Considering the fact that I practically never shoot macros, I’ve already owned more than enough macro equipment. Much more than enough.
Probably my most unnecessary item yet was the Nikon R1C1 macro flash kit. Not that it is not superb, but I have almost never used it. It was just not my thing. I may sell it next week to someone more worthy 🙂
I’ve used the other items, two Sigma macro lenses, the 70/2.8 and the 150/2.8, as general purpose lenses though. For a long time the 70/2.8 was my favorite lens. With an effective focal lens similar to my current Olympus 45/1.8 it was perfect for my kind of street photography.
On the other hand, the Sigma 150/2.8 was used rarely. It is heavy and due to the fact that it is not stabilized on Nikon cameras, I normally found it inconvenient and restricting. It did give me some pretty good images though, and on the Olympus cameras with their in-body image stabilization and the crop factor of two, it was my absolutely favorite long lens.
On Monday I have spent again on macro equipment, this time the new Olympus 60/2.8 and the Olympus macro arm light MAL-1, basically two antennae mounted on the flash hot shoe with white LEDs at their ends. It’s not at all comparable to the Nikon R1C1, but in already good light it may be a convenient way to add some easily directable fill light. And it’s cheap. And it’s light. And there’s space for it in my bag. Now that I have it, I may not ever use it, but who knows?
But why a macro lens at all? Well, it gives me a long lens with a short minimum focusing distance, and that means plenty of pleasant bokeh. That’s the real reason 🙂
The Song of the day is “Who Needs It” from Hazel O’Conner’s 1980 album “Breaking Glass”. Hear it on YouTube.