![]() ![]() Lens makers call out their lenses that can focus at close distances a “macro lens”. Every lens has a limit on how close you can get to a subject due a nasty thing called the laws of physics and the quickly escalating cost to design and build a lens that does many things. This requires a lens that can focus when very close to your subject. The short answer is the following: Macro photography is taking pictures of small things close up. Below, I go into the tradeoffs to help you make this decision. The 70-200 with extension tubes did the same for me. I have been using this very highly rated lens for over a year now, and while I really like this lens, I have to be honest with myself. I really loved using them and they just worked so well, years went by and I shot all the macro I wanted and I didn’t need a dedicated macro lens.īut, I still had the itch for a real macro so I sprung for Canon’s new Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS (about $1,000). I purchased a set of Canon tubes and they worked out spectacularly. now what to do? I was tight on cash so I read about extension tubes and how they can turn any lens into one that can focus real close to a subject thus getting more magnification. I never regretted spending the big money for this quality stuff at all. This zoom is one of Canon’s best lenses period. My current rig is a full frame Canon 5D MKII (I have a new 5DS R on order!!!) and along with the really good Canon 24-105 L f/4.0 IS that came with the kit, I splurged and purchased the Canon 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS II zoom (about $2,000). I totally got into photography with a Canon XTI, a camera that took good but not great photos, and decided to upgrade my equipment. Cost of a Canon 100mm lens: $550 to $900 depending on quality and featuresĬlick here for more information on extension tubes: Turtle Heads and Extension TubesĬlick here for a discussion on crop vs full sensors: Crop vs Full Sensors.Cost for alternative brand of tubes (approximate): $80 for three rings of different sizes.Cost for Canon extension tubes (approximate): EF 12 II – $84, EF 25 II – $144.Scroll down for example pictures of a macro lens vs a zoom with extension tubes (also in the carousel above). The biggest cost to tubes over a macro is that a dedicated macro will give you more magnification however I found that extra magnification unnecessary when shooting flowers and bugs. Try an extension tube or two before you buy a macro lens and if you are not satisfied with the magnification, then buy a dedicated macro lens of at least 100mm or greater. Here is my straight forward recommendation: Don’t buy a macro lens, try extension tubes first and save your money. Most likely you have a zoom lens and by adding an extension tube, you can turn it into a pretty decent macro lens. Well before you bury your head in time and research, try picking up a set of extension tubes instead. So you want to take pictures of bugs and flower parts eh? Your lens just won’t let you get that close and now you decided you must spend some bucks and buy a lens that calls itself “macro”. ![]() Should you buy a macro lens or try extension tubes? ![]()
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