Macro lens help!

[richoman3]

hey guys,
ive got 1 week to chose a macro lens for xmas!
i think the max price would be around $700.
so far im thinking of getting canon EF 100mm f2.8 USM Macro lens, is that a good one?
any help would be appreciated !

oh, im taking pictures of reptiles and insects so yeaah i want the head in focus with the blurred background but not too much!
Nick

[old dog]

Tamron 90....best value for money I reckon. Be less than 700....even get one on ebay s/hand for half this price.

[richoman3]

stupid question lol, (i have no idea with lens :/ ) can you get that on a canon camera?
im getting a canon 60D

[Bennymiata]

The Canon 100mm macro is a very good macro lens, and can be bought for under $600 grey.

[William W]

. . . so far im thinking of getting canon EF 100mm f2.8 USM Macro lens, is that a good one?any help would be appreciated oh, im taking pictures of reptiles and insects so yeaah i want the head in focus with the blurred background but not too much!Yes, it is a good macro lens with a suitable working distance for those Subjects and light enough and small enough to still manage/control when crawling, ect:http://gallery.photo.net/photo/13050837-lg.jpg


WW

[richoman3]

thank you !!!
one of my mates said though if i buy it i have to buy a flash aswell for it otherwise none of the pics will come out good?

[peterb666]

Depends on what you are phographing and the sort of ambient lighting and what else you have. I frequently use constant LED ligthting and reflectors.

A tripod that lets you shoot low or at unusual angles would probably be a wise investment.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[William W]

. . . one of my mates said though if i buy it i have to buy a flash aswell for it otherwise none of the pics will come out good?

As already mentioned - use of Flash depends on whether or not Flash is necessary.

I posted the sample of the Blue Tongue, because you wrote that you wanted to photograph reptiles.
This Blue Tongue I followed, me crawling through bushes and I used no Flash . . .

This Flower at Sunrise - again no Flash was used:

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/12352953-md.jpg

The need to use Flash for Macro Photography is generally twofold - firstly to freeze subject motion and secondly to allow a small enough aperture to have a sufficient Depth of Field (and to use a lower ISO).

But if the scene is lit well by the ambient light then often that light is enough to get the DoF and the ISO we require to make the shot - in this regard what is the next major concern is the steadiness of the camera, because often we will compromise the shutter speed to get a low ISO and a small aperture - so the other major accessory for macro (and close up work) is a tripod and the resultant tripod accessories. Alternatively a monopod is a good tool also.

I have Flash units which are especially adapted for Macro work: and also I have a Tripod and micro adjusting rails - and some other accessories as well which suit macro photography, but all these things are NOT absolute necessities but rather extra gear I have accumulated over the years as different jobs or challenges present themselves.

It would be unwise to run out and buy a truckload of gear at the beginning, before experimenting with the lens, asking questions and better understanding what you can and cannot do with the lens: and in fact what YOU want to do more of with the lens.

Certainly, though the two accessories you will likely want to buy will be a Flash Unit, along with a suitable tripod or monopod - but it would be wise to assess what type of Flash Unit and tripod and head to buy, so that these tools can be used for other applications also.

Also, understand that the Macro Lenses generally, because of their general FL and sharpness, make a good Prime Lens which is often useful for Portraiture especially.


WW

[SamNabz]

Hey Nick,

I have the Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Macro Lens on a 60D and absolutely love it. I found one second hand on eBay and done a deal privately with the seller who lived close by and ended up purchasing it for $240 (RRP $600).

It was in excellent condition with not a scratch or dent on it, and worked perfectly (tested at the sellers house).

I don't use a flash, however I have set up a light box to take pictures of my herps. The hardest part is getting the geckos to sit still or on top of the logs long enough before they disappear underneath them! lol

I haven't used the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens myself but have been told it is a better lens than the Tamron, however both are great lenses - it really comes down to your budget. As has been mentioned above, you could pick the Canon up for about $500+ grey (+postage) or roughly $800 from a store here in Aus. The Tamron is about $350+ grey (+postage) and approx. $600 from a store.

[Cyza]

like others in the thread I can vouch for the tamron 90mm
I choose it as it was basically one of the cheapest 1:1 macro lens on the market.

I really do like it, and see no reason to buy a more expensive macro lens anywhere near in the future.

In regards to flash. I have taken lots of great (I hope others think there not to bad either) shots with out flash
such as
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6107/6278651870_4453ddd17f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcyza/6278651870/)
thirsty fly (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcyza/6278651870/) by J Cyza (http://www.flickr.com/people/jcyza/), on Flickr

The more I used the lens the more I found a need for an additional light source, as I wanted a greater depth of field (higher F number)
I started using the in camera flash on my 60D but because of the size of the lens there is often a shadow at the front of your image like so
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6232/6297527623_12e2ae68bc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcyza/6297527623/)
the #### is this (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcyza/6297527623/) by J Cyza (http://www.flickr.com/people/jcyza/), on Flickr

I did buy an external flash, partly for macro partly for other user, but it came the day after I left for my trip (which i'm currently on)

so my advice would be:
buy the tamron 90 mm
take lots of photos with it
if you find yourself needing additional lighting buy a flash


If you buy a 430EXII like me or a yongnuo one I'm pretty sure you'll spend only a few dollars extra and have a flash for every other type of photography :)

hope this helps a bit :)

[ameerat42]

thank you !!!
one of my mates said though if i buy it i have to buy a flash aswell for it otherwise none of the pics will come out good?
Don't agree at all. None of the pics...?

Lots of good advice in this thread, and well summarised by Cyza, as quoted:

so my advice would be:
buy the tamron 90 mm
take lots of photos with it
if you find yourself needing additional lighting buy a flash

[richoman3]

thank you everyone!
god now i have to pic out of the 2 :P
if i get enough money before january (going to noosa) ill get the canon but if not the tamron ... anyone got a spare $500 laying around :P

thanks heaps everyone for the help !, appreciated!
and great pic will !, perfect example i was looking for :)

[AmPhot]

Another Tammy 90mm user here. Love it and one of my most used lenses. Something else to consider - get the Tamron and use the extra cash to get a flash to use with it. ;) Plenty of cheap speedlights you can get and this will give you a chance to experiment before deciding to invest in more kit later on.

[richoman3]

thanks guys :D
im leaning towards getting the canon but if i dont have enough ill get the tamron :)

@Sam: getting critters to stay still is the easiest thing for me :P

[SamNabz]

thanks guys :D
im leaning towards getting the canon but if i dont have enough ill get the tamron :)

If you're getting $700 spent on you as a Christmas gift, why not throw in the extra $100 yourself and get the Canon?


@Sam: getting critters to stay still is the easiest thing for me :P

Mind sharing your secret with me then? lol - the Oedura are the worst!

[richoman3]

nah ive saved up all year to buy the 60D myself :)
and my parents put in $300 (xmas pressie) and my nan i putting $200 towards the lens

[Allan Ryan]

not sure if anyone mentioned it but----
There are 2 different 100mm Canon macros
a new "L" version with "IS" is available but cost more - just read up about them so you know what your buying.
Plenty on the Lens Review sites.
Don't let the fact that a new version is available make you think less of the older version, its still very good as is the Tamron 90mm

[in2fx]

the EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens is a stunning lens

[tassam380]

I did some searching today, for $500 on EBay there is a Tokina 100mm Macro. I read a review on a trusted site of KenRockwell.com and he says it is better than any Canon or Nikon Macro Lens Available.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tokina-100mm-f-2-8-AT-X-PRO-1-1-Macro-Lens-Canon-NEW-/170750403172?pt=AU_Lenses&hash=item27c1846264
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tokina/100mm-f28.htm

I Haven't personally used this lens but When I can afford a Macro this is probably the one I will go for. Some people may be opinionated on only using Canon brand Lenses but they will all give you an amazing photo.
Also, Here is a link to some Photos with it - http://www.pixel-peeper.com/lenses/?lens=10313

Thankyou,
Sam

[I @ M]

I read a review on a trusted site of KenRockwell.com

Sam, several points ---

Ken Rockwell can only be trusted for one thing and that is to generate traffic to his web site in order to gain revenue.

The Tokina is a very well regarded lens but at that price on fleabay I would rather spend another $150.00 from a local retailer and have the 2 year warranty that Tokina provide rather than looking at that particular second hand item.

[tassam380]

Okay, Maybe trusted wasn't the right word, I just thought that I should put the lens up for Nick to consider, Also, I couldnt find any links to any local retailers. Thankyou for your advice here and I will try to use other links than Ebay in the future.