With my interest in dragonflies and following Mike Powell’s blog (MichaelQPowell.com/) Ted was sure I needed the Tamron 180mm macro lens.
Who was I to argue? He found a used one for sale and it arrived today.
One of my first subjects was a very young Anole on our patio.
This is my first non-image stabilized lens and it will require some practice.
In fairness you were getting closer and closer to your subjects, who just happened to be in a swamp. Walking, or falling, in the water was looking inevitable.
😂 😜
Congratulations on the new lens!
Thank you!
Have fun with your new lens!
😀
Wonderful photos of this cute little guy. Tack sharp!
Thanks, Belinda. 😊
Congratulations on your new lens, Ellen. It has been my workhorse for quite a few years now. As you have probably come to realize, the autofocus is slow and noisy. It is really easy to get into manual focus mode, though, by pulling in on the lens without having to switch any buttons. It may feel a little heavy, but I have gotten used to it. As for technique, I have found that I have to pay attention to remain steady enough and will lean on anything I can find for extra support. Sometimes I use my camera bag as an improvised beanbag. (This posting includes a shot of me in action using that technique (https://michaelqpowell.com/2014/10/25/my-view-of-the-mating-dragonflies/). As far as I can tell, Tamron no longer makes the 180mm macro lens, so it is good that you found one used. Canon makes a similar 180mm lens that also lacks image stabilization, but is more pricey at $1400. I’ll be interested in hearing how you like using the lens–let me know if you have questions or need advice on using it.
Thanks, Mike! Yes, slow and noisy it is. I caught onto using manual focus to at least get in the right plane pretty quickly, as the lens hunted in what often seems like the wrong direction. That pulling motion is actually easier than flipping a switch like my other lenses once you know how it works.
I can see that keeping steady is a big challenge. As is accepting that if the wind is blowing this probably isn’t the lens to use. That image of you is a good demo of that bag technique. I need to work on controlling my breathing, too.
We had a snake experience in our back yard last evening that gave me an interesting opportunity to use it and I’m pleased with what I got at a distance.
I think you are right about Tamron, and I got this for just over $300 in “excellent” condition. Knowing your success with it I was happy to try it rather than the Canon lens.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and that offer; I expect I’ll be reaching out to you as I get more experience.