Just got a 350 XT, a few questions

[njallen100]

I just got a Rebel Xt for graduation. And I wanted to know somethings.

-What is a good Macro lense for around 50-125 dollars?
-What is a good Polarizing filter?

thanks,
allen

[weemannie]

Hi Allen

I think you will be hard pressed to find a reasonable macro lens for that budget, even secondhand. You may want to consider extension tubes or screw-in lenses (like filters) that fit the front of your lens. Either option will increase the magnification of your lens.

Hoya, B+W and Tiffen all make good quality circular polarisers.

[bachscuttler]

Here is a great little Tiffen Filter Kit I picked up recently:
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=&products_id=99490

A great starting kit but probably not the best quality but would at least give you a taste for what these filters are about, and it includes a Circular Polarizing Filter, UV Protector Filter and an 812 Warming Filter in their own protective wallet.
£18GBP down from RRP of £50 GBP

At that price, you've nothing to lose!

[njallen100]

Thanks, then around how much would I need to pay for a macro lense?

[RAitch]

You're talking hundreds... getting close to $1000CAD
I think the 100macro is around $600USD or so.. there's a 60 or 80 that's cheaper.

I'm too lazy to do some searching for prices, but I'm sure somebody else will post some links.

I bought the 70-200 f4 lens and just bought some Kenko tubes. I'm pretty happy with the results. I never did like the macro filters... but they work fine too.

[Tom W]

Allen, the Canon 100 mm Macro lens is around $460, and the Canon 60 mm EF-S macro lens is in a similar price range. Both are true macro lenses that allow you to get so close that the image of a bee will almost fill the entire image.

What you might want to do is get a couple of extension tubes - they allow you to focus much closer with your regular lens than you normally would so that you can get in tight for macro shots.

[FScott]

Okay, I hate to even bring this up here for fear of getting hammered but if you REALLY have to have one for some project and the extension tubes won't do, this can work:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186637&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

It is $119. I had one for my minolta film SLR and the build quality is VERY cheap but it did work to 1:2 without any issues. I looked around for some shots with it but I think they are buried in our storage room. My wife used it a lot at work and she seemed to like the results. Of coures the Canon is a much better lens in EVERY respect. YMMV.

-- Scott.

[Tom W]

Scott - one big problem with that lens is that it is shown in Canon FD mount. Won't fit the EOS mount without an adapter.

[etaf]

extension tubes is the only way to go at that price - you can get a set of three for around £80 in UK
TELEPLUS AUTO EXTENSION TUBE (SET OF 3) CANON EOS
I suspect they would be about $80 as the uS seems to be so much cheaper for photographic equipment
http://kenmcvayphoto.clymbers.com/articles/extensiontubes.html
http://www.photographic.com/phototechniques/54/index1.html

[FScott]

Scott - one big problem with that lens is that it is shown in Canon FD mount. Won't fit the EOS mount without an adapter.

Good catch Tom! You almost saved him from temptation. Anyway, I'm not saying this is a good idea but here is the link for EOS:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=SearchBar&A=search&Q=*&shs=phoenix+macro&image.x=0&image.y=0

p.s. sorry for the confusion...

-- Scott.

[RAitch]

Does anybody actually have this Phoenix EOS lens?
From the few reviews I've found, it sounds like another nifty fifty type lens. Good optics but crappy build quality. If that's truly the case, there are a lot of people here that should check it out. I mean, a macro for under $200... who cares if it feels like a toy.

Anybody give any reasons why it shouldn't be called the "100m gem" (following the nifty fifty naming convention)?

[FScott]

Does anybody actually have this Phoenix EOS lens?
From the few reviews I've found, it sounds like another nifty fifty type lens. Good optics but crappy build quality. If that's truly the case, there are a lot of people here that should check it out. I mean, a macro for under $200... who cares if it feels like a toy.

Anybody give any reasons why it shouldn't be called the "100m gem" (following the nifty fifty naming convention)?

Well, I have mine in my hand now. It is a minolta mount and I haven't used in in maybe 8 years and I can't remember what it was like. I also can't quickly find any pictures I took with it. I swear they are in one of these boxes... In my other hand I have my nifty-fifty. I have to say that build quality is comparable. The phoenix has a metal mount but the focus feels "sticky" perhaps from non-use. It also isn't particularly fast at f3.5 . It goes to 1:2 and they give you a close-up lens to screw on the front to get you to 1:1. I wish I had more to tell you. I could put film in the minolta but I haven't used it is several years and have to buy a CR10 battery. If people are REAL interested I could do that. I love my nifty-fifty. It is embarrassing that I don't have more to tell you about the phoenix, you know, since I actually own one and all... I could take some photos of it if anyone cares.

-- Scott.

[njallen100]

Hey, will thoose polarizing filter be able to go on the kit lense (that's all I have for now :( ) saving up to get something better.

[FScott]

The kit lens has a 58mm front thread so that is what you need for a filter. I don't have one for the Kit lens but I have this one in 67 mm and it works nicely. Here is a link to what you would need:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=155151&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Here's a cheaper one from Tiffen. It isn't coated but should work fine.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=56633&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

One problem with the kit lens is that the front rotates when you (or the AF system) focuses. This will change the polarization setting of the circular polarizer. Thus you will have to focus first and then set the polarizer to get the effect you want and finally take the picture. The second problem with the kit lens is that it isn't very fast. You are going to lose 1-2 stops with the polarizer so that at 50mm your lens goes from f5.6 to somewhere between f8 and f11. You will need a lot of light and the AF system may have trouble. You can try and use the center focus spot but you are probably better off manually focusing because of the filter rotation anyway.

-- Scott.

[njallen100]

Thanks man that's aweosme info.

[felix21685]

granted its not the sharpest lens out there but i think you should look at this one instead of the phoenix !
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=163662&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
i have this one right now..and its pretty decent..it lets you do macro and then youve got a 300mm lens
if you can swing it get the APO version which is 219.
but i wouldn't settle for less than that.

[RAitch]

That's a slow lens... but it'll be faster then any of my lenses (70-200) with tubes.
It does 1:2 at 300mm?? What does it get at 70?

I've been using my nifty with the 3 kenko tube set to get really close... The more focal length you use, the farther away you get (working distance) and the less magnification you can get.

How does this Sigma fair in that regard?