New FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II vs FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS - Which is better?

[TrekRover]

Hi everyone, I am a macro newbie and I am trying to understand the features of the new 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II and if it has feature parity with the 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS or if it has more pros vs cons when comparing both.

From what I've been reading so far:
The new 70-200mm F4 Macro can have up to:

• 1:1 macro magnification when combined with a 2.0x TC and focal length of 140-400mm with F/8 aperture.
• Minimum focus distance of 10"

The 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS:

• 1:1 macro magnification
• Minimum focus distance of 11"

So far what I can tell from a spec on paper perspective:

The main difference is the aperture. However the aperture disadvantage can be fixed with flashes right?

Links to the specs:

New Sony FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II:

https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/all-e-mount/p/sel70200g2?utm_source=AlphaUniverse&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=dtc_frame&returnPageUrl=https:%2F%2Falphauniverse.com%2Fstories%2Fsony-expands-the-range-of-shooting-expressions-with-the-high-imaging-power-and-af-performance-of-the-fe-70200mm-f4-macro-g-oss-ii-lens%2F

FE 90 mm F2.8 Macro G OSS:

https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/full-frame-e-mount/p/sel90m28g

[bmcdonough]

Hey there! 

In my experience with macro, the focusing plane is so small, you'll want to shoot at a rough minimum of f/5.6 - f/8 just to have a better chance getting things in focus. So in terms of using this lens for macro, I don't think the aperture will make that big of a difference. 

For newbies in macro, you might like to be able to have different focal lengths, depending on what you're shooting... 

I've got my eye on the new 70-200, I think it's going to be a major addition to my macro kit! 

[TrekRover]

Thanks for the insight @bmcdonough I am debating whether I should trade in my 90mm f2.8 Macro lens for this 70-200mm since I already have the 2.0x TC. I also have the 70-200mm f2.8 GM II so I feel its a bit redundant, but feels like the 70-200mm f4 Macro seems more versatile.