Hi,
I'm pretty keen on macro photography (quite a few of the images in my current showcase are macros - http://www.rshk.co.uk/index.php?p=photo&a=showcase). Shooting with my Sony F717 taking macro shots was easy, there was little to no extra effort required! However, I've recently got the 350D, with kit lens and an 55-200 Canon USM lens, I also have the 580EX. I'm wanting to get back into taking macros again, however, I'm a little confused (to say the least) about lens selections.
Since I'd probably intend to take shots of insects, as well as stationary macros I figured that a longer lens is probably what I'd want (possibly 105mm rather than 50mm). However, with the minimum focus distance of ~30cm on the 105mm I'm confused, does this mean that at ~30cm from the subject, the lens gets 1:1 reproduction on the sensor? Has anyone found that 105mm is too long, or too short for their needs? (Bearing in mind that part of the choice of this lens is so that I can have some form of flexibiility in the types of macro shots I can take.)
OK, onto the second point, since a really short DoF is usually pretty desirable in some/most/a random selection of macro shots, I'm thinking that something that goes down to at least f/2.8 would be desirable, is this a fair judgement?
Some possible candidates for the lenses. I'm really looking for something that will provide me with good, sharp images, and am prepared to make a reasonable investement (up to maybe, £300-£350).
I'm using Jessops for the database of lenses, rather than anywhere else, I'll shop around for prices when I'm decided what I want!).
Canon, 100mm, f/2.8 Macro USM (Here) - Seems a nice lens, a little bit outside my price bracket, could stretch to it, certainly seems to fit all my criteria.
Sigma, 105mm EX DG, f/2.8 Macro, (Canon AF) - (here) - Quite a bit cheaper than the Canon offering, still seems to offer the features I might want. What's Sigma EX glass like? Worth considering over the Canon? Reviews seem to think so, but say the AF is very slow, any experience of this? (Reviews).
Any additional help or commens would be great!
Cheers,
Rob
I'm pretty keen on macro photography (quite a few of the images in my current showcase are macros - http://www.rshk.co.uk/index.php?p=photo&a=showcase). Shooting with my Sony F717 taking macro shots was easy, there was little to no extra effort required! However, I've recently got the 350D, with kit lens and an 55-200 Canon USM lens, I also have the 580EX. I'm wanting to get back into taking macros again, however, I'm a little confused (to say the least) about lens selections.
Since I'd probably intend to take shots of insects, as well as stationary macros I figured that a longer lens is probably what I'd want (possibly 105mm rather than 50mm). However, with the minimum focus distance of ~30cm on the 105mm I'm confused, does this mean that at ~30cm from the subject, the lens gets 1:1 reproduction on the sensor? Has anyone found that 105mm is too long, or too short for their needs? (Bearing in mind that part of the choice of this lens is so that I can have some form of flexibiility in the types of macro shots I can take.)
OK, onto the second point, since a really short DoF is usually pretty desirable in some/most/a random selection of macro shots, I'm thinking that something that goes down to at least f/2.8 would be desirable, is this a fair judgement?
Some possible candidates for the lenses. I'm really looking for something that will provide me with good, sharp images, and am prepared to make a reasonable investement (up to maybe, £300-£350).
I'm using Jessops for the database of lenses, rather than anywhere else, I'll shop around for prices when I'm decided what I want!).
Canon, 100mm, f/2.8 Macro USM (Here) - Seems a nice lens, a little bit outside my price bracket, could stretch to it, certainly seems to fit all my criteria.
Sigma, 105mm EX DG, f/2.8 Macro, (Canon AF) - (here) - Quite a bit cheaper than the Canon offering, still seems to offer the features I might want. What's Sigma EX glass like? Worth considering over the Canon? Reviews seem to think so, but say the AF is very slow, any experience of this? (Reviews).
Any additional help or commens would be great!
Cheers,
Rob