Macro photography lenses
In my last post, I started discussing what is necessary to get started in macro photography. I started with the basics – extension tubes and diopters. Eventually though, once you get sufficiently addicted to macro photography you will want to buy a macro lens. So which macro lens should you buy? While I cannot answer this question for other SLR platforms, it is easy to answer for Canon.
The Canon 100mm 2.8 lens.
Before I start discussing the individual lenses, I will mention what you should look for in a macro lens. The following are very important when dealing with macro lenses.
- Magnification. Most macro lenses are 1:1, though the MP-E 65 and the Canon 50mm are not.
- Focal length. The longer the focal length, the more distant you can be from your subject. For some types of insects, this is critical.
- Weight. Some lenses, such as the Canon 180mm, are quite heavy. It is up to you what weight you feel comfortable with.
- Sharpness. Obviously you want as sharp as possible. Sharpness is more critical for macro then it is for most other types of photography.
- Color contrast. You don’t want to spend all of your time in Photoshop.
What you should not care about is autofocus. Very often I have seen in the reviews of particular macro lenses that they do not autofocus well. This is partly to do with the fact that macro lenses focus closer than normal lenses, so there is more distance the AF must follow. However the truth is serious macro photographers almost never use AF. In a future blog I will cover how to focus, but whenever you read a review trashing a macro for its poor AF performance you should consider the writer a novice in macro photography.
Canon, Tamron, and Sigma all offer several macro lenses each. I will now discuss each of these macro lenses that exist at this time. Please note that all macro lenses are currently primes (with the possible exception of the MP-E 65). A number of zoom lenses claim to have “macro” capabilities but none offer 1:1 magnification. All true macro lenses will have at least 1:1 magnification (actually all but the MP-E 65 are 1:1).
Canon 100mm 2.8 – This is simply the best choice to start out with for macro photography. This focal length is ideal for most types of macro photography and this is one very sharp lens. Unlike many other macro lenses, this lens also makes a decent portrait lens. This lens is also very reasonably priced for the quality you get.
Canon 180mm F/3.5L – If you have the money, this is the lens to go for. It offers the best length for the Canon macro lenses and has the best color contrast. It is also the most expensive macro lens available.
Canon 50mm F/2.5 Compact – This isn’t a true macro, as you need to buy the life size converter to get its magnification to macro levels. It’s also a bit too close for most macro work. I would recommend staying away from it unless you have a specific situation where it is necessary.
Canon MP-E 65 – This is a very unique macro lens capable of very high magnification. I will cover this lens in detail in future posts but for now keep in mind that this is a very difficult lens to use and will take a lot of practice to get good shots. Also, this lens usually requires high end lighting to get good shots.
Canon EF-S 60mm F/2.8 – This lens only works on cropped sensors, so it will not work on the 5D or 1D series. 60mm is also a bit on the short end for macros. The 100mm Canon is a much better buy.
Sigma 150mm F/2.8 – Generally I am not very crazy about Sigma. In my experience Sigma lenses tend to lag behind their Canon counterparts in image sharpness and other matters. Sigma lenses also tend to have poor resale values. However, for the price this lens is certainly worth a look. I know of one individual who swears by this lens.
Sigma 180mm F/3.5 – The reviews I have seen compare this lens favorably with the Canon 180mm, though individuals who have used both almost unilaterally prefer the Canon. This lens costs quite a bit less than its Canon equivalent so it is worth consideration.
Sigma 105mm F/2.8 – This lens compares favorably with the Canon, but at near the price why take the hit with resale value? Just buy the Canon.
Sigma 50mm F/2.8 – For most situations, 50mm is simply too close. The 100mm macro is a much better working distance.
Tamron also makes lenses in a number of these focal lengths. In my experience, while Tamron generally makes good lenses, the resale values are even lower than the Sigma equivalents. Still, most of their lenses, like the Sigmas, are priced a bit lower than the Canon equivalents and are worth a look.
I will end today by posting one of my macro shots that I took of a fly (now that I have figured out how to post images). In future blog posts I will detail further how I took this shot and ones similar to it.
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Tags: beginner, equipment, lens, macro, photography
Actually, I love my point-and-shoot macro lens! Doesn’t get as close as you do but does do a great job with flowers and the small critters!
Mon@rch, I’ve seen your shots and they are very good. Your salamander at night shot is one of my favorites.
What many people don’t know is point-and-shoot cameras often are better than SLR cameras out of the box! Only when getting into the better lenses and dedicated lighting do SLRs take the lead.