Your opinion: Which to keep/move? - 90mm Macros

[cheekygeek]

Seems silly to have 3 90mm Macro lenses, so I'm going to sell one. Opinions on which one I should sell?

When it gets here, I will have a third 90mm macro lens in my "arsenal", a Panagor 90mm f2.8 Auto Macro. I bought it (part of a kit) because it was underpriced (a good buy). It is the only one of my macro lenses that can reach 1:1 without an adapter. From what I have seen in example photos, here and elsewhere, this is from the "super-sharp" school of macro.

At the other end of the spectrum is my Bokina (Vivitar Series 1 90mm f2.5 macro) with the matching 1:1 converter. I'm keeping this lens in the K-mount until I die. (I also have a Canon FD mount copy that I plan to sell). It is from the "smooth and creamy" school of macro.

My other one is the Tamron SP 90mm f2.5. I have two Tamron converters for it (1.4x and 2.0x) which you need to reach 1:1. One advantage this lens has is that I have a PK/A adapter for it, making it easy to use in Av mode on my Pentax K-x. It seems to fall somewhere between the previous two in sharpness/bokeh and is a very good lens.

I just can't justify keeping all three. How would you rank 'em?

[Attila]

I have experience with Tamron and Vivitar I like Tamron better. I vote to ride Vivitar.

[indianadinos]

... Hard to reply to this thread ...

Which Tamron SP90 do you have ? The 52B or the 52BB ? The first one was excellent at closeups but performed poorly at long distances, while the second one was excellent at every distance range ...

This could help making the choice of what to sell ...

[visualopsins]

[Nesster]

Since the Panagor is new to you, of course keep it at least a while.
And since you'll keep the Bokina till you die in K... that leaves the Tamron out. Of course you'll keep the Ka adaptall

I have the 52BB and both the extension tube and the 2x flat field converter. The only real anomaly I see is that depending on lighting, a blue flare may form at the center of the image, when using on a digital sensor. With film, I haven't seen the problem. Folks believe this is caused by a flat rear element reflecting the sensor.

[cheekygeek]

[WolverineX]

well, if you have 2 copies of the vivitar (k mount and FD) sell one of those...

i find it hard to sell lenses that i use... it's just too hard to part with them

i have all 3 lenses you have (vivitar 90mm 2.8 (your panagor) , tokina at-x 90mm 2,5 (your vivitar) and tamron 90mm 52bb...also have oly 90mm/2 macro) and i won't sell them no mather what, i'd rather sell my kidney for money...

[cheekygeek]

[indianadinos]

OK, so we have the same Tamron lens (mine too, is a 52B) ...

I would keep the Panagor because of its 1:1 capabilities (nice to reach that ratio without a converter/extension tube) and the Vivitar for its bokeh.
The 52B is quite common to find so, if you change your mind, you can always buy one and resell one of the other lenses (or keep all of them) ...

Or, as a last resort, act as me: actually i have a Micro-Nikkor 55/3.5, an EBC Fujinon 55/3.5 Macro, a Zuiko 50/3.5 Macro, an SMC Pentax 50/4 Macro and a Macro-Takumar 50/4 (1:1 version) and i'm not planning to sell any of these ...

[cheekygeek]

[Nesster]

[ManualFocus-G]

I would sell the Tamron if the blue flare becomes a problem. It really irritated me

[Mike Deep]

Hotspot wrecks the Tamron on digital, unfortunately.

I can't imagine ever parting with the Bokina.

[indianadinos]

[cheekygeek]

[Mike Deep]

I have the 52B and it definitely does it. It shows up in more situations than I would like, and seems dependent on overall light level rather than simply bright light sources in frame. The fact that it can't be accurately predicted makes it a huge liability in my book.

The Bokina has its own problems with flare, specifically veiling flare, but at least I can see that in the viewfinder and work to mitigate it.

[indianadinos]

[RioRico]

Sell the FD Bokina. Keep the others. Each is special.
Buy more macro lenses. You can never have enough.
Don't forget to put some enlarger lenses on bellows.

I now own 210 lenses (and have sold another 110 to help pay for the keepers). I have 40 Fifty's. At least one member here has more Fifty's than I have lenses total. Can I justify all those Fifty's? I don't even try. Like youthfulness, lenses need no justification. Accumulating lenses is not about coverage, it's about differences. You know that. Get in touch with your inner optics gourmet. Yum!

[visualopsins]

[cooltouch]

I know nothing about the Panagor macro -- hell, I know nothing about Panagor lenses. Whereas I own the Tamron, and would love to own a copy of the Vivitar (got outbid on a couple of auctions for one). That's why I voted to sell the Panagor.

On my camera, the Tamron's hotspot is only minimally intrusive with some shots, and not really noticeable at all with others, so it's not something I worry about.

With tests I've conducted, the results of which I've posted here, I've shown that the Tamron 52B, when used as a macro, is a formidable lens. The only one in my arsenal that comes close is my Mico Nikkor f/3.5. I have one of the Kiron-made legendary Vivitar 105mm f/2.5 macros. It's an excellent lens, but the Tamron clearly outperforms it.

Another reason for my keeping my Tamron is because I shoot Canon FD, Nikon, and Pentax film cameras, as well as EOS film and digital. Having a lens that will take mounts for all those systems makes it almost indispensable.

[MacTak]

Well, I'm particularly a macro addict myself, so I know where you are coming from. At the moment I have the Tamron 90mm 2.8 AF macro (which I will keep not only for it's optical quality, which is excellent, but also the circular aperture blades and the full functionality with my camera), the Bokina (like you, the Vivitar S1 version), the Vivitar S1 105mm macro, plus the Macro-Takumar 50mm f4 (1:1 version) and the S-M-C Macro Takumar 50mm f4. Add into that the Sigma MF 50mm f2.8 macro, several enlarging lenses, and that I had the Tamron 52B for a short time to play with.

I too would not sell the Bokina (I have the 1:1 converter with it)--the bokeh is just too nice. I found the 52B to be quite a nice lens (save that sensor flare on occasion when stopped considerably down), and the shots I've seen of the Panagor are nice too, although they have not blown me away like some of the Bokina shots. Try the Pangor and see how you take to it. You might instead want to consider selling both the Pangor and the Tamron for the Vivitar S1 105mm macro which everyone seems to love so much--that is PK-A (in some, although not all, iterations), and gives you a slightly different focal length to play with, and is natively 1:1.

By the way, the Takumar 50mm f4 (either version) is actually my favorite of all these.