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Does a budget macro lens exist? (1 Viewer)

S

Suffolkringer

Inland birding is hard work!!
Hello all

I was just wandering if anyone can recommend a good budget macro lens? Does anyone know of any trusted second hand places to get this things like this? I am based in Cambs but can visit Suffolk and Norfolk if anyone can suggest a suitable shop

Many thanks
Jon
 
Jon,

My first foray into macro work was with a Vivitar 100mm F3.5 - as is, it's 1/2 life size, but comes with a matched multiplier to take it to 1:1 reproduction. Also badged as a Cosina - mine brand new, was £75....Sharp as a pin too.

Carl
 
Your question will probably come up with all sorts of answers, but here is mine to set the ball rolling.

The cheapest way into macro is to use a close up lens - they screw into the front of your regular lens in the same way as a filter. They come in all sizes and price brackets you need to stop down your lens for best sharpness, but you will usually do this for maximising dof.

Next cheapest is an extension tube that moves your lens away from the camera to allow it to focus closer. Extension tubes result in a loss of light needing an increase in exposure, however, this will be usually compensated by the camera meter. The close up lens will not need an increase in exposure.

You can also pick up old macro lenses dating back to the film era that can be mounted on your camera if there is a suitable adaptor if needed.

Depending on the setup you may find greater or lesser need for manual operation, which is fairly normal for macro operation.
 
Hi,

Depends on what you mean by budget. If you shop around a bit on the web, you should have no problem picking up a 105mm Sigma, 90mm Tamron, or 90mm Tokina for around £200, if not new, then in mint condition. All are true 1:1 macro lenses and deliver excellent IQ.

FWIW, I would personally stay well clear of close up lenses/filters. While they can give you good results under the rigth conditions, they are cumbersome to use (for one thing you loose focus in anything but the macro plane), and the IQ will more often than not be dissapointing. I got a not-too-cheap close-up filter early in my venture into macro photography, and it was quicky banished to the back of a cupboard.

Extension tubes are in principle very good (as good as your lens that is), but apart from losing light you again loose infinity focus. I am considering getting a set to use with my macro lens to obtain magnifications beyond life size. But I would consider them more of a specialist equipment.

My advice at the bottom line is that if you can afford one of the lenses above (or find an even better deal on a 2nd hand lens), go for it. It will allow you to get into the wonderful world of macro photography with least fuss and dissapointment.

Thomas
 
I see people are selling the current Sigma 105 for £700-ish new now. Glad I got my 'previous model' when I did.

The other thing that is quite important is if you have any particular macro subject in mind. Different macro lenses have very different characteristics that can make life a lot easier for the photographer.
For instance I use an ultralight lens for tracking moving critters at ground level that the Sigma doesn't cope with (at least with me driving it!). My Sigma is excellent for more static targets or those where you either have a bit of space or you need to distance yourself from the subject. It has a rotating front element though which is a pain for ring flash or polarisers if you are ever going to get that technical.

The question of shops is a poser - I bought my Sigma new on line, the others I have picked up second hand from all over, but not from a shop I could get to. Users of macro lenses do tend to treat them well however.

By the way Carl, I have the Vivitar 2x macro teleconvertor, with the focussing ring that turns a 50mm standard into a 100mm macro with 1:1 and infinity focussing. Vivitar were good in those days - it still works on my slrs (with an adaptor and manual focus) despite being about 25? years old. That was my first macro 'lens' it was cheaper than your lens which is why I took that route.
 
iveljay said:
I see people are selling the current Sigma 105 for £700-ish new now. Glad I got my 'previous model' when I did.

The other thing that is quite important is if you have any particular macro subject in mind. Different macro lenses have very different characteristics that can make life a lot easier for the photographer.
For instance I use an ultralight lens for tracking moving critters at ground level that the Sigma doesn't cope with (at least with me driving it!). My Sigma is excellent for more static targets or those where you either have a bit of space or you need to distance yourself from the subject. It has a rotating front element though which is a pain for ring flash or polarisers if you are ever going to get that technical.

The question of shops is a poser - I bought my Sigma new on line, the others I have picked up second hand from all over, but not from a shop I could get to. Users of macro lenses do tend to treat them well however.

By the way Carl, I have the Vivitar 2x macro teleconvertor, with the focussing ring that turns a 50mm standard into a 100mm macro with 1:1 and infinity focussing. Vivitar were good in those days - it still works on my slrs (with an adaptor and manual focus) despite being about 25? years old. That was my first macro 'lens' it was cheaper than your lens which is why I took that route.
Click to expand...

On the a-mount, it was reknowned as the "Plastic Fantastic". Slower than my Sigma 105mm to focus, but god was it sharp and worked perfectly on my old KM5D!
 
Old lenses

So what do you think the possibilities are of picking up and old SLR macro? will they be cheaper? Would I have to do anything for them to fit my dslr?

Ta
 
I'm going to suggest the likes of the Tamron/Sigma 70-300mm models before they became image stabilised. They go for pretty cheap money on the s/h markets (£60-80ish), not 1:1 but offers you something to get you started and with a little patience and stopping down can get some surprisingly good results. If selecting the Sigma then make sure it's the APO version but I don't have any experience of how the two compare but Tamron do have a reputation for providing good image quality in their lenses.

Example http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...amron-70-300mm-f/4-5.6-ld-macro,-canon-fit-3/

EDIT You know it seems the APO Sigma's can still go for more than £100 so maybe a little over what you were looking to pay.
 
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Suffolkringer said:
I have a 7D...I spent all my money on the camera so need a budget lens :) !!
Click to expand...

The mirror on the 7d is too close to allow use of an adapter to attatch older lenses to your camera. The lens is just as important as the camera in producing that excellent shot.

I purchased a second hand Tamron 70 - 300mm without stabilisation and am happy with it, except 300mm is too short for most of my bird photography.

Has anyone an opinion on mirror lenses, my local camera shop was offering a range from a second hand unit for £49 to a new unit for £199, but given the price of a top range 500mm lens, something like seeing battery packs for my Canon on eBay for £2.50, when the genuine article is over 10X as much, a voice says "you'll get what you pay for"
 
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I use a Tamron SP500 mirror lens occasionally on my 7D. The aperture is fixed at f/8 and I have to manual focus. In good light results are reasonably good.

Mike
 
kennethwfd said:
Has anyone an opinion on mirror lenses,
Click to expand...
I had a Sigma 600mm f8 mirror lens (for Canon) - as far as I am concerned it was absolute garbage for birds. But then again different people had different standards - personally I would not give a fiver for one.
 
Have you considered using extension tubes and the lens that came with the camera? I bought a used Kenko extension tube set for $90. It works great!
 
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