Macro Lens advice

[nishachara]

hi
I really want to do the macro, but my budget is extremely limited ( $ 150). Is there any suggestions?I short listed two of them
1. Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital
2. Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Lens

apart from this any suggestions like tele-converter or extension tubes or magnification glasses are welcome.

I did a good amount of googling on macro photography but it was really confusing....

Regards
shashi
Canon 1000D: 50 mm prime & 18-55 kit lens......

[OsmosisStudios]

Canon 500D filter is probably your cheapest/best bet. I dont normally recommend add-on items like that, but it works fairly well.

[nishachara]

thanks
shashi

[pgt123]

The 500d is more designed for telephoto lenses from 70mm-300mm. Unless you did not include one in the gear after your post, then extension tubes would probably be better. They also increase the magnification on your lens, but they do it by moving the lens away from the body of the camera. You can get them in varying lengths, or else as a set. Canon's are kind of overpriced, but they are the only ones that let you use autofocus with the ef-s lenses (like your 18-55). However, since you have the 50mm prime, you can get off brand sets that only cost about $50-80 (I found these on Adorama Camera, but I think you can get them on Amazon too). These might not be as good looking as the canon ones, but becuase the only thing that is in the tubes is air, this doesn't matter becuase the the air is equal in all of the tubes that you can buy.
Here's the URL of the cheapest ones that I have been able to find
MCAETEOSP Pro Optic Budget Auto Extention Tube Set for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

[inkista]

+1 Use an extension tube set with your 50.


Canon XT. EF 50mm f/1.8. Kenko extension tube set, all three tubes stacked for 68mm extension.

Not great for bugs or living things, as you have to be right on top of your subject, but still cheaper than a macro lens, and once you can afford the macro lens, you can still add the extension tubes for even more magnification if you need it.

Extension tubes aren't as nice as a macro lens, because when you use them, you can only focus at specific distances from the subject. You have no framing capability. When shopping for extension tubes, I'd also recommend getting a set with electronic contacts so that you can control the aperture of the lens from the camera body (you'll have autofocus, but it's kind of useless in this situation--you'll be focusing by moving the camera more). Those super-cheap sets from eBay typically are without contacts, which forces you to shoot with the lens wide open, and you're already at very thin DoFs with the close subject distance. The cheapest set on Adorama is about $65, but it has plastic mounts. The metal-mount version is $80. The Kenko set is closer to $200, but has a sturdier build than the ProOptics.

If you want to go cheaper yet, you could try lens reversal. Either hold your 50mm backwards in front of the camera, or you could get (again from Adorama) a cheap reversal ring, which can screw two lenses together face-to-face by their filter rings. The rings are about $7, and the image quality of your lens will be higher and possibly magnify more than a macro filter.

[vbhakuni]

Hi Shashi,

I would suggest the first one Tamron AF 70-300mm LD di Macro 1:2 lens.....I'm also using the same lens & its an average performer but a gud buy for the price it comes & as fas as the sigma 70-300mm lens is concerned hv heard that its a poor performer.....so better go for Tamron

[inkista]

The so-called Macro zooms like the Sigma 70-300 only achieve something like 1:2 magnification (i.e., the image size on the sensor is 1/2 the size of the actual object). A "true" macro lens is one that can achieve 1:1 magnification.

That shot I did above, with the extension tube set achieved more than 1:1 magnification, since with extension tubes, the magnification is the extension length/focal length, which in that case was 67mm/50mm = 1.34:1, or roughly 4:3. That's more than twice the magnification a 70-300 "macro" can get you.

I'd get the 70-300 primarily to get a telephoto zoom, not to get a macro lens.