Need a new macro lens

[littlebrony]

hi,

i am not sure if this is the correct section to post in (i am not aloud in macro section yet).

I have a 30D and a canon 60 mm lens. I am wanting to take macro shoots like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sakuraaya/sets/72157594174383246/?page=4

but i know that with my 60 mm - i can't get that kind of 'look' - i find i have to get very close to the subject to the point that it is really hard to focus manually or auto focus doesn't really work that good (no surprise there).

do you think i should change my lens to perhaps a 100 mm?

I have done a bit of reading and some people say to use kenko extention tubes or go for a macro filter rather than changing/upgrading my lens.

Umm not really sure what do do here - so any tips or suggestions would be great!

[draco]

not really an expert on macros but you might want to try the tamron 90mm as it gets a lot of praise..

[Jules]

Do you have the Canon 60mm 2.8 Macro lens? If so, that is an absolute gem of a lens - I have one and can't recommend it highly enough. There's no reason you can't take shots like those in the link with that lens and certainly if you added some extension tubes you'd be able to get in extremely close.

Are you using a tripod for your macro shots? You'll find it much easier to compose shots and nail crucial focusing with the camera on a tripod than handheld.

[accesser]

hi,
I have done a bit of reading and some people say to use kenko extention tubes or go for a macro filter rather than changing/upgrading my lens.


Yes get a set of tubes and also try out manual focusing, Take your time with Macro learn from what works and what does not.
The 60mm goes nicely with a set of tubes once you have the shot it will take some post processing to get results like in the flickr link you posted.

[Remorhaz]

The focal length alone really only determines how far away you can be from your subject to frame the shot - longer lengths being more useful with subjects that might move away (like insects, etc) or that you might hit with the front of the lens.

The primary thing you're looking for in a Macro lens is the ability to go 1:1 or near enough or even better - which essentially indicates you can focus an object which appears the same size on the sensor as real life. This means you can focus really really close to the lens.

Your choices are essentially a dedicated macro lens (which you can of course use for other purposes - I find mine is my best portrait lens as well); extensions tubes; close focusing filters or a reversing ring (to mount a normal lens backwards).

For taking close up shots of flowers you will probably find a dedicated macro lens easiest (even though all the other options may well be cheaper to some degree) - I have the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 macro lens and can say it does an outstanding job for the price and is pretty easy to use to do flowers (handheld with autofocus even). If you wanted to go much further with macro and do extreme insect closeups you might need to use a macro lens in combination with some of the other things - I've never done this - I notice others on this forum have.

[Mat]

I've had my tubes since the 90's for my 35mm SLR and they work very well. I now use them on my DSLR.

[RaoulIsidro]

Your current lens is a nice macro, as others before have pointed out!
If you upgrade your camera body, use the Live View feature on the screen, zoom 10X by pressing the right + thumb button, and use Manual Focus.
Live View is fantastic because it sees sharp focusing that your eyes can't pick out using the viewfinder. AF can go off at very shallow DOF, so MF is the way to go.
Having the camera on a tripod is even better as it will minimize shake.
(Be sure to enable Live View "exposure simulation" on the Custom Function Menu).

[ricktas]

hi,

i am not sure if this is the correct section to post in (i am not aloud in macro section yet).

I have a 30D and a canon 60 mm lens. I am wanting to take macro shoots like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sakuraaya/sets/72157594174383246/?page=4

but i know that with my 60 mm - i can't get that kind of 'look' - i find i have to get very close to the subject to the point that it is really hard to focus manually or auto focus doesn't really work that good (no surprise there).

do you think i should change my lens to perhaps a 100 mm?

I have done a bit of reading and some people say to use kenko extention tubes or go for a macro filter rather than changing/upgrading my lens.

Umm not really sure what do do here - so any tips or suggestions would be great!

This is the right section. You did not have access to the macro section as you have been inactive on the site for some time. How about joining in more, and you will learn more. Ausphotography is about INTERacting with members.

[littlebrony]

thanks everyone!

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day LB

Just seen this post - and answered another one of yours too :)

One of the big things that many people overlook with macro lenses is the angle seen by the lens. The shorter the mms, the wider the angle seen
Depending upon the type of close-up / macro work you wish to do, it will make a big difference to the mms of the lens best suited to that style of work.

Additionally, then comes the "average focussing distance" between the lens & the subject - a longer mms lens gives a larger image size, thus the lens to subject distance needs to be greater too ... great for spiders in webs, [great for flowers as it allows space for your alfoil reflector to be positioned also]

The next thing to contemplate is the depth-of-field one gets [or really doesn't get] during close-up work. If you want DoF, you also want a lens that gives you f32 'at-the-very-least'. My old film-camera macro lens gave me f64. Lens image-quality purists will (correctly) say that "at very small apertures the lens sharpness is reduced" ... but only by small amounts and it still is better sharpness than not having the DoF anyway

Bottom line - keep your current lens till you have well & truly outgrown it and then, with experience as to what you are doing, buy the next lens to suit your needs ... don't go spending money willy-nilly :confused013

Regards, Phil