Starter Maco Lens
riseagainst
Registered Users Posts: 61 Big grins
I'm looking to get into some macro shooting and want to purchase a macro lens in the next few months. I would say i'm still a pretty novice photography so keep that in mind. I am on a small budget also. I would like some suggestions on a starter macro lens. I am willing to buy new or used off of ebay i have seen some pretty good deals on there! I shoot a canon 50d BTW
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First, I would be extremely skeptical about any great deals on eBay. The only big-ticket photo items I'd consider buying there are new with warranty, from a reputable, certified camera store with an eBay storefront, and then with the Bing cashback thing to get a bit off.
As for a starter Canon macro lens on a small budget, I do have some basic advice. First, there are different ways to get to 'macro' scales, and a true dedicated macro lens is only one of them. It's probably the best one if money is no object, but probably the worst if money is an object. Don't drop $500+ on something you might wind up never using if macro isn't really your thing after all. Look into extension tubes, reversal rings, and other less-expensive gear first, and get a cheap basic macro rig that you can cut your teeth on.* Step two would be a flash and going crazy over diffusers and brackets and things. Step three, once the weather's nice again, is rent a nice macro lens to see what you like. Step four is buy a macro lens, once you know exactly what you need and have the money for it.
*The almost-cheapest, most future-proof route is probably the EF 50mm f/1.8 II on Pro-Optic's budget extension tubes. I have a set of the tubes and they are cheap in every sense of the word, but they work fine, and are the cheapest I know of that have electrical contacts. The cheaper ones don't allow autofocus or stopping down the lens. This would run you $100 for the lens and $50 for the tubes (which might be Adorama's house brand, I'm blanking on that) from a reputable dealer. The advantage to this is that the lens is a great lens that every new photographer should have, and the tubes can be used with a macro lens later on down the line.
http://blog.michaelhampson.com
Define "small budget" and "starter lens". The cheapest way to get into macro photography is to get a macro converter lens that attaches to the front of one of your other lenses. These can be quite cheap but the quality isn't the best.
If you want a real 1:1 macro lens, then here are some options in increasing order by price:
Tokina AT-X 100mm f/2.8 PRO D ($399 at Amazon): This is actually quite nice except for its rather slow (but accurate) autofocusing. Click here for some examples of shots I've made with this lens using both a Rebel XSi and a (more recently) a 5D Mark II.
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro ($429 at Amazon).
Tamron AF 60mm f/2.0 macro ($520 at Amazon).
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM (recently discontinued in favor of a new, more expensive model with IS, but still easily found new for about $550).
This is pretty much it below $600. Any of these are good choices, but if it were me I'd go for the Tokina if I couldn't afford the Canon 100mm. Longer focal lengths allow you to get good macro shots without getting quite so close to your subjects, and longer focal lengths also do a better job of blurring out the background.
I do not recommend the Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, which is inexpensive (about $250) but not a true 1:1 macro lens. It requires an extra Canon adapter to produce 1:1 images, and the adapter costs about as much as the lens itself, at which point you might as well buy one of the lenses above.
Got bored with digital and went back to film.
I would suggest a less skeptical approach to ebay. I have sold or bought $15,000 plus of stuff in the past year without incident. I would also say it is much easier/safer to buy than it is to sell. You can get fantastic deals on there if you look around. It is much safer than the forums here for instance.
I don't know about canon, but I love my nikon 60mm.
I too buy from ebay.....it is the only place to get an after market warranty for your used gear.....
As to some reasonable but great macro lenses...take a look at the sigma line, 105, 180 would be my choices,,,,withteh 180 as top choice.....I prefer a large working distance incase I want to use reflectors, flashes and other instruments to bet the image....and if shooting creppy crawly slithery subjects I definitely want some distance..........I try to keep a decent working distance from my human subjects also....I never liked a camera poed in my face trying to fill the frome with a 50mm lens on the cam......
I haven't bought nearly as much as you have on eBay, but the purchases I have made (including a few lenses) went off without a hitch to my complete satisfaction. I think the key is to avoid any seller who doesn't seem to understand what they're selling, or who has significant negative feedback (though anyone will get the occasional negative feedback, because not all buyers are reasonable people, so you should actually read the feedback to see if it sounds like there was a legitimate issue to complain about), or who hasn't sold enough items to build up a track record. I also avoid overseas sellers and any items for which stock photographs are used in place of photos of the actual items themselves.
Got bored with digital and went back to film.
The only issue with the lens is that the front element of the lens is sunken into the lens, meaning that at minimum focus distance you are pretty close to the subject. This has not been a problem for what I normally use the lens for however.
As others already said, you can also use a close-focus diopter in front of a more standard lens to allow much larger magnifications than would normally be possible. I do recommend one of the 2-element designs for best results. Some examples:
1) Canon EF 50mm, f1.4 USM mounted on a Canon 40D body and a Sony VCL-M3358 close focus diopter on front:
At infinity focus:
At minimum focus distance:
A more organic subject at MFD:
A full resolution crop from above:
2) Vivitar 105mm, f2.8, M42 mount (old manual focus lens), adapted to Canon EOS, and a Minolta close-focus diopter, at MFD:
3) Canon 70-200mm "L" with a Canon 500D close-focus diopter, example from our "Dalantech":
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalantech/708248681/
(I use the 500D with both the 70-200mm, f2.8L and f4L lenses (the latter requires and adapter) and the quality is very good.)
Extension tubes are an option and work well on many longer prime lenses in particular.
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You forgot one of the cheapest, and extremely sharp options, the Sigma 50mm F2.8. It is 300 dollars and a true 1:1 macro.
I have this lens and have used it in 3 formats (4/3, APS-X, 35mm) and love it
Oh, I buy stuff on eBay. I just don't buy anything I'd want a warranty for through it, like a camera body or expensive lens, unless it's a legitimate dealer that I think will know/care enough to inspect the item and make an honest appraisal of it. Manual focus lenses and adapters, knock-off lens hoods, things like that are obviously different. I should have phrased my point better: I don't think you should avoid eBay, just that you shouldn't think of it like a cheaper version of B&H or even KEH. And that you should consider how much the time and effort to fix the rare bad experiences are really worth to you.
http://blog.michaelhampson.com
I'd suggest you look for holes in your lens lineup and see where a macro/portrait lens might serve double duty.
I shoot macro with two lenses, the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8, and the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L. Both are superb lenses, as is the much cheaper non-L 100mm. Which I use depends on what I am shooting.
If you are shooting things that run away, like bugs, there is no question in my mind that a 90 or 100mm is the way to go, even with a crop sensor camera. (I have a 50D). I started with the 60mm, which is a hell of a bargain, and added the 100 because I do shoot bugs. The extra distance from the subject is really helpful. On the other hand, a 60mm lens is cheaper, much smaller, much lighter, and easier to handhold (because smaller and lighter, and because of the short focal length). a 60mm also gives you considerably more magnification with any given length of extension tubes. a 60mm also makes a nice portrait lens on that camera.
I agree with the suggestion that you stay away from the 50mm canon. I had one and quickly sold it because it is not true 1:1.
I disagree about eBay. People often end up overpaying, and I don't want to by a used lens I can't test, although i would do it from a reputable dealer that will take them back, like KEH.
If you want, check out the bugs and flowers at http://dkoretz.smugmug.com/. Most were taken with the 60mm. The EXIF is there for most, but when I focus stack multiple images, it gets lost, and you can't see the lens selection for those.