A cheap Macro Lens for a Digital Rebel

[zman112233]

I'm looking for a cheap fixed maro lens for a Digital Rebel. Could anyone give me some suggestions.

[polloloco81]

What's your definition of cheap.

[elfyrulz]

theres those close-up filter lens which cost around $20

[friscomgm]

50mm f/2.5 macro.

It is loud, slow focusing, and does not have a great build quality, but the pix are pretty decent IMO.

[timmyquest]

I cant belive i'm going to recomend this thing...i truely am shocked.

Sigmas 70-300 f/4-5.6 DL Macro
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home;jsessionid=BMPTQJ2Z1C!-26255728?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=163955&is= REG

It is the worst telephoto lens i have ever used...ever. But even now that i have a 70-200 canon...i have this lens, and for one reason. 200-300mm Macro work. The colors arnt the greatest, but for some reason...the thing just gets darn sharp once you flip that macro switch.

The magnification isnt all that great, but it is a pretty cheap alternative.

All of these are macro shots with this lens

http://www.antiwall.com/Photos/objects/images/timewarp.jpg

http://www.antiwall.com/May2004/images/Dandy.jpg

http://www.antiwall.com/march2004/images/10man%20vs%20nature.jpg

[EDad]

I bought a *cheap* close up filter set from Hoya and they work fine for me

[Digital Prophet]

You know I have a ghetto telemacro 70-300mm that isn't good for crap past 100mm. But it does sharpen considerably with the macro switch flipped. It is a Quantaray :oops:. But I have heard that some of Q's (too ashamed to type it twice) lenses are made by Sigma.

I guess when I get a REAL lens I'll keep it around for macros too.

Hey. At least it was cheap.

- Digital Prophet -

[steven]

Another cheap route are extentions.

Just got a set of three and the do wonderful macro photo using my existing lens.

[Adam Hicks]

Not quite as cheap, but I eBay'd a mint Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro for around $399 and I love it more every time I use it. It's worth a few extra bucks and the thing is built like a tank.

Adam

[Harry Settle]

I get excellent results with my 50 1.8 and a set of Hoya closeups. It's crisp where I want it to be, and blurs where I need it to. Colors seem ok to me, but I'm not the best judge of that since I'm color blind.

[timmyquest]

You know I have a ghetto telemacro 70-300mm that isn't good for crap past 100mm. But it does sharpen considerably with the macro switch flipped. It is a Quantaray :oops:. But I have heard that some of Q's (too ashamed to type it twice) lenses are made by Sigma.

I guess when I get a REAL lens I'll keep it around for macros too.

Hey. At least it was cheap.

- Digital Prophet -

This is the same lens that i mentioned ;-)

Quantry is Sigma

[Digital Prophet]

Well then. Now I feel a bit better and not quite as poverty stricken as before.

Thanks. :P

- Digital Prophet -

[dsze]

....can someone tell me more about what close-up filters actually do? Macro has never been my thing, so I'll admit that I no nothing about it, but I guess I'm confused as to what exactly a filter can do to make your lens macro suddenly.. Enlighten me?

:)
-daniel

[boone]

I have some Tiffen 58mm closeup lenses for my Rebel kit lens that did a pretty good job. Once nice thing about the kit lens is that it can already focus as close as 0.92 ft., so adding closeups to it works pretty well.

I eventually broke down and bought the 100mm/f2.8 Canon macro though. It's a good bit heavier than the kit lens with filters, so holding it steady has been my new challenge.

[boone]

...can someone tell me more about what close-up filters actually do?

It's sort of like sticking a magnifying glass in front of your lens. My filters came in a 3 filter kit, each with a different magnification, and you can stack them. The image quality degrades a bit as you stack them though.

[dsze]

Got ya... thanks.

-daniel

[rraman]

I have used Canon 500D close-up lens in past with my film SLR and it seemed to work well. It costed around $80 when I bought it.

[mdude85]

yeah, hoya macro filters seem like a neat option. they are only about 35 dollars for a set of 3 (+1, +2, and +4). +4 gives a significant macro effect I think.... one +10 filter is about 80 dollars but that seems like very mighty magnification.

[Digital Prophet]

I have heard alot of good things about the Hoya Macro filters. And they really are pretty reasonable when you consider the cost of a macro lens.

Now do they do AS good a job as the dedicated lens? I don't know for sure, but I would bet probably not. But I have seen alot of shots that have used these filters and they look good to me.

- Digital Prophet -

[Chako]

You could always attach an old 50 mm reversed onto your lens for some real close up action.

I made an adapter on the cheap. I bought a step down ring, and then epoxyed an old filter ring minus the glass reverse to the step down ring.

This allows me to attach an old 49mm Olympus Zuiko lens reverse onto my 58mm Canon lens via the filter threads.

I have found that if I use this combo on a telephoto lens, I get really good macros minus the vignette. With a smaller focal length lens, you will get severe vignette.

Some cheap fun with some fairly good results, with all the hassles of low depth of field that high macro photography entails.

[jonnyhorizon]

i believe the right solution depends a lot on the type of macro photography you want to do
i have the promasters 58mm filter set that i use on my 50mm 1.8
works nicely when you have time to fiddel around and an environment that lets you easily set up a tripod
my prime need is for quick wildflower shots when hiking with others and set-up time is at a premiun
i sprung for the canon 100mm macro and have not used the filters since
not a cheap solution ...j

[MrKickalot]

Extension tubes!!! They work with every lens (except the 18-55). Kenko has a set of 3 for $129.00. I just got them and they are awesome. I have used them with my 50 f1.8 and my 75-300. They autofocus but not well... plus where they have no glass in them they can not degrade the quality of a good lens unlike cheap filter magnifiers!!

[robertwgross]

Yes, extension tubes work great on any normal EF lens. There may be a special one for an EF-S lens.

---Bob Gross---

[nosquare2003]

Not quite as cheap, but I eBay'd a mint Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro for around $399 and I love it more every time I use it. It's worth a few extra bucks and the thing is built like a tank.

Adam

Agree with you that 100/2.8 is cheap for its excellent optics...

[boone]

Supposedly the Canon Series II extension tubes work with the EF-S lens:

http://www.adorama.com/CAETEF252.html?searchinfo=canon%20extension&item_n o=13
http://www.adorama.com/CAETEF122.html?searchinfo=canon%20extension&item_n o=10

[rang]

I just bought the Kenko set of 3 extension tubes...they work great.
And...they do work with the Rebel XTi kit EFS lens (18-55mm).
The results are great.

However...with the Kenko set you have to do a modification.
There are a couple of before and after photos posted on the web. I am at work and don't have the links handy. But a google look up will find them on the forums where they are posted.

Let me say that my wife calls me the "anti-handyman" so I did the modification without any power tools (no dremel sander, no vise, no electronics period).
Just me, one of the photos, a sharp box cutter and a round shaped file.

I used the photo and "eye-balled" how much of the plastic ring I needed to cut away. I care fully "etched" my cutting line and proceeded to cut the excess plastic away. I cut deeper and deeper until I could remove the amount need. Then I filed away any "burrs". Blew away any tailings, dust etc.
Test fit the kit lens from time to time till it would just fit (took off the thin rubber "gasket" on the very end of the kit lens) (I did the mod like one of the photo posters to the 12mm extension tube only...figuring if I wanted to get closer I would start with the 12mm and just add the next one to it and repeat the process as needed. That way I didn't have to spend time modding the other two).
Mounted the extension tube to the XTi, mounted the kit lens...tested the AF and other manual mode adjustments...worked great. So I knew the electrical contacts worked.
Took pictures.

VOILA!

BTW the Kenko set works great with the Canon 50mm f/1.4 as well and so some degree with a Tamron 28-300 Di telephoto (neither of these two needed the mod and fit just fine after the mod)

I did order a Quanteray set of 3 macro filters to dry out on the telephoto. Just to see what happens.

My two cents worth.

-rang