Which Macro

[simon]

Having persuaded the wife to buy me a macro lens the main question has to be is the Canon ef180 l usm f3.5 really worth approx £600 more than the canon 100 f2.8 usm or is the Sigma 150 f2.8 af dg apo or the sigma 180 af dg a happy medium ?
I understand that the extra length (180/100) would mean i can be further away therefore less risk of shadow/ frightening the subject etc but close to £1000 for the canon 180 does seem alot of money

[Roy C]

I have the Canon 100, great lens and works very well with a 1.4tc.

[gordon g]

I have used the sigma 105 macro in the past - very good but a close working distance at 1:1. I now use the tamron 180 f3.5 macro, which gives excellent IQ, but has a longer working distance. Despite its larger size, I dont find it too heavy to handhold for insects etc, although the majority of my macro stuff is tripod-based.

[gmax]

Having persuaded the wife to buy me a macro lens the main question has to be is the Canon ef180 l usm f3.5 really worth approx £600 more than the canon 100 f2.8 usm or is the Sigma 150 f2.8 af dg apo or the sigma 180 af dg a happy medium ?
I understand that the extra length (180/100) would mean i can be further away therefore less risk of shadow/ frightening the subject etc but close to £1000 for the canon 180 does seem alot of money

Since I haven't succeeded in persuading my best half to buy me a macro lens, I use a close-up lens (500D) on my EF 300mm f/4 with satisfying results .. hey, it's not up to a real macro lens, but then - being on a budget - at that price I got what I needed (you may find it new at 100-120€) ... furthermore it's an accessory that you can easily fit in a pocket, and there's no loss of light (as with tubes).
It's worth a try, if you know someone owning one ...

Cheers,

Max

[Markulous]

Sigma 105mm here (excellent) on my Sigma SD10
Canon 300mm F4 L or 100-400mm (both excellent for the lazy but you can stay further back!) on Canon 350D

So far, Sigma combo far ahead of anything Canon's achieved! :)

[simon]

Thanks for the replies, been googling the various lenses at the moment i'm steering towards the Sigma 150 havung read test reports, reviews etc

[postcardcv]

I've got the Sigma 105 f2.8 and really like it, the image quality is excellent. The only negative for me is the slow focus and the fiddly way of switching from AF to MF. If I was buying a macro now I'd be going for the Sigma 150 f2.8, the greater focal length, HSM focus and full time manual focus all look like big advantages to me.

[BearLeeAlive]

I went through all the same thoughts you did Simon, before settling on the Canon 100. I tried the Canon 180, and though you did get a big better working distance, I did not like the weight of it even though I can handle it fine. I just did not see that value in the extra cost for me. I did look at the Sigma 105 and 150, which both produce great results too, I just liked the feel of the Canon lenses more, and seeing they hold their value great, I went the Canon 100 way. |:d|

[Tim Taylor]

Hi Simon. I'm very happy with my Sigma 150mm. A long enough reach to be comfortable, not heavy and very sharp.

[postcardcv]

Hi Simon. I'm very happy with my Sigma 150mm. A long enough reach to be comfortable, not heavy and very sharp.

superb shots Tim, I may have to look at getting one of those in the new year...

[Tim Taylor]

Thanks Peter. Your lizard image is excellent. I've not used the Sigma 105 but I have a feeling that Annette (Psilo) uses it to good effect too. I spent a lot of time looking at macro images here before making a decision. GPS takes stunning shots with his Canon 180 but cost and weight were quite off putting to me. The Canon 100 seems a great lens too but I wanted the longer working distance and so settled on my Sigma 150mm.

[BearLeeAlive]

Nice shots Tim. I have seen some excellent quality photos from all macro lenses, Tamron, Sigma and Canon.

[simon]

lovely shots tim, hopefully i'll be getting a few like those, have just taken the plunge and ordered the Sigma 150mm did'nt feel i could justify the extra £££ of the 180 canon

[Tim Taylor]

lovely shots tim, hopefully i'll be getting a few like those, have just taken the plunge and ordered the Sigma 150mm did'nt feel i could justify the extra £££ of the 180 canon

Good for you Simon and I hope you enjoy it. :t: Macro photography opens up a new world of tiny fascinating things and I'm looking forward to the little creatures coming to life again in the Spring.

[Markulous]

My top offers with Sigma SD10 and Sigma 105mm :t:

[christineredgate]

One macro lens which has had excellent reviews,in fact it was included in a list of best lenses,by one of the popular cam mags,is the new Sigma 70 .Does anyone use this lens?.I actually put in a bid on e-bay for one,but was outbid.Apparently for the sensors of the 350,400,30,40D, type cams it does allow one to be closer to the subject ,than say the longer type macro lenses.

[Tim Taylor]

Sounds good Christine as long as your subject isn't spooked by you being only 10 inches away. I read that you actually get better than 1:1 at best and that it's ultra sharp. No personal experience of it though. For me, I value being able to get full macro capability at 15" which is good news for the twitchier subjects.

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Hi Simon
A bit late but i think you made the right choice,i use the 105 f2.8 but looking at the 150
Regards Richard
[URL="http://www.richard-dawkins.fotopic.net"]http://www.richard-dawkins.fotopic.net[/UR
L]
http://www.richarddawkins.fotopic.net

[spike38]

I used to own a canon 300f4 IS, which i bought a 500D close-up lens for
which gives you a 300mm f5.6 IS macro lens, a great little combo!

[simon]

Lens arrived today so hopefully the weather will be good enough over Christmas to get out and have a play:t:

Thanks again for all the replies

[howell7079]

I have the sigma 70mm macro and I definately recommend it. The down side is you have to get closer than a longer lens but that wasn't a factor when I bought it, getting close(or trying) is the fun part.

Lyndon

[Tim Taylor]

Nice shots - I particularly like the bee in flight. I can't wait until the creepy crawly season gets going again. :)