What macro lens for a beginer?

swamptart

swamptart

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Hi all.

I would like to try out a bit of macro photography and would like a dedicated
lens for this, I have had a look around, mostly Ebay and would like to ask the question which one could you peeps recomend for me, Sigma 150mm or the Canon 100mm or maybe a 75mm? any help would really be appreciated and I'm quite a noob so no big words ;)

I have a budget of about £300 and I own a Canon 40d

Thanks
 
With that budget a used Canon 100mm Macro, has internal focus so the lens will not extended as you adjust magnification / focus, excellent sharpness and colour rendition and the biggest working working distance for a lens around 100mm.
 
Frankly I wouldn't buy expensive lenses from Ebay, much better to buy S/H on here if you want S/H.

Last year I bought a S/H Canon 100mm Macro on here and it was an excellent bargain.

But when you talk about "trying" macro photography I would say get a cheap set of close up lenses of Ebay - a set of 4 strengths would only cost about £10.00 for your kit lens - and see if you really do want to get into macro.

That's the cheapest - and in my opinion the best - way into Macro.

And you will also learn about the many pitfalls of macro without spending too much.

.
 
I have a canon 50mm, so extension tubes could be an option, would these be sutable for quite close up work? Sorry if I'm sounding like a complete spacker.

S/H is good, for my work sometimes it would be very usefull to take detailed close up picks so it will be used.
 
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swamptart said:
I have a canon 50mm, so extension tubes could be an option, would these be sutable for quite close up work? Sorry if I'm sounding like a complete spacker.
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Extension tubes are the best option IMHO as they retain all the functions of the lens. How close do you want to get? Depending on the number of tubes and lens used the front glass could be touching the subject.

Have a look on ebay, they seem to go for between £40-£80 used. If you decide later that you want a proper macro lens you can always resell them without making a loss.

You can borrow my set for a week if you are willing to pay postage.
 
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swamptart said:
I have a canon 50mm, so extension tubes could be an option, would these be sutable for quite close up work? Sorry if I'm sounding like a complete spacker.

S/H is good, for my work sometimes it would be very usefull to take detailed close up picks so it will be used.
Click to expand...

This pic was taken with the "Nifty Fifty" using extension tubes:


Using the 50mm lens is quite handy because you can also use the onboard flash which you often can't do with other lenses.

.
 
swamptart said:
I have a canon 50mm, so extension tubes could be an option, would these be sutable for quite close up work? Sorry if I'm sounding like a complete spacker.
Click to expand...

I would recommend buying S/H on here for most items - I have saved over £1000 over the last 2 years buying on here and have never been disappointed.

If you go for extension tubes you will need the Kenko DG AF set for Canon because they retain all the automatic functions - IS, AF, aperture control, etc.

It is not worth getting the cheaper non automatic set because you lose all the functions.

.
 
WOW, thanks guys, I didn't even know extension tubes were for, looks like its the way to go, now do I ebay or are any of you wonderfull folk selling some?
 
swamptart said:
WOW, thanks guys, I didn't even know extension tubes were for, looks like its the way to go, now do I ebay or are any of you wonderfull folk selling some?
Click to expand...

Buy cheap close up lenses on Ebay - buy quality stuff on here even if you have to wait.

I got my set of Kenko tubes on here for about £75.00 - almost 1/2 price compared to Jessops.

.
 
That would be good, I would be very interested.

Thanks again for the replys
 
swamptart said:
WOW, thanks guys, I didn't even know extension tubes were for, looks like its the way to go, now do I ebay or are any of you wonderfull folk selling some?
Click to expand...

Indeed its a cheap way of getting into macro photography, you do however lose the ability to focus to infinity with the tubes on.
 
Sorry if this sounds dumb, but why would I want to focus to infinity?
 
In a review in one of the photography magazines comparing the 90-105mm macro lenses, the Tamron 90mm f2.8 came up as the sharpest and the best value for money. If your 40D has an autofocus motor, you do not need the version of the lens with the motor, which makes it cheaper (around £280).

Oscar ;)
 
BirderOzzie said:
In a review in one of the photography magazines comparing the 90-105mm macro lenses, the Tamron 90mm f2.8 came up as the sharpest and the best value for money. If your 40D has an autofocus motor, you do not need the version of the lens with the motor, which makes it cheaper (around £280).

Oscar ;)
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It may have been the sharpest , but it has 1/3rd less minimum working distance and the canon focuses much much faster & quieter for when your not using it for macro.
 
dentedshed said:
You wouldn't. Maybe mcc49 meant to say that you would have to remove the tube(s) for infinity focus (normal lens use) :shrug:
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I see, wasn't trying to be pretensious.

Next question is what happens if you use extension tubes with a macro lens? does it just bering the subject closer and do you lose quality or will my camera just explode into a shower of sparkles?
 
BirderOzzie said:
In a review in one of the photography magazines comparing the 90-105mm macro lenses, the Tamron 90mm f2.8 came up as the sharpest and the best value for money. If your 40D has an autofocus motor, you do not need the version of the lens with the motor, which makes it cheaper (around £280).
Oscar ;)
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware no Canon has an autofocus motor built in - the AF function is in the lens.

EDITED: I mistakenly called the AF function IS (see further down).
 
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swamptart said:
I see, wasn't trying to be pretensious.

Next question is what happens if you use extension tubes with a macro lens? does it just bering the subject closer and do you lose quality or will my camera just explode into a shower of sparkles?
Click to expand...

It brings the subject closer as it does with a normal lens, no loss of quality but your depth of field is reduced as your magnification goes up and less light reaches the sensor so you need bright light or flash. Also your working distance between end of lens and subject is reduced.

68mm of tubes on a 100mm 1:1 macro lens will give about 3-4X life size magnifification (3:1 - 4:1)
 
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swamptart said:
I see, wasn't trying to be pretensious.

Next question is what happens if you use extension tubes with a macro lens? does it just bering the subject closer and do you lose quality or will my camera just explode into a shower of sparkles?
Click to expand...

No - if you use it with a Macro lens you will bring the lens closer still.

But you will also lose even more DOF so will need a small aperture and/or flash.

With the Canon 100mm and extension tubes you can get much closer but cannot use the onboard flash as the length of the combination shields the area being photographed from the flash.
 
jomike said:
68mm of tubes on a 100mm 1:1 macro lens will give about 3-4X life size magnifification (3:1 - 4:1)
Click to expand...

I don't think so - you will get just over 1.5:1.

But of course once you enlarge it, it will be many times that.

.
 
petersmart said:
As far as I'm aware no Canon has an autofocus motor built in - the AF function is in the lens and is called IS (Image Stabiliser) on Canon lenses.

.
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jomike said:
It brings the subject closer as it does with a normal lens, no loss of quality but your depth of field is reduced as your magnification goes up and less light reaches the sensor so you need bright light or flash. Also your working distance between end of lens and subject is reduced.

68mm of tubes on a 100mm 1:1 macro lens will give about 3-4X life size magnifification (3:1 - 4:1)
Click to expand...

Theres some misleading info in this thread :shake:

Canon in lens focus motor on the 100mm Lens is USM nothing to do with IS

68mm of extension will not produce 3-4 life size..............
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
Theres some misleading info in this thread :shake:

Canon in lens focus motor on the 100mm Lens is USM nothing to do with IS
Click to expand...

OOOPS - yes my error - that's what I should have said.

.
 
swamptart said:
I see, wasn't trying to be pretensious.

Next question is what happens if you use extension tubes with a macro lens? does it just bering the subject closer and do you lose quality or will my camera just explode into a shower of sparkles?
Click to expand...

Have a read here
 
Again thanks folks for being patient with my beginer questions, having a read of the link now, but everytime I learn somthing new it pushes some old stuff out my brian :P
 
extension tubes equal to the focal length of the lens will double the reproduction ratio.

so 68mm extension tubes on a 60mm macro focussed to 1:1 will give you 2:1ish (although it will actually be a slightly higher ratio than this as all macro lenses 'lose' focal length when focussing closer).

the 100mm macro is probably reduced to somewhere around 60-70mm at 1:1, so a set of 68mm ext. will probably get you to 2:1 on a 100mm macro.
 
What you need depends on what you intend to get images of. If you intend to take live moving things then a longer lens like the Sigma 150 (excellent lens) is better as its longer working distance does nt frighten the bugs. If you intend more static things then a shorter length lens would be better lighter and cheaper. If you are nt sure then a set of tubes would be the way to go until you decide what your interest will be.
You can put tubes on a longer focal length lens like a 300mm and have a big working distance and get some v good shots of larger things like butterflies, dragonflies etc. Have a look here most of these were shot with a 300mm plus tubes.

http://www.pbase.com/ronnie_14187/macro_its_a_small_world
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
Theres some misleading info in this thread :shake:

Canon in lens focus motor on the 100mm Lens is USM nothing to do with IS

68mm of extension will not produce 3-4 life size..............
Click to expand...

Agree with that first line! lol

For your £300 I would definately go for a second hand Canon 100mm Macro! Later on you can always get the tubes to give you closer again.

with a normal kit lens of 18-55mm IS with my kenko Extension I was getting around 1:1

With my 60mm macro and tubes I was getting 2.5:1 with no reduction of quality, here are some pics. with the macro and tubs.

testers_1-Copy.jpg


testers-Copy.jpg
 
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Amazing shots! Think i'm going for some tubes and then like a couple of people have suggested see how I go then pick a lens.
 
swamptart said:
Amazing shots! Think i'm going for some tubes and then like a couple of people have suggested see how I go then pick a lens.
Click to expand...

But just to show what is possible with the simplest of setups:

​

Taken with the kit lens on my 350D fitted with a +10 dioptre close up lens bought on Ebay in a set of 4 for about £12.00.

.
 
swamptart said:
Amazing shots! Think i'm going for some tubes and then like a couple of people have suggested see how I go then pick a lens.
Click to expand...

If you get tubes to sure to get the Kenko ones with the electrics. or your gonna get some serious shallow dof or alot of messing about.
 
Another vote for a used Canon 100mm, it's an excellent lens

If you decide you want to get a bit closer, you can get a set of Kenko auto tubes for about £85 off ebay a bit further down the line.

All my macro stuff is done with that combination of equiptment :)
 
Will H said:
Another vote for a used Canon 100mm, it's an excellent lens

If you decide you want to get a bit closer, you can get a set of Kenko auto tubes for about £85 off ebay a bit further down the line.

All my macro stuff is done with that combination of equiptment :)
Click to expand...

Now there is a good lad :thumbs:
 
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