Best Macro Lens

[CamDiver]

Hi all,
Looking to add a second dedicated Macro lens to my small equipment list. Any ideas to a new Digital Photographer would be very welcomed. I would be looking for something that would allow me to take images of Grass seeds, for example, without the need for all the additional bellows and extension kits etc.

Cheers,
Mark.

[WMS]

The Canon 100 mm macro is the preferred lens of the macro forum, a somewhat macro and bug inclined group.

Wayne

[Jaetie]

The Canon 100 mm macro is the preferred lens of the macro forum, a somewhat macro and bug inclined group.

Wayne

but he already has a tamron 90mm.

i'd say look into a sigma 150mm, sigma 180mm or tamron 180mm. go to fredmiranda.com for reviews.

[CamDiver]

Cheers both,
I will look into the Sigma range. Fred Miranda's appraisal of the Tamron suggests image quality slightly crisper than the Canon. I have yet to play with this as the lens is currently held up in a shipment held by customs, as is the norm. Will be playing with it very soon....might even give the lens a go too!!

Cheers,
Mark.

[xarqi]

Grass seeds are quite small (not counting things like Zea mays of course ;)), so if you wish to see details of individual seeds, rather than a texture formed by several hundred, I think you may be in the >1:1 macro class, and that means you might need to consider the big gun of the field, the MP-E 65mm. It's not a lens to be trifled with (I am given to understand), but capable of stunning images. In essence, it is a macro lens with bellows combined.

[sebr]

You will need to figure out what you want from the 2nd macro. I don't think you have issues with shooting distance, so getting a 150mm or 180mm macro will not help as all 1:1 macro have the same magnification, regardless of FL. I agree with xarqi that you should look into the MP-E 65mm if more magnification is what you want.

[Sprout Crumble]

I think the best two lens macro outfit around would be Sigmas 70/2.8 and 150/2.8.

Be sure if you want an MPE-65. Its a phenomenal bit of kit but its expensive and lacking flexibility (1:1 is as close to infinity focusing it gets).

[gasrocks]

Tamron 90 is a great lens, keep it. I'd go for a different MM myself (and did.) Say Sigma 180?

[EdV]

I think the best two lens macro outfit around would be Sigmas 70/2.8 and 150/2.8.

Be sure if you want an MPE-65. Its a phenomenal bit of kit but its expensive and lacking flexibility (1:1 is as close to infinity focusing it gets).

Very interesting considering I have the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 (which I love) and am considering the 150mm f/2.8.

[CamDiver]

Yeah, will definitely keep all glass. I'll let you all into a secret. I've just bought a crazy bollox EHD (extreme high definition) digital cinema camera, the bank manager is sobbing like a baby!! The beauty of the camera is that with the correct adapter I can use all EF(S) fitting lenses with the camera. Predominantly for underwater but seeing as I use a Canon DSLR I will spend ot on a set of glass, top notch, for both cameras as and when funds allow.

Cheers for all the pointers thus far. Oh, the screen rez of the new cam is equivalent to 12.1MP!

Cheers,
Mark.

[sai-gon-xua]

Very interesting considering I have the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 (which I love) and am considering the 150mm f/2.8.


Sigma 70mm f2.8 & Sigma 105mm f2.8 ???
thanks

[scrumpy]

Think you need to pop over to the "Macro" section and ask them. They know what they are talking about ;)

[silvex]

I have the EF100 USM f/2.8 and it is the 2nd best macro lens per this link

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nnplus.de%2Fmacro%2FM acro100.html&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

[sai-gon-xua]

Can I ask a question ...lens Sigma 70mm f2.8 and Sigma 105mm f2.8 ..so which one better ? Thanks .

[sai-gon-xua]

Can I ask a question ...lens Sigma 70mm f2.8 and Sigma 105mm f2.8 ..so which one better ? Thanks .

[00silvergt]

I have the Sigma 70mm...I like it better than the Canon 60 f2.8. The Sigma is very sharp.

[mattaura]

I have the Sigma 2.8 105mm. Cant go wrong, I love it.

Example:
http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs29/i/2008/093/4/5/Quarter_Dollar_by_mattaura.jpg