Help a noob decide!

[Avenged7Fold]

Hey guys

I am a complete noob to photography, after being intimidated by all the flashy pictures you guys post in this sub forum, i decided that it is the perfect place to ask for advice.

Basically, i purchased a Sony Nex 5 for my photography needs very recently. Not a pro camera but i am not a pro!

I purchased it for the following (in order of importance):

1. To take shiny pictures of my PC and its water cooling for portfolios and watercooling tutorials.
2. Portraits
3. To take pictures of wildlife and scenery while i am out fishing and busy catching nothing.


Now this photography business has been eating into my Project log budget for too long, so i have set aside a small budget to spend on lens' and stuff. I am currently deciding on what lens to purchase next, as i currently only have the 18-55mm that my Nex came with.

I go out photographing with my bud from work and he has helped me fall in love with his portrait lens. I especially love all the cool bokeh shots he can do with his shiny piece of kit, which i cant do with my current lens. I was originally planning on buying up a macro lens to help me get some cool close up shots of my PC gear all blocked up with EKs finest!

I cant afford to get both lenses and don't want to end up buying a new lens every month for whatever fancy i have. Ideally i would like to just sort out a way for me to do macro shots without having to buy a new lens specifically for it.

I have heard that my current 18-55mm lens would be suitable to use as a macro lens with an extension tube. This would be ideal, as i can get an extension tube with electrical contacts for fairly cheap, leaving me enough to purchase a portrait lens. I was told that my images would suffer from light loss when using the extension tube, making images captured darker in comparison but as my macro shots are inside, in an environment when i control lighting, surely i shouldn't run into any issues? (<--- this is a question, despite the poor wording )

I am no expert photographer and my portfolio is not a photographers portfolio, so there is no need for me to go all out and buy a ludicrously expensive macro lens, as i simply would not do it justice and have no need for the premium shots even if i could. Can anyone tell me if my plan to get an extension tube and a portrait lens (SAL50MF18) will fulfill my needs or is this just wishful thinking?

Again, am new to photography so am not sure what info to include in this post. If you guys could keep the technical photography jargon to a minimum (goes right over my head) or try to explain it in terms of light/lens physics i would appreciate it.

Thanks guys!

 

[D.P.]

For casual stuff an extension tube is fine. Even the pros will use extension tubes to get better than 1:1 reproduction.


So I would look at a portrait lens. Your best bet is like the the so y E 50mm f/1.8 OSS.

 

[Avenged7Fold]

Exactly what i was hoping to hear!

I looked at that lens, as it is part of my cameras range. I would love to get it but it is just out of my price range brand new. Hopefully it turns up on AV forums, MM or LCE.

I was recommended getting an adapter for A mount lenses, since there is very limited E mount lenses and so there are premiums attached to the lack of choice. Are there any disadvantages to these adapters?

Aiming to spend 100-150 second hand or maybe a bit more brand new if i do thorough internet searching for a cine deal.

Thanks for the advice, it is very much appreciated!