fsm wrote:How does that lens go at 5X?
It goes well but the photographer struggles :) It generally represents different challenges. Increasing the magnification decreases the distance of the subject from the end of the lens, it decreases the available light and makes it harder to focus. The lens is manual focus only.
Bringing the subject closer to the lens makes it harder to position the camera, flash and subject. Often other stuff gets in the way since I mostly shoot active critters where they happen to be. It is harder to focus with less light and you have to frame your subject better. At five times magnification there isn't usually much you want to crop away. Also there are different challenges trying to illuminate the background, black backgrounds are less interesting.
Increasing mag. increases shake too.
I usually use the technique - and same with the 100mm macro - of taking pictures at minumum mag and get closer as the critter allows. There are other ways to do it but generally most of my shots go this way so that I end up with a sequence of increased magnification.
The weave of the chair I am sitting on at 1x

Same chair 5x

Spent nearly no time on the shots but had the same problems listed above.