Good reef macro lens for Rebel EOS cameras?

[One_Divided]

I got a Rebel T2i for Xmas. Woo!!

Just looking in to lenses a bit and wondering what people are using. Not wanting to spend too much, but I would jump on the right used deal or boxing week special.

Suggestions? Thx!

[sweet ride]

grab the canon 100mm macro. You cant go wrong with that lens.

here is a link to a few pictures I've taken.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=69614

[Jeff000]

grab the canon 100mm macro. You cant go wrong with that lens.

here is a link to a few pictures I've taken.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=69614

There is a lot more to taking pictures like yours then the lens.
I have 12 years photography and several thousand in equipment, and it took me a good while to figure out how to take good pictures of my marine tank, and even still I have a very hard time getting pictures like yours.

I use a Nikkor 105mm f2.8 on a D700, There is an art to it. I actually get better pictures out of my 85mm f1.8 simply because it is the lens I use more often.


But I do have to say that the canon 100mm is a lens my canon buddies enjoy.

[Ross]

Another cheaper alternative is a 50mmf1.8 and a set of kenko extension tubes.

That will run you less than $250.

[StirCrazy]

grab the canon 100mm macro. You cant go wrong with that lens.

here is a link to a few pictures I've taken.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=69614

guessed you missed the "not wanting to spend to much" part :mrgreen: it is a sweet lense but at 1000.00 plus or 600 on e-bay I think it isn';t what he is looking for.

Adam, I have had my eos for a while no and still have no bought any other lense for it as while ther world of DLSR is great, the price of the lense is not.

what I will sugest is you go into a camera shop and look for 58mm closeup lense's they should run about 15.00 to 30.00 bucks each and range from +2 to +10. with these you don't get realy close they just kinda zoom the subject for ya. these are what I used when I took most of my pictures years ago with my fuji. I still have a tone of filters but my fuji is a 52mm mount where our cannons are a 58mm mount.

the 600 to 1000 buck macro lense does do a better job but for internet posting and normal pictures you won't notice the difference.

Steve

[Jeff000]

guessed you missed the "not wanting to spend to much" part :mrgreen: it is a sweet lense but at 1000.00 plus or 600 on e-bay I think it isn';t what he is looking for.

Adam, I have had my eos for a while no and still have no bought any other lense for it as while ther world of DLSR is great, the price of the lense is not.


Not spending much is all relative. I wouldn't buy a used lens without personal inspection and use on my camera for testing first.

Look at sigma 50mm F2.8. At around 400 bucks brand new its a great buy and a great lens for lots of things too. And being a FF lens it will be more like 80mm which is a great focal length.

[Nebthet]

For the Canon camera, I would suggest the same as sweet ride, to go with the 100mm f2.8 usm macro lense.
I bought mine used off of ebay for $400 shipping included and I am super happy with it.
I don't have near the photography skills as sweet ride, but the type of shots you can take with it are just amazing.
Here are a few of mine.

http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/nebthet1/Saltwater2/55g%20Reef/icefire12-18-2010.jpg
http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/nebthet1/Saltwater2/55g%20Reef/greenacromacro12-18-2010.jpg
http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/nebthet1/Saltwater2/55g%20Reef/ptdigi11-29-2010.jpg
http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/nebthet1/Saltwater2/55g%20Reef/orangeacan2-11-29-2010.jpg
http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/nebthet1/Saltwater2/55g%20Reef/redmontimac11-19-2010.jpg
http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo269/nebthet1/Saltwater2/55g%20Reef/reddigiactmac11-19-2010.jpg

The little 58mm screw on macro lenses +2 - +10 work more like a magnifying glass and while you can get a little close up, you don't get nearly the depth of field nor the clarity a true macro lense gives you. I tried them. You can get them for around $15 on ebay.

I have also heard great things about the sigma 150mm f2.8 macro lense though I have never used it.

Also might I suggest when you do get a good macro lense, to get a tripod and a remote shutter as this will greatly reduce camera shake making your pictures much sharper.

[sphelps]

I would look for a used 100mm or 65mm macro to save money. Any macro lens will produce similar results provided you can get close enough for the 1:1 focusing distance. The lower the mm the closer you'll have get to the subject.

[sumpfinfishe]

hey adam, i would suggest any of the sigma lens series, there sharp as canon and have a much longer warranty, canon's is a one year whereas most of sigma's are ten years! unless your really into wasting a bunch more money simply for the name then i would stick with sigma or a used canon, canon's L series lenses are worth every penny however unless your a pro or serious amateur i wouldn't spend the extra. or if your on a really tight budget you could try the kenko close up extension tube, you just won't get the quality and sharpness of a true macro lens.

[sweet ride]

guessed you missed the "not wanting to spend to much" part :mrgreen: it is a sweet lense but at 1000.00 plus or 600 on e-bay I think it isn';t what he is looking for.

I was just replying to the question. As always if you wanted to get a lens and would like to get the most out of it and your tank the I would stick with the Canon 100mm macro, Sigma macro lens per the other post is definitely comparable. At the end of the day you can always use the lit lens.

Here are a few pics taken with 100mm macro

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_h7u0sNXy6f8/TONmB-Ux11I/AAAAAAAAACA/pJRbn8fOLcQ/s720/IMG_4203%20%28Large%29.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_h7u0sNXy6f8/TONmLCjTDsI/AAAAAAAAACM/uDELEhHHgpY/s720/IMG_4206%20%28Large%29.jpg

and a few pics taken with the kit lens.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/5064684495_4a83e97aeb_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5064678439_8b246ee0b1_z.jpg

[Aquattro]

To heck with the lens, where can someone buy white balance :)

[hippo!]

have both canon 100 and a sigma, the sigma is a good choice to save some bucks (I think it was about a 400 or so difference between my two).

[hippo!]

There is a lot more to taking pictures like yours then the lens.
I have 12 years photography and several thousand in equipment, and it took me a good while to figure out how to take good pictures of my marine tank, and even still I have a very hard time getting pictures like yours.


ain't that the truth lol
all in the eye......

[PoonTang]

So what kind of a lens would you need to take close ups like that of corals that are near the back of say a 24" tank?

[Aquattro]

So what kind of a lens would you need to take close ups like that of corals that are near the back of say a 24" tank?

Darren, those would be the expensive ones :)

[imisky]

So what kind of a lens would you need to take close ups like that of corals that are near the back of say a 24" tank?

any of the 100mm range macros will be able to do roughly 1:2 or 1:3 ratio of macro if you want 1:1 at 24" you'll be looking at the 150mm+ range

the lens i use for all my macro shots is the sigma 150mm f2.8 which is a $1000+ lens. With the new canon 100mm f2.8 "L" lens out the older 100mm f2.8 non L is a steal for performance you can generally find them at roughly $400-500

[Jeff000]

ain't that the truth lol
all in the eye......

I learnt a long time ago that its the person behind the camera and not the camera. I have a buddy that had pictures he shot with his kids fisher price camera published in FHM...
I shoot models and fashion, I am good at this. I can make a car look good while using a model. But a car on its own is very tough for me.

I'll post up a couple of my screwing around with a macro lens pictures here on of these days. Maybe even bust out the tripod to try and get some real nice ones one day. Till then I will sit back and enjoy everyones else's great pictures.

[MarkoD]

im gonna have to say 100mm f2.8 and get wireless speedlight triggers.

here are some of my shots with that lens

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5333690450_c8005e9baa_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5333666820_91399ba1dd_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/5324092506_8e509b9afb_b.jpg

[sphelps]

any of the 100mm range macros will be able to do roughly 1:2 or 1:3 ratio of macro if you want 1:1 at 24" you'll be looking at the 150mm+ range

the lens i use for all my macro shots is the sigma 150mm f2.8 which is a $1000+ lens. With the new canon 100mm f2.8 "L" lens out the older 100mm f2.8 non L is a steal for performance you can generally find them at roughly $400-500
I also have the 150mm 2.8 Sigma which I got for around $700 on sale. It does 1:1 at around 18".

[DisneyCoralReef]

im gonna have to say 100mm f2.8 and get wireless speedlight triggers.

here are some of my shots with that lens

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5333690450_c8005e9baa_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5333666820_91399ba1dd_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/5324092506_8e509b9afb_b.jpg

I don't even know what words to use to describe these photos. I do sports, equine photography as a side hobby-I seriously need to learn from you.

[MarkoD]

thanks :)

3 words : Off Camera Flash

oh and manual mode

[Jeff000]

thanks :)

3 words : Off Camera Flash

oh and manual mode


My only problem with using a strobe or speed light is I lose the fluorescing colors I get from the attinics in my lighting. Now mind you the colors I do get are far more true, but not really what is expected to be seen in a tank. For clown fish this is less of an issue then say a hammer coral or zoa's or something.

In my tank with all my lights turned up I can already shoot at 1/250 shutter at f3.2 ISO 800, So I am shooting at most peoples max sync speed already.

I am not sure what camera you are using, but I am going to assume FF as your profiles that google gave me said you love natural light, so you should be able to get some great high iso shots too.
But then you have high speed sync too, which is fun to play with, but I have not really found a place for it in what I shoot.

[One_Divided]

Holy crap! This thread has gotten intense! Took some pics. thanks for the help guys!


http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=581357#post581357

[MarkoD]

My only problem with using a strobe or speed light is I lose the fluorescing colors I get from the attinics in my lighting. Now mind you the colors I do get are far more true, but not really what is expected to be seen in a tank. For clown fish this is less of an issue then say a hammer coral or zoa's or something.

In my tank with all my lights turned up I can already shoot at 1/250 shutter at f3.2 ISO 800, So I am shooting at most peoples max sync speed already.

I am not sure what camera you are using, but I am going to assume FF as your profiles that google gave me said you love natural light, so you should be able to get some great high iso shots too.
But then you have high speed sync too, which is fun to play with, but I have not really found a place for it in what I shoot.

I use a 5d mark ii... the sync speed on it is only 1/200 but i usually use 1/160

but when shooting with strobes i put my iso at 100 and shutter speed at 1/160

and then control the aperture to achieve the look i want.

using a speedlight to shoot in water will let you control where you want the light and it'll give you more light so as a result you'll get a sharper image when shooting through the glass.

by controlling the light, you can achieve a completely black background like this

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5333664984_c36c6b9bfc_b.jpg

[Jeff000]

I use a 5d mark ii... the sync speed on it is only 1/200 but i usually use 1/160

but when shooting with strobes i put my iso at 100 and shutter speed at 1/160

and then control the aperture to achieve the look i want.

using a speedlight to shoot in water will let you control where you want the light and it'll give you more light so as a result you'll get a sharper image when shooting through the glass.

by controlling the light, you can achieve a completely black background like this


You have high speed sync available though.

My problem with using aperture to control the light is you lose the ability to control the dof.

How did you get the black background though?

[Aquattro]

Just had a thought, maybe some of you higher end photographers could post some of your shots with descriptions on the settings used, any special techniques, etc, so that others can work towards taking shots almost as great!!

[MarkoD]

You have high speed sync available though.

My problem with using aperture to control the light is you lose the ability to control the dof.

How did you get the black background though?

i use a 580EX ii fully zoomed in and bare blub on 1/64th power triggered wirelessly

i put the glass cover on the tank and put the light on the glass facing straight down (near the front of the tank)


when the fish swims directly under the light, i take the picture. a slight contrast boost in photoshop and the background is perfectly black

this one was taken the same way

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1389.snc4/164150_10150351254750567_676325566_16415186_357883 7_n.jpg

[fkshiu]

Just had a thought, maybe some of you higher end photographers could post some of your shots with descriptions on the settings used, any special techniques, etc, so that others can work towards taking shots almost as great!!

The issue is not so much the settings, but the equipment necessary for such shots. Without off-camera strobes and a dedicated macro lens such shots are next to impossible to achieve. There's no magic setting that allows a little point & shoot or even an entry level SLR with a kit lens to achieve such shots. Add to this the consideration of paying for a full frame SLR body for the best low light performance possible. I'm just a novice photographer but I've learned that photography is a lot like reefing: you can't expect Bubble King results with a Seaclone.

That being said, coral macro shots are easier than fish simply because corals don't move around. Therefore, you can get away with less light, higher apertures and longer exposure times resulting in a greater depth of field. When shooting macro always use a good tripod, turn off all the other lights in the room and shoot directly at your subject perpendicular to the glass. Use shutter delay (or a remote trigger) and lock your mirror to prevent any camera movement whatsoever. Turn off all of your pumps and clean both sides of the glass scrupulously. You'll also need the patience of Job because you'll average in the neighbourhood of one "keeper" for every 50 or so rejects.

Here's some of my macro shots with the Canon 100mm 2.8 and some long exposures under actinics (the lens is also a wonderful portrait lens and not just limited to close up shots):

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/fkshiu/Red/Red1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/fkshiu/Red/Red7.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/fkshiu/Red/Red9.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/fkshiu/Red/Red8.jpg

[Aquattro]

Thanks Franklin. I think there are still some things that can improve one's abilities with entry level gear, such as tricks over/under exposing, etc. Adam posted some nice pics with just an extension tube, which albeit is still a step or three below a good macro lens, but as with reefing, sometimes we can work around the requirement for high end gear to accomplish the same task. At least I hope so, since after all my reef purchases in the last month, there is no way I can afford a new lens :)

[JOEL]

That would be great. We need help to get these great results

Just had a thought, maybe some of you higher end photographers could post some of your shots with descriptions on the settings used, any special techniques, etc, so that others can work towards taking shots almost as great!!

[Jeff000]

That would be great. We need help to get these great results

The problem is unless you have my lens and camera you will not be able to get my results with my settings.
The higher end the lens the less light it needs to get good results, same with the camera. So if you use my settings you could be 3-4 stops behind me, giving you dark dull images.