Canon EF 100mm f2.8 macro USM -or- EF-S 60mm f2.8 on crop body

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Rishy

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Hi all,

I need a portrait/macro lens for my 500D crop body, and was wondering which of these lenses would be suited to a crop body.

I assume the 60mm would actually be 96mm and the 100mm should be 160mm? (x1.6).

Has anyone had experience with either of these lenses?
 
100mm is lovely and great for portraits, but sometimes I want something longer (like 180mm or 150mm). So the longer the better. And they will be good when you upgrade to FF (hopefully in a few years all SLRs will go back to FF)

50-60mm has slightly different applications like food styling (or low light events it it was 1.4, not 2.8 macro)
 
If by macro you are looking to take pics of bugs and stuff, the 100mm will be easier to catch them. You will not need to be so close to catch the action.

I have to add that for macro, you really should factor flash into your budget. It adds another dimension, trust me :thumbs:
 
Both get excellent reviews, so I suppose it depends on how much space you're going to have to work with. If you're going to be inside, the 100mm will be great for headshots, but not much else, as you just won't have the space. If space isn't an issue, then I'd suggest the 100mm as I have one and it's one of my favourite lenses, and if/when I get a full-frame body, it'll still work.

Chris

Edit: Forgot to say, it's awesome for macro too :thumbs:
 
Thanks for your opinions. Having read the reviews, they are both exceptional optically...now, which one to buy:bonk:

Could someone please confirm that I've got it right here:

On my Canon 500D, the EF-S 60mm macro lens will be 96mm, and the EF 100mm macro lens will be 160mm

If the above assumption is correct, then I can use the 100mm for macro shots, portraits, and fixed zoom shots (160mm). Added to that, I'd be able to use it on a full frame if I decide to upgrade in a few years. The only downside, I guess, would be its usefulness for portraits in a typical house. But this would not be the case if used on a full frame, as you'd get 100mm instead of 160mm.

The 60mm would give me a more useable portrait lens indoors (96mm), and macro, but I'd need to sell it if I upgraded to a full frame.

Sorry for the details, but I just need to get it straight in my head:bonk:
 
The problem with the 60mm Macro is that the working distance for macro will be quite reduced down to the point where you will virtually on the subject to get that image increasing the risk of annoying the bug (if thats the subject) to the point where it runs/flies/hops off. Whereas the 100mm Macro gives what I believe to be a more than reasonable working distance.

If you went DS FF then the EF-S mount 60mm Macro would be incompatible anyway.

Conversely, I find the 180mm L Macro (when I had it) to be quite unwieldy due to the weight and the increased 'shake effect' due to the increased working distance when working in macro. Again the 100mm seems to be the best compromise.
 
A Len's focal length is the same regardless of the sensor size, its the field of view that changes.
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
A Len's focal length is the same regardless of the sensor size, its the field of view that changes.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I'm not understanding this then, because I was under the assumption that, say, an EF-S 17-85mm would be 27-136mm on a cropped sensor.

So, are we saying the the EF-S 60mm would be 60mm on a crop body, and the EF 100mm would also remain 100mm, regardless of the type of camera?
 
Rishy said:
Perhaps I'm not understanding this then, because I was under the assumption that, say, an EF-S 17-85mm would be 27-136mm on a cropped sensor.

So, are we saying the the EF-S 60mm would be 60mm on a crop body, and the EF 100mm would also remain 100mm, regardless of the type of camera?
Click to expand...

In piratical terms it affects what you see when you look thought the viewfinder of the two different formats - amonst other things

"The crop factor is the sensor's diagonal size compared to a full-frame 35 mm sensor. It is called this because when using a 35 mm lens, such a sensor effectively crops out this much of the image at its exterior (due to its limited size)."


Capture.PNG



see here for further info
 
Rishy - yeah its 'equivalent' to an increased focal length as thats all the sensor can see.

Technically its not though. :D
 
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