50mm Canon macro lens, f2.5?
- Thread starter Carlo
- Start date
No it's not a very good macro lens, nothing to do with image quality but it needs a "life-size adapter" (read: extension tube) to focus close enough for 1:1 macro. At that point, your working distance (from front of lens to subject) is going to be ~10cm which makes it difficult to light your subject without shading it with the lens. Or squashing it 
The 100/2.8 is a much better choice for macro work.
A non-macro 50mm lens will be faster with f/1.8 or larger aperture. Which is why many people love them. Low light capability and thin DoF are not the strong suits of the 50mm macro..
If you don't need serious macro capability and don't mind the somewhat slow f/2.5 then there's nothing wrong with the lens.
The 100/2.8 is a much better choice for macro work.
A non-macro 50mm lens will be faster with f/1.8 or larger aperture. Which is why many people love them. Low light capability and thin DoF are not the strong suits of the 50mm macro..
If you don't need serious macro capability and don't mind the somewhat slow f/2.5 then there's nothing wrong with the lens.
woof woof
I like a nice Chianti
- Messages
- 44,050
- Name
- Alan
- Edit My Images
- No
I have one of these 
As said, it's not a true macro lens unless you get the adapter but other than that it does focus more closely than a non macro 50mm and is very useable as a walkaround 50mm. It's a sharp lens too and as I've said here before I've read that some think it's Canon's sharpest 50 and one of their sharpest lenses.
Having said all that... if you want a true macro 50mm there are doubtless others to choose from and the f2.5's focus system is nowhere near as fast as the latest HSM/USM type designs... but on the other hand it is a very compact and light lens and it looks it next to my Siggy 50mm f1.4.
As for low light and shallow DoF, obviously it's max is f2.5 but as it'll focus close and at f2.5 and with close focus of course you can get shallow DoF shots. As a general purpose 50mm and for occasional psudo macro shots it makes a lot of sense if you want a small compact and light lens. If you can put up with more weight / bulk or a longer focal length maybe a true 50mm macro or a longer macro might be worth looking at.
As said, it's not a true macro lens unless you get the adapter but other than that it does focus more closely than a non macro 50mm and is very useable as a walkaround 50mm. It's a sharp lens too and as I've said here before I've read that some think it's Canon's sharpest 50 and one of their sharpest lenses.
Having said all that... if you want a true macro 50mm there are doubtless others to choose from and the f2.5's focus system is nowhere near as fast as the latest HSM/USM type designs... but on the other hand it is a very compact and light lens and it looks it next to my Siggy 50mm f1.4.
As for low light and shallow DoF, obviously it's max is f2.5 but as it'll focus close and at f2.5 and with close focus of course you can get shallow DoF shots. As a general purpose 50mm and for occasional psudo macro shots it makes a lot of sense if you want a small compact and light lens. If you can put up with more weight / bulk or a longer focal length maybe a true 50mm macro or a longer macro might be worth looking at.