Questions on Macro lenses.

Stosh · Oct 23, 2009

No. Those magnifications attachments are seriously junk. The macro lens will do MUCH better at portraits than the "regular" prime with attachments will do at macro.

Although I only have a couple of years of experience, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with Derrel and Icassell. I don't heavily use my 100mm macro for portraits, but when I do I don't have any focusing accuracy problems at longer distances. And since it's an f/2.8 prime, I certainly don't have any troubles with low light focusing. I only own 2 lenses faster than it (50mm f/1.4 and 135mm f/2.0). I'm using the 5D mk II. Not sure if that has anything to do with it of not. The only thing I *can* complain about related to focusing is that because it has such a huge range of focus (from a few inches to infinity), if it misses its target the first time, the search time can take longer than you're used to with other quality lenses. But in no way have I found this infrequent extra focus time to interfere with the focus accuracy.

Felix0890 · Oct 23, 2009

I see the 500D as small as 52mm. Which brings up the next dilemma (*sigh*), do I get the thread for my 50mm/1.8 or wait until I get the 100mm/2? Which focal length would be better for macro shots with the filter on? And yes I will get the 500D, it's only ~$80 new on Amazon for the size I need.

In the end, the 100mm/2 + the close up lens ends up being about the same as the 100mm/2.8 macro except that I'll be able to purchase the lens a bit sooner and later be able to take decent macros with the close up filter. Works out for me.

Thanks a bunch for the input and info.

Stosh · Oct 23, 2009

icassell said:
In fact, since they don't contain glass, they are optically neutral and I highly recommend them if you're not going to buy a dedicated macro lens.

Not exactly. Lenses are engineered and corrected for a range of situations. I think we can all relate that a 50mm f/1.4 performs differently at its closest focus than it does in the middle of its range. That's because a lens like that isn't designed for macro work. When you put an extension tube on it, yes, you can achieve higher magnification in focus, but the lens was not designed or corrected for that and you'll never have the quality image that the macro lens will give you. Actually I own an extension tube set. Once I got the macro I won't dare touch them.

Conversely, since the macro lens was designed to perform well at the focal plane for all distances, other aspects suffer, namely bokeh. They usually don't have the pleasing quality bokeh that dedicated portrait lenses do. Everything is a trade-off. Specifically, when I use the 100mm macro for portrait type work, if something in the background has point source type lighting, the out of focus image is yuck - has coma and bad color corrections. In other less harsh situations you'd never notice that it's not a portrait lens. But like I said, it wasn't designed for that. Obviously the best solution is both lenses, but you're trying to decide where to best spend the money first. I know which lens I use about 10x more than the other. I say macro, but YMMV.

Felix0890 · Oct 23, 2009

Stosh, in the end I will have both. I'm just trying to figure out which one will come first. I will probably make the final decision once I get the money saved up and head to the store. Right now it's looking like the macro (yes I know I said I would get the 100mm/2 like 5 minutes ago . . . I'm very indecisive

) because now that I think about it, in most of my shots I always end up having to move back because the lens won't focus as up close as I'd like. So not only will the macro lens relieve my new passion for macro photography, it will solve my issue with closeup portraits (mainly of animals). As for it not focusing well, that's fine. I only use AF when I'm just shooting snapshots. I'm using MF to practice for when I have to use an all-manual (including MF) 35mm next semester in my photography class.

Like I said, I'm very indecisive so I won't know what I'll get until I get it. I'll let you know a couple of months from now.

Derrel · Oct 23, 2009

Buy the 500D in the larger size,and you can use a step down ring to fit it to a smaller-diameter lens without problems with vignetting. It will probably be of more use to you to have it sized to fit your 100mm lens than your 50mm lens.

I am assuming you have a Canon 100mm f/2 lens with a 58mm filter size,right? If so, that's the lens I would want to use for shooting using a 500D close-up filter from Canon.

Felix0890 · Oct 23, 2009

Derrel said:
I am assuming you have a Canon 100mm f/2 lens with a 58mm filter size,right? If so, that's the lens I would want to use for shooting using a 500D close-up filter from Canon.

Yes that's what I would be getting if I don't go with the macro lens. I didn't know there were step down rings. Thanks.