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I primarily photographed wild birds and mammals for many years. . Now I am spending an equal amount of time photographing snakes, toads, turtles, lizards, and frogs ... a.k.a. "herps".
I've been using the gear that I already had for other photography for my reptile and amphibian photography, but am finding that it often isn't capable of producing the kinds of images that I really want. . Lenses like the 24-105 f4 and the 100-400mm v2 and the 105mm Sigma macro just aren't up to the task. . They are okay for "normal" herp imagery (like what you see in field guides), but don't come close to being able to create the super-dramatic, ultra-creative type of images that I would like to create.
These little critters are sometimes only as big as my pinky finger, and I am finding that the very best photos of these little critters often come when the lens is extremely close to the subject, so that the subject is very large in the frame ... but yet also gives a wide field of view for dramatic effect.
Many of the herp photographers whose images I really love are using very wide angle lenses that also have true macro capabilities. . Like the Laowa 15mm macro with true 1:1 magnification, making it a real macro lens.
One quite excellent herp photographer, in a series of private messages on Instagram, told me that he can't get the look he loves until he is at least as wide as 20mm, and preferably even wider (on a full frame). . He also said that true macro capability is a must for the style of images that he creates ..... that means nothing less than 1:1 magnification ratio. . I have had trouble finding many lenses that meet these specifications, so I am asking y'all if you know of any. . Or if you know of any old obsolete lenses like this that could be adapted for Canon EF or RF use.
I've tried extension tubes, and they really, really don't work well at all for the type of ultra-dramatic wide angle images I want to shoot.
In threads about wide angle and zoom lenses here on POTN, I have already tried to generate discussion about minimum focus distance and magnification ratio, but very few people bother to respond. . Oddly, it seems like MFD and super close up magnification are not all that important to most of the people who post on here. . Hence, I thought I would start this thread in the wildlife section to see if I could generate the kind of discussion that I have failed to generate elsewhere.
So, I am wondering if anyone here on POTN has bought gear specifically for photographing herps, instead of just using the lenses you already have for them. . If so, I would love to hear your insights and to see some of your images. . I am going to need to buy some lenses specifically for herp photography, but money has been tight of late, and I can't afford to make any gear purchase mistakes, so I am trying to amass all of the knowledge I can on this topic before spending anything.
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. It's not a chep lens and very specific, sort of exactly in the area I think your looking for. 
