- Lens help

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Ross:)

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Ross
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Hi,

I'm looking to take very close up photos of tortoises and turtles as well as plants with my Canon 600D.
Could you advise as to the best lens for this (within a realistic price range)?

Regards,
Ross
 
Can you give us a couple of more details?

An indiction of budget, what you would class as 'very close up' - is that just a photo of the eye only, or the whole head? Do you need the flexibility of a zoom or not?

As an idea, a canon 60mm macro is around £220 second hand, another £100 to buy new and will get you very close. A sigma 17-70mm zoom will be around the same price, and has more flexibility but won't get you as close in as the canon.

Plenty of other options as well

Mike
 
pooley said:
Can you give us a couple of more details?

An indiction of budget, what you would class as 'very close up' - is that just a photo of the eye only, or the whole head? Do you need the flexibility of a zoom or not?

As an idea, a canon 60mm macro is around £220 second hand, another £100 to buy new and will get you very close. A sigma 17-70mm zoom will be around the same price, and has more flexibility but won't get you as close in as the canon.

Plenty of other options as well

Mike
Click to expand...

Sorry, excuse my ignorance :shrug:

It will be mainly for head shots from a distance of probably no less than 12" - They are easily spooked and it'd be impossible to get head shots any closer

Price - Under £300 if possible?

These are the sort of photos i'm looking to take

Western-Hermanns-tortoise-head-detail.jpg


Again.. complete novice.. :bonk:
 
No problem. For that budget, I'd suggest a tamron 17-50mm f2.8.

New its around £280 (look on camerapricebuster.co.uk), will focus to around 11 inches, and has the ability to zoom a out for wider views when you want something a bit different.

If you want to go for a cheap option to start, then the canon 50mm f1.8 is available for around £85 new. Not as versatile as the tamron, but I doubt you'll find a better lens pound for pound
 
I've just taken this with a Sigma 17-70, set to 70mm, 12" from the end of the lens hood. So maybe not quite the same magnification as your photo, but close.

Don't forget you can crop the photo if you want to get "closer".


17-70 by griddle7, on Flickr

What lenses do you have now?
 
Another vote for the Canon 60mm which is a proper macro lens unlike the Tamron 17-50 or Sigma 17-70.

I use this lens not only for macro but also for portraits. On a 7D with the crop sensor this lens multiplies out to 96mm which I find ideal for both purposes. It also has the added advantage of being a very sharp lens.

You should be able to pick a good one up secon d hand fro £180 to £200.
 
Just FYI, the image below (while not very good) was taken with a Canon 100mm Macro lens (the tortoise in question was only 18 months old, so still small, it's head is probably smaller than a 1p coin):

DMT_0690.jpg


I just sold mine for £260 in the classified forum and there's another in there for £280 at the moment, so should fit your budget. Note. this is not the 'L' version of the lens.
 
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Ross:) said:
It will be mainly for head shots from a distance of probably no less than 12" - They are easily spooked and it'd be impossible to get head shots any closer

Price - Under £300 if possible?
Click to expand...

I think you'll need either a longish lens for that (longer than 50mm) at that distance or you'll need to crop the hell out of a shorter lens shot.

Personally I'd go for a longish macro, and you can then use it as a portrait, landscape or just as a longish general lens too :D I just checked Ffordes (other used sellers are available :D) and they have Canon and Sigma macro lenses around 100mm that are within your budget :D

I love my 150mm macro but I think it'd blow your budget.
 
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Cheers for the replys guys :D

I have just 2 lenses, the kit lens that came with the camera the 18-55mm and a canon 55-250mm lens.

So, you think i'd be best to get 100mm Macro lens?

To be honest, I haven't got a clue how to use the thing, I don't even know where to start.

Cheers for the help!

Ross
 
Tamron 90mm macro!
True 1:1,sharp,great portrait lens aswell.
Easily in your budget s/h,might not be far off brand new?
 
What's wrong with using the 55-250?

You could get your headshots from a greater range with no need to spook the critters, & it'll cost you nothing :thumbs:
 
Any dedicated macro will give you great quality photos from 12-15 inches. You might be able to get a good shot if you back up a bit and use the 55-250 on its longest.

A Canon 50 f2.5 macro http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...se-extension&gclid=ciog2-dx8rucfabltaod8neaya is in your budget, while a second hand 60 f2.8 macro or the 100 2.8 macro might not be too far away. I use the 100 L Macro and it's fantastic, the IQ is awesome, but the 100 non L Macro still gives stellar IQ.
 
cotty332000 said:
Tamron 90mm macro!
True 1:1,sharp,great portrait lens aswell.
Easily in your budget s/h,might not be far off brand new?
Click to expand...

This is the solution you need for your problem, the rest will either come in over budget or not give you the magnification you need as they're around 1:3 or 1:2 at best, the SP90 is true 1:1, has fantastic iQ, sharp as a tack and as said doubles as a fantastic portrait lens.

You can pick them up second hand for around £180-£230 or new for around £300 if you shop around.
 
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