good cheap macro lens

hello! i have all the lenses i need for now, but i would like a cheap macro lens to mess around with. cheaper the better, it will be for hobby, not for business. i've heard that there are a range of old lenses that you can use the manual focus on that will work just as well, and i was wondering if there were any suggestions?

thanks so much.

'Good', 'cheap', and true 'macro' ...pick two, you probably will not find all three in a single lens! If you consider 'macro' to simply mean you can closer than 2', you can find those, but they are 'close focusing' lenses and not true macro lenses.

As for using old lenses, (I am assuming you have an APS-C Canon digital SLR) one problem is you will need to buy an adapter to fit non-EF lenses to the EF mount, and while you could focus the lens manually, you will have no aperture control at all.

jrowephotography,
Seeing how you have all the lenses you need for now (which we have no idea what they are? ). I suggest picking up a set of Kenko extension tubes and you can take macro photos with the lenses you already have. Of course to me the Canon 100mm f/2.8 is the best

jrowephotography wrote in post #2168956
hello! i have all the lenses i need for now, but i would like a cheap macro lens to mess around with. cheaper the better, it will be for hobby, not for business. i've heard that there are a range of old lenses that you can use the manual focus on that will work just as well, and i was wondering if there were any suggestions?

thanks so much.

Get the silly 18-55 and use it reversed. Amazing results, far more macro than 1:1.
To be able to do that, get a body-cap and a Cokin 58mm ring and do some DIY work.
Google on terms like "18-55 reversed macro" and you'll probably find enhough info, along with how to change the aperture when not electrically connected to the body (nice feature of EF-lenses

After having experimented with an "flexible extender" (don't know the word in English) on M42 mount in the past, I wanted to have a real macro lens this time so I bought the 100mm macro. I'm heavily disappointed, it only goes to 1:1. That's not what *I* call *macro*. (although probably most people will disagree with me on this)

I've got a 18-55 lying around specifically for this reversed macro trick, but it keeps giving me the dreaded err99 and am looking for a way to get around this....

David
---------
Gearlist: Agfa Clack, 100mm macro and silly 18-55 giving err99 :/

DaveQ wrote in post #2169029
After having experimented with an "flexible extender" (don't know the word in English) on M42 mount in the past, I wanted to have a real macro lens this time so I bought the 100mm macro. I'm heavily disappointed, it only goes to 1:1. That's not what *I* call *macro*. (although probably most people will disagree with me on this)

"Flexible Extenders" would be bellows.
if you want more than 1:1 buy some tubes, or get the MP-65 which goes to 5times lifesize.


now as to the OP. i would reccomend a set of kenko extention tubes as mentioned above. should do what you need nicely.

Billy, thanks, "Bellows" was indeed the word I was looking for.

OP: have a look at the img of the spider at:
http://www.makezine.co​m …magnification_c​amera.html

If you're not willing/capable to do some DIY, adapters appear to do exist:
http://cgi.ebay.com …egoryZ30059QQcm​dZViewItem

I've seen lots of pics in the past of a reversed 18-55, but can't find them right now...

David

I agree with John_B with getting the Kenko tubes. There are a couple Hong Kong dealers on eBay with good reputations where you can get them around 100-120. The are great, i have lots of excellent macros with high IQ taken with either my 50 or 70-200 and even have used them with big butterflys and my 100-400. Best deal in photography today when looking for bang for the buck.