New to Photography - Macro Lens Advice Needed!

[ddt0725]

I am very new to photography and this site. I just bought a Canon EOS Rebel T1i camera and I am ready to expand my lens collection from the two kit lenses it came with. I have narrowed my macro lens decision down to two and cannot decide which is best....the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro or the Tamron AF 180mm f/3.5 Di SP A/M FEC LD (IF) Macro. Of course,great bokeh is very important and other than the fact I like the $300 difference going with the Tamron but this one does not have IS. I am not fond of using a tripod, will not having IS be a major issue with getting good shots??????


I also am looking at getting the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS lens and I am wondering if anyone has had any problems with this lens.


Advice greatly appreciated! []

[HiFiGuy1]

I don't have a macro lens yet, but my understanding from reading others' posts here is that IS would be very important for handheld macro work, and still may not make enough difference. I preemptively got a good tripod this week just in case. You may want to consider the same tactic.


This also leads me to suggest the Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS, since it has the most advanced hybrid IS system in any Canon lens to date, a precursor to IS in future lenses.

[ddt0725]

Thank you so much for your quick response to my post! I value your advice and the kit I bought did come with a tripod, looks like I had better get comfortable using it ...I think it's going to end up having to be my new companion! []

[HiFiGuy1]

Thank you so much for your quick response to my post! I value your advice and the kit I bought did come with a tripod, looks like I had better get comfortable using it ...I think it's going to end up having to be my new companion! [img]/emoticons/emotion-1.gif[/img]

Yep, I thought I had a tripod, too, but after I picked up my new tripod, I realized I never had a tripod before! My previous Sunpak 7500 isn't even in the same league as the new Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 I just received from myself for Christmas. []You owe it to yourself to look into a real tripod. Only now do I see what I had been missing before. This particular one has a fantastic feature that is tailor-made for macro work, too, with the Q90 rapid column that can be locked in parallel to the ground. Very cool.

[Brendan7]

I will second that. I kicked myself in the face a few times before I mustered the courage to blow $550 on a tripod. I had a cheapo promaster tripod from (?, 5) years ago. Deciding that "6X carbon fiber" tripods like the ones in bryans reviews were overkill, I bought a gitzo basalt tripod with a weight rating of like 30 pounds. Never blown $550 better.

[Brendan7]

I will second that. I kicked myself in the face a few times before I mustered the courage to blow $550 on a tripod. I had a cheapo promaster tripod from (?, 5) years ago. Deciding that "6X carbon fiber" tripods like the ones in bryans reviews were overkill, I bought a gitzo basalt tripod with a weight rating of like 30 pounds. Never blown $550 better.

[neuroanatomist]

Definitely get comfortable with that tripod! Or, consider a flash (Canon twin light, or a Speedlite with a bracket + off-shoe cord). I actually just got myEF 100mm f/2.8<span style="color: red;"]LMacro IS USM - this is the first shot I took, part of an arrangement sitting on the dining table. Natural window light, early afternoon in New England. This is at f/11, and you'll need an aperture in the f/8-11 range for decent DOF when shooting macro. Why do I recommend a tripod? This exposure was 10 seconds (at ISO 200, but even going to 1600 would mean a 1.25 second exposure - way too long even with IS). But, for outdoor shooting in daylight, IS does make handheld macro shots feasible. All around, so far, I love this lens. []


[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.35.15/1st_2D00_Macro.jpg[/img]

[alexniedra]

Welcome to the forum (and photography)!


I'm sure some of the macro shooters in the forum will pick up on this thread soon. In the mean time, I'll do my best to help you out. Although I do not have personal experience using macro lenses, I'll try my best to provide some useful guidance. I'm giving you advice based mainly on the implementation and advantages of Image Stabalization. For specific information regarding image quality testing, working distance and quality of bokeh, I suggest reading Bryan's very helpful review (Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro lens review)


From my experience, both lenses perform very well with respect to their image quality. The images that I have seen shot with the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS Macro were outstanding. I've heard nothing but great things about this lens. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the performance of the Tamron.

I am not fond of using a tripod, will not having IS be a major issue with getting good shots??????

When shooting Macro, keep in mind that depth of field is very scarce at (or approaching) maximum magnification. This means that you may opt for shooting with narrower apertures. Also, a significant amount of light is lost at high magnifications. I think that implementation of Image Stabilization is a great feature, especially when stability is very important - In macro lenses.


If you don't feel comfortable, don't have the space or time to use a tripod for your macro shooting, I think it would be wise to consider the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS Macro over the Tamron. But those are just my thoughts - Maybe your budget calls you to purchase the Tamron 180mm f/3.5 instead.


I hope I have made your purchase decision a little bit easier. I think you are thinking very clearly about your needs so far.


- Alex

[ddt0725]

Thanks, Alex! I am trying to learn so much, it's starting to get a tad jumbled in head. I did read Bryan's review and it was extremely helpful ...I hope he posts one on the Tamron soon, his opinion would really make my decision a lot easier.


Since I am hoping to get the Canon EF 300mmf/4.0 L IS at the same time, saving a few $$ would help but definitely not worth it if not having IS in the macro would short change me on beautiful photos! I have seen so many nice ones posted that were taken with the Tamron ...maybe they just have a sturdier hand than I do!


Thanks so much for the reply ...keep 'em coming, I'm sure I will have many new questions in the near future []


Denise (ddt0725)

[wickerprints]

This is kinda off topic but what in the world do all those letters in the Tamron lens mean?? I got a few good guesses but sheesh. Talk about going a little overboard with the model designations...