbers already, but generally, one is more 'macro' distance and the other 'normal' distance.

2. The lens is slow.. I think this is normal for macro lens.
Yes. It take a lot of rotation from one end to the other unlike normal lens. Learn to use the limiting switch, it will helps!

3. The lens seem to hunted and missed during focusing.. Is this normal.. seem like it does not lock on focus as easy as the 50mm lens or kit lens..
Seems to be normal (my previous one also the same). Use the limiting switch so that it won't zoom all way in and out. Pick a more contrasty subject. For macro shooting, try to do MF, the big focus ring is helpful!

p.s. its not too heavy lah, just that at macro range, the hand shake magnifies.. AS will be useful here. Are you using (D) lens, if not, you should not use the limiting switch at macro range with AS (according to the manual)

Deslim27,
Thanks.. at least I know that the lens is working.. need to explore more.
No manual.. wonder if there is and pdf download from the web.
 

limit switch is to prevent going into macro 1:1...

anyway, normally macro lens its better to do manual focusing for precise focusing... as when u go into 1:1, a slight shift in focusing distance will result in bluring...
 

Del_CtrlnoAlt said:
limit switch is to prevent going into macro 1:1...

anyway, normally macro lens its better to do manual focusing for precise focusing... as when u go into 1:1, a slight shift in focusing distance will result in bluring...

Yeah.. I can observed that as well.. difficult to get a sharp image.. wonder if increasing the f-value will help?
 

Eyesthruthelens said:
Deslim27,
Thanks.. at least I know that the lens is working.. need to explore more.
No manual.. wonder if there is and pdf download from the web.

This lens is Sharp Sharp Sharp! :)

Can't find any info in web leh.. may be anyone who owns it can type out or do snapshot of their manual for you?
 

Welcome to the world of Macro (I hear $$$) hehee...

Anyway, congrats!!

All things what you have mentioned are normal for macro lens.

Next thing you might want to consider is flash gun as well as tripod...

Macro lens are ok for handholding... but if you use flash gun... you will have enough to handhold it successfully!!

Here is the shot that was taken with Minolta 100mm f2.8 Macro

Handhold, shutter is fast enough 1/60s f8.0 with 5600hs
52610288.jpg


Good luck...

Hart
 

Eyesthruthelens said:
Yeah.. I can observed that as well.. difficult to get a sharp image.. wonder if increasing the f-value will help?

Hi,

The limit switch prevents the lens from crossing a boundary at around 2ft. In general, for most subjects, just rack the lens to > 2ft and set the limit switch. This greatly reduces the range for focusing and speeds up focussing. Set the switch to full only when the subject is < 2ft away.

At 100/2.8, the DOF is razor thin at portrait distance (~1m). You can tell that when the subject goes in/out of focus in the viewfinder. Acquiring focus on AF, however, shouldn't be too much of a trouble in adequate lighting.

Increasing f-stop will definitely help you deepen the DOF but should not help you focus.

You should note that the field of focus for this lens is very very flat so you will find that reframing will cause the focus to shift a little behind the subject. Otherwise, congratulations!!! This lens produces marvellous results from f/2.8 all the way to f/32. Not many lens can claim that.
 

sulhan said:
Hiee...

here are some examples...

rgds,
Sulhan

Sulhan,

Really gorgeous images. How did you get the fly to keep still? Did you "freeze" it?
 

wire said:
Sulhan,

Really gorgeous images. How did you get the fly to keep still? Did you "freeze" it?
Hieeee...

hahah...i ddd not free it...probabaly it was shock to see a shiny bald headed photographer and got eye glare and stucke there of a moment... Juz kidding...


Actually those fat flies...are really "ignorant" of ppl...the one i took here was under a leave...taking shelter fom the 12pm sun...

The lens used is the 100m macro. I'm now going into the no flash type of shoot with this lens..

For shots like these..

holdontight.jpg


spikey4.jpg


rgds,
sulhan
 

sulhan said:
The lens used is the 100m macro. I'm now going into the no flash type of shoot with this lens..

For shots like these..

holdontight.jpg


spikey4.jpg


rgds,
sulhan

Sulhan, nice photos there.
that is good news.. can still take macro without flash..
I may not need to get a flash..
btw, what type of flash use for macro photography?
 

spikey4.jpg


Nice shot, but for this case, i think a deeper depth of field would be better to capture the whole spider body in focus, and that would propably require flash to compensate for the slower shutter speed required for using a bigger aperture value.
 

excellent shots there sulhan!
time to get some tips from the expert! :)
 

Wow! amazing shots. Makes me tempted to get new macro lens :)
 

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