Thinking about buying a macro lens

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Dredd123

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I don't currently own a macro lens but I fancy having a go at taking some macro photos. Some of the photos you see of insects/spiders and close ups of plants/flowers can be absolutely fantastic and I like to have a crack at this myself.

Camerawise I have a Canon 1Ds MKII and a 40D, so I am looking for macro lens recommendations to work well with Canon cameras.

Looking for a lens which will produce the best image quality possible - any suggestions?

Thanks,
Dave.
 
Lets not forget that the IS version is also L glass and has better IQ ( in my opinion ) but also costs a packet more than the origional non L version.
 
pickup a used Canon 100mm up from here around £300 - £325, excellent lens & if you don't get on with it you can sell it on without taking a big hit.
Dont forget you need some diffused flash to get the best out of a macro lens.
 
I have a Sigma 150mm f2.8 and I'm impressed. It seems to get good reviews too.
 
Sigma 150mm f2.8 EX APO :thumbs:

Have had a couple of these for my Nikon's & highly recommend them... There is a review on them on Sigma 150mm review.. Added the link to save you searching for it :P
 
Dredd123 said:
Thanks so far. What about other manufacturers like Zeiss, Sigma etc?
Click to expand...

The Tamron 90mm & sigma 105mm have good IQ but don't have internal focusing and have a smaller working distance than the Canon which also has a better colour rendition. The sigma 150mm is a cracking lens both for macro & as a fast prime, but is heavy and takes time to learn to hand hold for macro.
 
There's lots of things to consider...

What is it you want to take photographs of? Given that you are using a 1D you can't use the 60mm macro, but still have some FOV crop.

On full frame, generally it goes like this:

50 F2.5 Compact Macro - flowers, larger objects - watches, etc, copying use (lens has extremely low distortion).
100 F2.8 (L version too) - general macro work, larger critters, coins, etc
180 F3.5L - greater working distance, butterflies, dragon flies, spiders, etc
MP-E 65 - specialist work, stamen, butterfly scales, etc

Then there is the question of extension tubes - I have found that the 135 F2L with a 25mm extension tube is a fantastic butterfly lens.

All of the canon macro lenses can produce excellent quality images, so asking which one is "best" is not the right question. It's a matter of which one is best for the job.
 
Be aware, the Tamron 90mm and the Sigma 105mm also extend considerably during focus almost double infact, something that the Canon 100mm L and non L do not do.
 
You could also check pixel-peeper with which lens you prefere with your Canon - just type in the camera model & which lens....

It might help you decide which lens you prefere...
 
I have the same Canon models as you. I only use macro on the 40D because of the Live-view.

I did try the Sigma 105mm but although it's a good sharp lens I couldn't get on with it for various reasons.

I bought the Canon 100mm s/h on these forums and I've found it to be a cracker of a lens.
 
Any canon macro....but if you want real close up stuff go for the mp-e 65. This will focus from 1:1 to 5:1 . So it's macro only. If you want the lens to be used in other situations s most of us do go for a standard macro. For bugs etc I would say 100mm is a nice length and all rounder mm etc
 
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