i myself am an example of the need to upgrade. i got a decent, yet pretty old sigma mini-zoom macro lens. 28-90mm(the box says 28-80 though) it was marked for $30 dollars and the store let me buy it for that much... i thought i was getting ripped off, like the lens was broken in some way, but i tried it at home, and it isnt. how it works is that is is a regular lens that zooms from 28-90 and then if you lock it at 90mm, the minimum focusing distance is decreased. its hard to find ANY lens for $30, macro or not. I lacked a macro lens at the time i bought this, but now is the time for me to upgrade. you should focus on getting that great expensive lens but also look out for small steals like these.