Cheap macro lens with big magnification (5:1 or even more) like Canon MP-E 65mm ?

Macrophotography is nice, there are a lot of lenses, I tested a Sigma 150 f2.8 and also a macro tube adaptor on my 24-70 2.8
The insects where not "monstruous big" as the wow shots you see in magazines and online.

A macrophotographer told me in past I needed to buy a lens with bigger magnification (5:1 or more, like the Canon MP-E 65mm).
But this lens costs €1200...
Are there cheap alternative brands (Venus Optics, Samyang Rokinon,...or old lenses) that produce cheap manual macro lenses with 5:1 magnification or higher for Canon ?

I find nothing else on Ebay, I have a feeling I discovered a missing niche market here

I think the MP-E is unusual. A big part of why there are not a lot of lenses similar to it is that the lens is very difficult to use. The lens has very little DOF, and when stopped down you will find the challenges of extreme macro and lighting systems to be quite interesting. Finally. you can experience the fun of 'effective' aperture as you dive down to ever more extreme aperures trying to reach enough DOF to even support the focus stacking exercise you have in mind.

Anyway.....not trying to sound too negative but IMO the MP-E (or any other approach to such extreme magification) is for sure for people who are already experts in the 1:1 realm and who understand the technical limitations. When you use the MP-E in the range from 2:1 to 5:1 it requires a lot of knowledge.

You could take a set of extension tubes and add it to a macro lens. I have a $50 set of Fotodiox tubes I got from B&H. With my 100L I can go to 1.9x and with my 60/2.8 I can go to 2.6x. The shorter the lens focal length, the more benefit from tubes. I would think a used Sigma 70/2.8 would work well for full frame. From there you could also reverse a fifty fifty so you were using a macro lens plus tubes plus a reversed 50/1.8 all together.

It's definitelly a work around but you could get the whole set up for half the price of an MPE65 and cheaper if you already have some of it.

I don't think you got very good advice. I owned the MP-E65 and used it for around 3 years.
I only used it a few times at 5:1. It is very difficult using it at 5:1. Even 3:1 is much more difficult than 1:1.

1:1 will get many "wow" shots, unless you want to specialise in springtails, fruit flies or other tiny insects.
A Canon 100 macro lens does 1:1 and with a full set of extension tubes will achieve around 2:1.
Plenty available used for much less than MPE-65 new or used.

This was 3:1 but effectively a studio shot. Aphids on a rose bush, I broke off a stem with aphids on it and placed the stem in a mini vice on a concrete wall and had camera resting on a beanbag in front of it. Even then it's a challenge just getting the subject in the frame.

Here is one way to build a high-magnification macro lens, involving a short zoom lens and some tubes: http://extreme-macro.co.uk/anybrand-mpe-65mm/

How about 2:1 for about $50? As you get higher magnifications you really need to get into focus stacking.

https://photography-on-the.net …hread.php?t=190​428&page=1

Check the site http://coinimaging.com : they did extensive testing of many different macro lenses (reversed, enlarger lenses, microscope objectives etc.). In particular, their "Hall of fame" is very useful - lets you choose the best lenses for specific magnifications. Based on their recommendations, I purchased an old enlarger lens Schneider 28 mm f/4 Componon on ebay (can be found ~100$), which is one of the best around 4:1 (when used reversed on one set of extension tubes):

http://coinimaging.com​/schn_28r.html

And indeed, it works well for me:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/yK4X​it

Some amazing examples. I would love to try the MP but I find using a full set of tubes on the 100L a challenge. I can only imagine how hard 5-1 is.

Do you need to use a ring light or other macro light when your this close?

I just used a flash with a small diffuser for my dead fly. The working distance was ~40mm.

I agree with what has been said. For those extreme close up "wow shots" you need a static subject and focus stacking (and a lot of patience) more than anything else.

For nice macro shots of butterflies, dragonflies etc. you'll have enough magnification with a 1:1 macro lens.

I'd suggest getting comfortable with 1:1 before you try to get more magnification. Macro is a very technical subject anad you'll likely be disappointed with the results if you try to fly before you can walk.