Am I missing something?

[Jmurman]

I just got my 300D a couple of days ago, and really love it. I like doing macro, so I am looking for some add ons.

Here is what I am looking to buy.

28-135 IS lens

polarizer filter

Extension tube

remote plunger

Now, Canon has their extension tubes and so does Kenko. Any thoughts here? Will the Kenko work with the D300?

How good are the Canon Filters vs "others" The Canon Polarizer is 85....wow! Should I just just shut up and suck up and get the Canon? :lol:

Thanks!

[Scottes]

Other than macros, what are you going to shoot?

28-135 has been said to be a great all-around lens for not too much money.

Polarizer - why put cheap glass in front of good glass? I think that the general consensus is to go with either Hoya or B&W polarizers. I have a Hoya. It seems that the Canon ones are overpriced.

Extension tube... You might want to look at the Canon 250D diopter. I have a 500D - the one for longer lenses - and have been quite happy with it. Tubes drop the light - and that lens is slow enough already. And I *think* the 250D will give more magnification, but I'm terrible at the math. I'd do some more research on this one. But the Kenkos should work with the 300D and are a much better bargain.

Remote shutter release - I wouldn't live without one, but what are you going to shoot? Live macros - bugs and such - won't really benefit from a remote since you'll be clicking the shutter in real-time. Any inanimate macros will definitely benefit. (And will negate my "slow lens" comment above.)

[Scottes]

Here's some good info on close-up lens (diopters) like the 250D and 500D. It's from Chuck Westfall of Canon. It seems to lean heavily towards close-up lenses vs extension tubes. From this, I'd say that you would be better off with the 250D for that lens.

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/closeup2.htm

But there are lots of good reason to go extension tubes, too. They fit any lens, no optics to reduce image quality, etc, etc. I'm going bug-eyed researching this, so I'm glad that I got my 500D diopter and I'm calling it a day.

[Jesper]

This Macro Primer (http://www.photo.net/macro/primer) is interesting if you want to know more about macro photography and what equipment (lenses, diopters, extension tubes etc.) is suitable for macro photography.

[Jim_T]

Here's some good info on close-up lens (diopters) like the 250D and 500D. It's from Chuck Westfall of Canon. It seems to lean heavily towards close-up lenses vs extension tubes. From this, I'd say that you would be better off with the 250D for that lens.


I use a 500D with the 58mm thread on a Canon EF-100-300 lens...

Despite being called a 'close up' lens, it actually lets you focus from a long way back. With the 100-300 extended to 300mm, I get great magnification of little things at over a foot and a half away.

The good thing about getting farther back is that the lens isn't in the way to block light, and if you're shooting little critters, you're less likely to have them scurry or fly away.

Here's a fly I took with the combo.. (Bit overexposed from the backlighting, but it's the only example I had handy :) ) It was taken at well over a foot away..

http://members.shaw.ca/jamestownsend/fly.jpg