Little test of 4 lenses

[racketman]

thought i'd try my 3 macro lenses (60EFS,MPE 65, & Sigma 150) and the nifty 50 on tubes against each other. all 1:1 (took 12mm tube off set for nifty), all f11 ISO 200, hand held flash, 350D on tripod with cable release, L jpeg mode. Set lenses at 1:1 moved soldier until chin strap button sharp.
Full images just resized to 800 and sharpened with same settings. Crops unprocessed.
50 on tubes is not as evenly lit as others but I think this points out a disadvantage with this set up in that even with a hand held flash it was difficult to get even illumination. It was of course the closet to the subject followed by 60EFS, mPE and 150.

Probably a rubbish test but filling time whilst boiler heats up again.

http://www.richmondparkbugs.com/lens_test.htm

[bigken462]

Good way to pass the time. I like the 60mm Seems to show more detail maybe over the 160?

You know my wallet didnt need to see this! I'm currently waiting on a diffuser, flash bracket, 50mm, 8G flash cards, flash cords, shoe mounts, tripod rings for the 100mm, and some positioning plates.............Oh well, whats another 60mm.....Lol.


Kenny

[racketman]

Good way to pass the time. I like the 60mm Seems to show more detail maybe over the 160?

You know my wallet didnt need to see this! I'm currently waiting on a diffuser, flash bracket, 50mm, 8G flash cards, flash cords, shoe mounts, tripod rings for the 100mm, and some positioning plates.............Oh well, whats another 60mm.....Lol.


Kenny

don't see a 100mm in your gear list but if you have one I wouldnt waste money getting the 60mm, i'm sure its just as good.

[Samgoit]

Can you speak to the darkness of the 50mm with tubes? I’m not sure I understand from your original post what has happened. The light has changed?

[racketman]

Can you speak to the darkness of the 50mm with tubes? I’m not sure I understand from your original post what has happened. The light has changed?

just trickier to light the subject being so much closer to lens - ringflash would sort it out but maybe I should have tried harder.

[Samgoit]

just trickier to light the subject being so much closer to lens - ringflash would sort it out but maybe I should have tried harder.

Oh, I gotcha. I use that set up (50 + tubes), but my flash bracket won't be here till tomorrow. Still, interesting test.

Thanks.

[bigken462]

Thanks for the note........I gotta find a way to work on that gear list. I'm limited to five lines.......Can't figure out how to get mine to resemble the style of others.

The 100mm was my last gadget to get last week. At my old site there were lil critters running all over the place........I think vector has been at it again with their spray......Oh well. Its getting cooler here at nights anyhow so I would imagine that what citters we do have will soon be long gone.

Last night I went in the exam room and practiced taking images of medication. We have fluorescent lighting in all the rooms here and its difficult at best to meter anything. I played around with the homemade paper diffuser that you sent a picture of, then soon got board and started to see what combinations I could use the tubes with in regards to my others lens. I see now that I should have bought the tubes along time ago.

Kenny

[LordV]

At a quick glance doesn't seem to much in it from image quality POV apart from the lighting on the 50mm shot :)
Brian V.

[bandit 1]

Hiya RM,
Mmm an interesting way to while away some time, I guess as the saying goes it aint wot ya got its ow ya use it.
Cheers for now
Mark

[racketman]

Hiya RM,
Mmm an interesting way to while away some time, I guess as the saying goes it aint wot ya got its ow ya use it.
Cheers for now
Mark

True but if you were in the market for a macro lens and it could be shown that any one was clearly superior to the others it would make sense to buy that one. However I think we know by now that all macro lenses can produce excellent images and there is indeed little to choose between them. It comes down to thnigs like weight against working distance. The MPE65 is the expensive exception in providing x5mag with no hassle but not everyone needs or wants that.

[LindaB]

Interesting and worthwhile shots.

I couldnt agree more about what it boils down to with choice ie weight and working distance. I have both the 100mm and the 60mm macro lenses and I absolutely love using the 60mm.

If I am asked to recommend one or the other, I just cant because they both have their merits and in my mind, both worth having. The only thing I can point out to prospective purchasers is the weight and working distance - I just happen to feel more comfortable with the 60mm, but its nice to have the 100mm if I do need that extra little bit of working distance.

Linda

[Stefano]

Very interesting thread. I've a question for you. Does the shutter speed required at 1:1 depends on the magnification factor or on the focal length? Eg.: I can handhold my sigma 150mm at 1/160s (mag. 1:1) without blur, but not at slower speed. I haven't tried other macro lenses so I don't know if it depends on the length of my sigma (the old rule focal lenght /shutter speed)or on the magnification factor. What speed have you to use with your 60mm to avoid blur? Hope it make sense in english...:oops:

[bandit 1]

Hiya RM,
All true as you say, talking of being in the market gotnee for sale goin cheap?? ;) my mum said if you don't ask you don't get, quickly followed by a clout round the ear & then being told little boys should be seen & not heard :confused: .

That MPE65 is an awesome lens but definitely a dedicated lens, one day, one day.
I'll stick to my magnifying glass for now, actually I was thinking about trying a lash up with a Leuopold Sniper Scope I've got in my 'cabinet' probably won't work but could be interesting.
Cheers for now
Mark


True but if you were in the market for a macro lens and it could be shown that any one was clearly superior to the others it would make sense to buy that one. However I think we know by now that all macro lenses can produce excellent images and there is indeed little to choose between them. It comes down to thnigs like weight against working distance. The MPE65 is the expensive exception in providing x5mag with no hassle but not everyone needs or wants that.

[LindaB]

Very interesting thread. I've a question for you. Does the shutter speed required at 1:1 depends on the magnification factor or on the focal length? Eg.: I can handhold my sigma 150mm at 1/160s (mag. 1:1) without blur, but not at slower speed. I haven't tried other macro lenses so I don't know if it depends on the length of my sigma (the old rule focal lenght /shutter speed)or on the magnification factor. What speed have you to use with your 60mm to avoid blur? Hope it make sense in english...:oops:

Stefano
I dont know who you directed your question at, possibly RM as he was the original poster of the subject, but as I use the 60mm a lot, I thought it would be ok to tell you my settings.

I almost always use a flash with my macro lense and the settings are in manual with the shutter speed set at 200 - at this speed there is no blur (only if its caused by me lol).

If I dont use the flash, I will always aim to get the highest possible shutter speed.

I am not sure there is a definitive answer to your question in any case because there are so many different techniques applied to shooting macro
for example if you use a tripod or not, with and without flash etc.

Linda

[LordV]

Very interesting thread. I've a question for you. Does the shutter speed required at 1:1 depends on the magnification factor or on the focal length? Eg.: I can handhold my sigma 150mm at 1/160s (mag. 1:1) without blur, but not at slower speed. I haven't tried other macro lenses so I don't know if it depends on the length of my sigma (the old rule focal lenght /shutter speed)or on the magnification factor. What speed have you to use with your 60mm to avoid blur? Hope it make sense in english...:oops:

Stefano- think it must depend on the focal length rather than the magnification.
Same as using a normal 50mm lens to take a picture of say a duck from 1 metre away and a 200mmm lens to take the same size picture from further away. You ould have to use1/50th for the 50mm and 1/200th for the 200mm but the magnification is the same.
Brian V.

[racketman]

Hiya RM,
All true as you say, talking of being in the market gotnee for sale goin cheap?? ;) my mum said if you don't ask you don't get, quickly followed by a clout round the ear & then being told little boys should be seen & not heard :confused: .

That MPE65 is an awesome lens but definitely a dedicated lens, one day, one day.
I'll stick to my magnifying glass for now, actually I was thinking about trying a lash up with a Leuopold Sniper Scope I've got in my 'cabinet' probably won't work but could be interesting.
Cheers for now
Mark

I wouldnt have good reason for selling any of my macro lenses. You would need a body first I presume and I might sell my 350D body (9000shots) and BG-E3 grip plus kit lens,420ex flash, cable release and 2 extra batteries to finance another 5fps body for tennis. £450 would be pretty cheap I think as new that lot is about £705 at Warehouse Express. Few dust spots in viewfinder (only canon can clean that I think) otherwise vgc.
Still leave you needing a macro lens so maybe not much use :confused:

[Stefano]

Thank you very much Brian and Linda. I'd like to take more natural light shots and this is very difficult with my actual lens due to the fast shutter speed required. If the focal length is the problem I think I'll buy a new lens for the next spring, probably the new sigma 70mm. Bye.

[joegolf68]

Have you tried the 50mm using it in reverse? Nice little test you did. The 50mm sure was dark and I was surprised at just how well the 60 came out. Thanks for sharing.