Which Macro?

Dark Star

Dark Star

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John
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Having seen some cracking macro shots on this forum recently I'm of a mind to spend some hard earned and get myself one... budget somewhere between £300 and £400...but I'm not hugely knowledgable about the pros and cons of these beasties ie what benefits would an 85mm Macro have over a 150mm Macro and vice versa.:thinking:

For normal use I have an 18-55mm, 70-200mm and a 10-20mm.

I therefore seek guidance from the wise ones on this forum :thumbs:

Thanks in advance!

John
 
Longer macro lenses usually give you a longer working distance from the subject which can be useful if you're into taking shots of nervous insects. Down side is shake is exagerated and you really need to get your technique sorted.

100mm is a reasonable compromise and at that length the Canon is about as good as it gets but I really like the look of the sigma 150mm.
 
Hmm - food for thought - thanks - are you thinking of buying one as well Dod?

John
 
I bought the Tamron 90mm macro lens from one-stop digital, think it was about £240. I really like it.

I'll dig you out some example shots:

20060827001616_brid06.jpg


20060827001835_brid07.jpg


20060806184541_img_1320.jpg


20060815183426_snail.jpg
 
Dark Star said:
are you thinking of buying one as well Dod?
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Nope, already got the canon 100mm, not had a lot of time to use it this year though.

palefly.jpg


notsofugly.jpg
 
Good grief - the more I see the more I want one....all fantastic shots!

John
 
All these were taken with my Tamron 90mm. It's cheaper than the canon 100mm but has the disadvantage that it extends when focussing, whereas I think the Canon does all it's focussing internally. Optically they're pretty much the same though.
 
Very, very impressive Richard thanks - I'm thinking that the 90-105 mm focal length is good enough for what (I think) I want to do...and its between the Tamron 90, Sigma 105 and Canon 100...choices, choices!!!!

John
 
Dark Star said:
Ta Richard - although you can call me John :)
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:lol: :lol: :lol:

Hi Fred here is a sample from my macro shooting this weekend using a Canon 180mm f/3.5L

blowing-bubbles.jpg


And this was my first attempt when I got the lens new George...:thumbs:

wasp.jpg
 
busterboy said:
And this was my first attempt when I got the lens new George...:thumbs:
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I remember you showing that, bloody good for a lens not even run in :lol:
 
Thanks Eric - fantastic shots - 180mm eh? Damn the choices!

John/George/Paul/Ringo/Bert
 
You're best bet is to try them all, I use the Sigma 180mm and it's a cracking lens if a bit heavy, the Sigma 150mm is very popular and always seems to get good reviews.

If I was buying again I would go for the Nikon 105mm VR but obviously that's not much good to you, the Canon 100mm appears to give excellent results judjing from some of the shots on here. I probably wouldn't go below that focal length as you start to get too close to your subjects.
 
Thanks Hacker - RobertP (a regular here) lives 2 doors away and has the Sigma 150mm - so I might have a little play when he's back from the States - need to get my hands on a shorter focal length for a play as well...
 
I have succumbed to a bloody good price for a Canon 100mm f2.8 from Kerso - await delivery eagerly :banana:

I'm calling it a Birthday Present in case the wife finds out :naughty:

John
 
John, may I ask how much for as I'm thinking of getting one too.
 
£315 incl p&p plus £8 for Hoya filter - very good price! Plus years worldwide Guarantee...
 
I've plumped for the Canon, Joe - seen some excellent results on this site and on balance I think it gets my vote....thanks anyway :thumbs:
 
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