Macro Lens for Sony A350

[manda88]

I'm looking for a decent macro lens for my camera as I take a lot of close up pictures of my pets, but with my current lens I'm not getting the shots I'm after. To get the close-up pictures at the moment, I am having to hold my camera roughly a foot to a foot and a half away from the subject, with the lens zoomed right in, which is obviously still not getting me as close as I'd like to be to the subject.
If anyone has any recommendations that would be great, the only lens I've found so far is the Sony 30mm F2.8 for £145, this is the sort of price range I'd be looking at. Does anybody have one of these?
Also I don't understand what it means by 30mm and F2.8, so if anyone would like to explain then feel free! :)

[Mr_Bump]

30mm is how wide it is and F2.8 aperature, or how much light gets let in.

Read this. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=414088

And to be honest, I dont think you need a macro unless your pets are stick insects :)

[manda88]

30mm is how wide it is and F2.8 aperature, or how much light gets let in.

Read this. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=414088

And to be honest, I dont think you need a macro unless your pets are stick insects :)

Cool, thanks! My pets are very small frogs and goldfish, stick insects are boring and disgusting!! :lol:

[Benny_the_bream]

The 30mm macro is for people who are used to point and shoot cameras where their idea of macro is stick the camera as close as possible.
If you want a decent macro go for the Tamron 90mm macro it is also 2.8 and is very usefull for portrait pictures also.
It is stunningly sharp and I bet you would love it.
You also get a nice working distance (you can be further away but still fit the same amount of the subject in the frame).
Great for dragonflies round the lake etc..