Macro filters

If she can keep you under control, Loofah, then she'll make mincemeat of us if she finds out we've aided and abetted you in buying a lens

 

Just as an aside I have in the past used my 80-320 lens as a macro lens when trying not to spook an insect or bird. I took this images with the 80-320 lens on the side of a river in Rutland when the insects were about 15 to 20 feet away..........




And the same lens while sitting down by the Wildlife pond with the insect about 8 feet away




Not bad for a second hand 30 year plus old piece of "glass" being "mis-used" by being asked to convert from a long distance lens to a macro

 

I think they're a good compromise, Loofah, they definitely let you get closer to the subject and they're good value for money. Trying to compare like for like when taking a pic is, to me, impossible due to light conditions, the ease of taking the shot when crouched down, what ASA and aperture, depth of field, was used and all the other things that affect taking the shot.
I think though there is perhaps a softness that Filters might introduce due to the physics involved. Most of my macro shots are handheld when wandering around the garden and this is one taken by the Wildlife pond where I was crouched and bent over to get a shot at the Fungus

That was taken with another old lens of mine, a 25 year old 90mm Tamron macro lens




I did contemplate using macro filters but decided on going down the path of old second hand macro lenses

 

Actually, Loofah, I think you got value for money.

Which is one of the virtues of the Pentax system in that there only two mount systems the K mount and the M42, the latter being the older system and now Pentax only uses K mount and you can go back over 60 years for their glass. You can also get adapters to swap from K to M42 and the other way. I have never ever had a problem with a lens not being compatible with my K5 camera but then I've only used Pentax, Sigma and Tamron which, for the last two, you need them fitted with the K mount adapter.

I honestly think you're doing the right thing, experimenting and gaining experience out of it. It's how I've got along learning from experimenting when taking images.........in fact, that's exactly what I'm doing now with astronomy imaging, experimenting and learning as I go along.