Sony SAL-100M28 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens

Sony SAL-100M28 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review

This camera lens is awesome!

"I only use this lens when the shot counts. [...] believe me, I have had camera shops tell me that this lens is worth the price. I do agree. Tonite I am shooting a football game with it and will see how that does!"

Josh Lambert, Millis MA, at football!

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Sony SAL-100M28 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review

Great Buy

"This is a great lens, it is Tack-Sharp.

If you can afford it, BUY IT.



Little word of advice to beginners:



Learn fully to operate this before you go on a big venture. Auto-focus is fast but sometime can cause unwanted effects, specially if you are hand-holding the Camera. You cannot just rely on Auto-focus. Tripod becomes hindrance with Marco photography so you really should use this in Manual Focus Mode with correct exposure.



Pictures from this lens are joy for the eyes."

Butterfly

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Sony SAL-100M28 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review

Great Lens

"Great lens! Close ups are crisp and clean. I use it with a Sony A100 & A350 and have not had a problem yet. You can get extream close ups with this lens. I took an extream close up of a flower, and when I downloaded the photo, I could see insects that I could not see with the naked eye. Incredible lens!!"

[18 of 18 customers found this review helpful]

Sony SAL-100M28 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review

Perfect portrait and macro.

"This is the lens that is always on my cameras. All the best portraits I have taken were with it (the Minolta Maxxum version, which is the same optical design ). The lens obviously is called a macro because it is capable of 1:1 reproduction. But it produces perfect portraits of one to several people, by moving back as necessary. PERFECT sharpness, no distortion, no color cast, extremely high contrast, and fast AF. The focus range limiter divides the range in a very intelligent way - infinity down to 60 centimeters, 59 centimeters down to 1:1 macro, and full range. For people photography I leave the limiter switch to limit the focus range for the farther - and can get extreme close ups of my niece at 60 cm (which is 1:4). The focus range division in other makes of 100 mm macros is not as well chosen. For eg. infinity down to 45cm or 50cm - ( giving around 1:3 magnification - to close). Getting back to contrast, I find that it is so high, that reducing it with a filter sometimes gives even better portraits, like with a Duto filter. I also use the Duto filter when I copy photographs. The front lens element is very deeply recessed in the barrel, so the supplied hood is not used on my lens. The focus ring does not rotate in AF mode, and the lens front moves forward only 8 or 9 mm when the focus range limiter is set for 60cm to infinity.



Problems Encountered: None



Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Sima 100mm macro. Tamron 90mm. Vivitar 100mm.



Items I Recommend: 55mm Duto filter"

[9 of 9 customers found this review helpful]

Sony SAL-100M28 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review

100MM 2.8 Macro is famous for a reason

"I realized how many photos of flowers I was trying to take and decided to get this lens. I do not regret that decision. I actually like the focus ring on the sony and the feel of the action in manual mode. On the Sony A700 (and I believe the A100 too) you can set the focus hold button to be Depth of Field preview which is very helpful. There is not much to be done about the sometimes hunting focus because of the lens design, and flowers aren't going anywhere fast. Manual mode is fast enought for insects in flight. The image quality is amazing-sharp as a tack. I knew the Minolta 100mm 2.8 macro had a big following and counted on what seems to be the same design under the Sony name to be just as good or better. I think it is."