Macro lens

cloughie89

cloughie89

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I currently own a Canon 60mm F2.8 Marco lens which I absolutely love and can be credited with turning my hobby into a passion, it’s great for both close ups and is cracking for portraits. However it has a drawback, which is taking pictures of moving insects, it’s fine with flowers, spiders that don’t move and ants and some flies etc that don’t mind me get up close and personal! But if I want dragon flies, butterflies and bees and other moving insects I think I’m going to need a different lens.

Can you good people recommend a lens that is reasonably priced that I can get the pictures I desire without having to get too close which would also stop me inadvertently knocking the plant as I try to position my tripod!

Are there any decent zoom macros that reasonably priced?

Thanks...
 
cloughie89 said:
Are there any decent zoom macros that reasonably priced?

Thanks...
Click to expand...

No is the simple answer! Quality macro lenses are all primes.

The Sigma 180mm Macro is meant to be very good, but that might be a bit too long? If it is then the Sigma 105mm gets very good reviews. Not sure about Canon lens as I am a Nikon man but it looks like the options are 100mm f2.8 or the 180mm f3.5 L.
 
i use the canon 100mm macro and love it.
 
Talisman said:
i use the canon 100mm macro and love it.
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I agree! Ive only had mine a week and its fast becoming my favourite lens! I toyed with the Sigma and 105mm the Tamron 90mm macro, but a mint Canon 100mm turned up on the for sale board and I have to say, Im SO pleased I went for it -what a stunning lens this is!
 
OK, i've heard good things about the Canon 100mm before, can you give me some idea of how close i'd be getting to say a butterfly (of average UK size) to fill the picture?

The 150mm and 180 are interesting options, as i think it would give me more varition on the 60mm than the 100mm and obviously would mean me not getting anywhere near as close, a little more than i was wanting to pay, is it worth that extra bit of spend?!

Ta
 
Here you go with a few facts and figures...get your calculator out and dig out your trigonometry notes from school...

60mm gives 25.4 angle of view and 20cm minimum focus distance
100mm......15.4......31 cm
105mm......14.7......31.3
150mm......10.3......38
180mm.......8.59.....46-48

MFD will give you 1:1 mag on these lenses for your 1.6 crop sensor.

Bob
 
OK, having had search round t'internet on the above mentioned lenses, i saw somebody having taken a couple of butterfliy pictures with the 150mm with a 1.4x converter. What are the pros an cons of me buying a converter for my current 60mm lens?
 
cloughie89 said:
OK, having had search round t'internet on the above mentioned lenses, i saw somebody having taken a couple of butterfliy pictures with the 150mm with a 1.4x converter. What are the pros an cons of me buying a converter for my current 60mm lens?
Click to expand...

Longer working distance, or greater magnification (minimum working distance doesn't change as the magnification increases) but it will make softer images.
 
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