Albi
newbie
Reged: 20/09/2008
Posts: 8
Loc: Norfolk
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Hi All
I'm new to this site and new to photograpy. Currently I'm doing a lot of reading and making a lot of mistakes. I am really keen to get into Macro photograpy and would be very grateful for advice on lenses. I have a Canon 400D. The type of pictures I want to take are flowers, bugs etc. Any ideas?
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4967
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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Quote:
would be very grateful for advice on lenses. I have a Canon 400D. The type of pictures I want to take are flowers, bugs etc. Any ideas?
1. Canon EF-S 60mm macro. Not bad for the price.
2. Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro. Brilliant lens.
3. Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro. Brilliant lens but heavier and most expensive (especially as you need to buy a lens hood to go with it).
Any of these would do you for starters. Try them in a shop & see which you like best.
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Malcolm_Stewart
Carpal \'Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/2005
Posts: 2578
Loc: Milton Keynes, UK
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Good advice above, and another vote for the EF 100 f2.8 Macro USM from me.
I assume you have the kit lens which came with your camera, the EF-s 18-55. I had one on my 30D a few days ago when I came across a dragonfly and I was surprised at how close I could get - not 1:1 territory, but close enough for me to run into very limited depth of field problems.
When you've got your "real" macro lens, a tripod and some form of focusing rack will allow you to optimise focus on the bits you're interested in.
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Malcolm Stewart
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Albi
newbie
Reged: 20/09/2008
Posts: 8
Loc: Norfolk
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Thanks for the advice guys
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Albi
newbie
Reged: 20/09/2008
Posts: 8
Loc: Norfolk
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You know I said I was new to this, well what's a focusing rack
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4967
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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Quote:
what's a focusing rack
The best way to focus at medium to large scale.
You connect one of these between the camera and the tripod. The rack allows you to move the camera towards and away from the subject by tiny amounts. It's the best way to focus at high magnification; autofocus really isn't much use and focusing can be very critical indeed.
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Albi
newbie
Reged: 20/09/2008
Posts: 8
Loc: Norfolk
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Thanks, I'm sure I'll get better
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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian
Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 4138
Loc: East Yorkshire,
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Quote:
Quote:
would be very grateful for advice on lenses. I have a Canon 400D. The type of pictures I want to take are flowers, bugs etc. Any ideas?
1. Canon EF-S 60mm macro. Not bad for the price.
2. Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro. Brilliant lens.
3. Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro. Brilliant lens but heavier and most expensive (especially as you need to buy a lens hood to go with it).
Any of these would do you for starters. Try them in a shop & see which you like best.
I agree with number 2. 
It is a cracking lens, and good for non macro too.I have just put 2 cat images on the site for comments. 
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She (Avro Vulcan XH558)Took To The Sky Like A Lovesick Angel.
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Overread
old hand
Reged: 17/01/2008
Posts: 947
Loc: UK; Suffolk
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Also consider Sigma's line of macro lenses:
105mmm macro
150mm macro
180mm macro
All are high quality macros - EX class (highest sigma lens quality class) and are as sharp as the offerings from Canon (the sigma 180mm is often chosen over the canon 180mm L many times as a more sensibly priced lens with equal image quality).
The latter two (150mm and 180mm) are also far in advance of the 105mm - as they have internal focusing (the lens does not extend when focusing - it always remains at a constant length). They have have HSM (faster and quieter autofocus motors in the lens) and special lens coatings.
Myself I went with the 150mm macro and its a very very fine lens to use!
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My photography blog
http://overread.wordpress.com
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daft_biker
Action Man!
Reged: 11/10/2006
Posts: 7668
Loc: Doon the glen
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Quote:
1. Canon EF-S 60mm macro. Not bad for the price.
I've heard it's a bit better than not bad. IIRC the AP test of it said something along the lines of it's as good as the sensor you put it on. Am not exactly sure what that means but it looks like a cracking lens and great value.
Has the Sigma 70mm been mentioned? It might be worth a look.
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Andrew (BSRIPN) ... Pics.
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PapaLazarou
Mr Joyful
Reged: 04/01/2006
Posts: 206
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I use the Sigma 70mm f2.8 DG lens which is Sigma sharpest and doubles as a rather nice portrait lens on APS-C bodies.
It's a very nice price as well.
The working distance can be a wee bit close for very very small objects but generally I don't have any grumbles.
Best used in MF mode, as macro lenses are generally.
If you are using it for portraiture it has a focus limiter to speed AF up.
Use it with a manfrotto 454 plate for best control at close distances (You can focus more easily at close magnifications by setting the lens to manual and the scale you want, then moving the focal plane backwards and forwards)
http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto/pid/3226
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numanoid
I'm 'Special'...
Reged: 27/01/2002
Posts: 10346
Loc: Co.Durham
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Well if youre just photograpahing flowers the 70 would be fine, but if you want to shoot bugs, or anything living that might get up and move then youre better off with a longer lens as yout get better working ditance. I have used a 75-300 at 300 with a close up lens on and got some cracking close ups-not macro and you have to stop down a bit but you get to stand off a bit from the action.
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An artist must have the freedom to express himself - Edward Weston
~Larry~
BSRIPN
http://www.members.lycos.co.uk/numanoid27/
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Wheelu
member
Reged: 31/10/2007
Posts: 166
Loc: UK, up North
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Nobody appears to have mentioned extension tubes or bellows. It's the cheapest way into macro-photography and you can get some really large magnification factors.
Get a set of tubes and try it with your cooking lens. It won't be as sharp as a true macro lens, but you will probably like the results. If this becomes your thing you can then splash out on expensive glassware.
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My Flickr Photos
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Albi
newbie
Reged: 20/09/2008
Posts: 8
Loc: Norfolk
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I have now read quite a few reviews on the Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens and Canon EF 100mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens. Pretty much all of them say how great each lens is. For Macro work is the only real difference, how close you have to be to the subject?
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4967
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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Quote:
For Macro work is the only real difference, how close you have to be to the subject?
Not quite: the 60mm only works with 20D, 30D, 40D and three figure digital bodies, the 100mm works with all EOS cameras.
Also IIRC the 60mm doesn't quite get to 1:1 reproduction ratio, so if you want to do true macro work (bigger than life size - with tubes) the 100mm lens is probably a better starting point. It is more expensive, though.
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Albi
newbie
Reged: 20/09/2008
Posts: 8
Loc: Norfolk
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Thanks very much. The person I spoke to in Warehouse Express didn't mention any of that. When you say three figure bodies, would that include my 400?
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4967
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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Quote:
When you say three figure bodies, would that include my 400?
Yeah, I was trying to shortcut 300D, 350D, 400D & 450D
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daft_biker
Action Man!
Reged: 11/10/2006
Posts: 7668
Loc: Doon the glen
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Quote:
Also IIRC the 60mm doesn't quite get to 1:1 reproduction ratio....
1st I've heard of that.....got any reputable sources to confirm? Canon claim it does do true macro: Canon site.
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Andrew (BSRIPN) ... Pics.
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37849
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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I suspect there's some confusion with the 50mm Compact Macro, which only goes up to half life-size without the Life Size Converter.
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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thebug
newbie
Reged: 10/09/2008
Posts: 7
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Quote:
Hi All
I'm new to this site and new to photograpy. Currently I'm doing a lot of reading and making a lot of mistakes. I am really keen to get into Macro photograpy and would be very grateful for advice on lenses. I have a Canon 400D. The type of pictures I want to take are flowers, bugs etc. Any ideas?
Give this a look http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...me=STRK:MESE:IT
I use this lens on my Canon Body, and its one of the few lenses that I find to be near perfect, sure Sigma and Canon have some fine glass too, but this baby really is somthing special. I also use the 90mm, but find this lens allows me to get some great effects and stalk those shy butterflies.
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