I bought the "digital" 35/3.5 macro and ME-1 "magnifying eyepiece" from
Adorama. They had the lowest price I could find from a reputable dealer
($200 for the lens, $40 for the eyepiece). They arrived promptly.
Though I'd rather have had the 50/2, I picked the 35/3.5 because it was less
expensive, and goes directly to 1:1. The 50/2 goes only to 1:2, requiring a
not-inexpensive extension tube to reach 1:1.
According to the lens's instructions, the 35/3.5 won't focus as closely on
auto-focus as it will manually. This is of little practical concern, as
you're going to switch to manual focus for close-up shots, anyway.
Wouldn't it be nice... if there were an option, when mounting this lens, for
the camera to automatically switch to manual focus and aperture priority,
and assign DOF preview to the WB button? The ability to user-customize the
camera's operation for specific lenses might very well be the next "big
feature" in dSLRs.
The ME-1 seems to work well, bringing the viewfinder magnification up to an
acceptable level. (I _think_ I see a bit of distortion and/or chromatic
aberration near the edges, but I'm not sure.) It's unfortunate one needs to
lay out $40 to $50 for an accessory that either should be supplied with the
camera at no extra cost -- or should have been part of the finder from the
git-go.
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