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Thread: I need an afforable macro lens - Advice Please

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  1. #1
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    I need an afforable macro lens - Advice Please

    I just sold my beloved Sigma 85mm and my Canon 100mm 2.8L lens and now I need to find an affordable alternative for a macro lens.

    Main points to consider - Price, hand-holdable, sharp, smooth background, 1:1 magnification, versatility. What anyone wants from their macro lens!

    Here is what I think my options are ...

    Sigma 70mm Macro - I can't find it used but the new price is in my range. I owned it, I know I can hand-hold it a get pretty sharp images. I like the images I did get from it. Background was smooth, worked nice as a portrait lens also. Negative & why I sold it - slowest lens on the planet and noisy. But when I sold it, I knew I still had the Canon 100mm macro as backup. Now, maybe I would be accepting of its limitations and appreciate its abilities more.

    Sigma 105mm OS Macro - For slightly more than the 70mm, I can pick up a used "never used" copy online that is still under warranty. It has OS, fast focusing. Length is alittle longer than than the Sigma 85mm that I really liked but not a huge issue and actually maybe a plus for nervous insects and such & help me not create shadow. The speed would give me the versatility for when I am in the garden taking macro shots and the dogs or grandkids are out and about in the yard. It accepts both Canon & Sigma TC's if that ever comes into play later on. The negative - I can't find a real lot of reviews or feedback on this lens. I know when I got a good copy of the Sigma 70mm, 50mm & 85mm, 17-50mm the Sigma was very pleasing.

    Canon 100mm L non-IS Macro - Can't beat the used price of this lens but I am worried the non-IS on a lens this size will be an issue for macro work. I can use a tripod for flowers but not when chasing butterflies and other insects or when going to some botanic gardens.

    Maybe someone can explain what I am looking at here (the 105mm is with OS, I just forgot to mark it as such) ...

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Is the 105mm the better one as far as these charts show? I don't understand them very well.

    FYI - My photos posted on Flickr taken with the Sigma 70mm Macro ...

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/1808587...7629585699800/


    Suggestions much appreciated!

    Denise

  2. #2
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    Yes, the Sigma 105mm chart looks better. Just over simplifying the higher the line at any given point the better. I think if your comparing the Sigma vs the Sigma it might give you an idea of what to expect.

    But I wouldn't read too much in to the Canon's chart vs the Sigma's because two different manufactures prepared the charts. Two different manufactures preparing similar charts, may or may not be fair comparisons with each other. With the Sigma vs Sigma you would think that Sigma arrived at the charts the same for each lens and it may be a fair comparison.

  3. #3
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    This video might help

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjCoD0_V2RM

    If the charts were comparable, which I don't think they are, the Canon is beating the Sigma's wide open and it compares closely to the Sigma 105mm stopped down.
    Last edited by HDNitehawk; 05-02-2012 at 07:05 PM.

  4. #4
    Administrator Sean Setters's Avatar
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    For an even cheaper macro lens, just buy extension tubes. Kenko makes some nice, relatively affordable ones (I found some used on Ebay for about $100).

  5. #5
    Senior Member btaylor's Avatar
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    Yep, and they work too! Here's a couple of shots with the Kenko tubes on my 70-200mm f/4L IS and 40D (from a while back).


    Palm pilot by Ben__Taylor, on Flickr


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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by btaylor View Post
    Yep, and they work too! Here's a couple of shots with the Kenko tubes on my 70-200mm f/4L IS and 40D (from a while back).
    I bought a set of extension tubes myself as well. They are definitely not as handy as a dedicated macro-lens, because you lose pretty much all of your focus range. This means that the area you can focus on is very small. Not that bad if you have found your subject, but if you need to quickly focus on something it might be hard.
    However the good part is that they do work very well. Combined I have 65mm of extension tube and it works great on my girlfriends 85mm, but I also really like it on my 70-200 F4L IS. And you keep the IS 'm not sure what magnification it gives exactly, but it's pretty nice. For the 85 and 70-200 you also keep a nice working distance. I tried it on my 50mm prime and 24-105, but those weren't good. Quite nice magnification, but so little owrking distance that it wasn't really usable in the field.

  7. #7
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    I don't want to make things more difficult, but the Tamron 90mm macro always gets good reviews. The IQ is good, and in the comparisons I have read, it beats Sigma, but as is the case with most Tamron lenses, the autofocus is rather slow. So if you are hunting bugs, I guess it is out of the question. Also, no IS. But it considered a good buy, due to its low price and high IQ.

    Lars

  8. #8
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    Thanks for the responses guys!

    @ HD - That video was very helpful with getting me to understand those charts. Thanks much for providing the link!

    @ Sean & Ben - I do have the Kenko extension tube set. I am ok with using the 12mm but when it comes to using the 20mm & 36mm, I have somewhat more difficulty focusing. With those or with stacking, it takes me forever to get focus unless I am setup well with my tripod and a macro slider. I sold my slider a long while back but maybe I should look at getting another and just using the tubes more often. More practice may make them become easier to use for me.

    BTW Ben - AWESOME shots!! I still have my 70-200mm f4 IS but never used tubes on it ...you may have inspired me to give it a shot!

    Question: The guy that may sell me his 105mm just emailed a couple photos he took with the lens. Is it "proper" for me to post them here?? I have a question on something I am seeing in the photos. I do not know if it is something caused by the camera, the lens, or in post.

  9. #9
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    I am not sure if it is proper or improper. But it might irritate the guy if you put his lens / pictures up on the Internet for world wide critique.

    Hide his exif data for sure if you do.

  10. #10
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    Ok, I won't. I had figured it wasn't the best thing to do even if it was just a crop area of one photo.

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