Using 135 L 2 for macro

[ramana_murthy]

I use film body and planning to shoot macros with slide film. I have

never had a macro lens, so far the little macro I did was with 50 mm

2.8 with a close up filter. I am considering buying a Canon 135 L 2

and Canon close up filters instead of a 100 macro as I will be able

to use 135 for many other things - portraits and street photography.

With 135 later I can add 1.4 extender and that way my traveling kit

would be just 17-40, 50 and 135 along with filters and extender. Does

it sound like a good idea?

 

I could not find any thread with discussion about using 135 L for

closeup. If there is any such discussion already please forgive this

post. Thanks.

[joseph_gledhill]

I have an EF 135mm f/2. I use it for portraits and, when photographing close-ups such as butterflys, I just stick an EF25 Extension Tube on and it does the job fantastically. This gives you a longer working distance for timid subjects. You can also add the 1.4X to create an almost 200mm f/2.8 which you can't do with the 100mm macro. If you do 100% macro then the macro lens is more useful, however for my needs (all round general stuff) I find the 135mm offers more and is more flexible.

[joseph_gledhill]

...Just add the EF 35mm f/1.4 to the EF 135mm f/2 and die happy!

[larry_underwood]

The minimum focusing distance on the 135 L 2 is around 3 ft., so I don't think you would be happy with the hoops you have to jump through to get this lens to 1:1, but for "closer" shots (not macro)I have used it with a 36mm Kenko extension tube with very nice results. Super sharp, just not probably as close as you would want for macro work.

 

The 100mm macro lens is hard to beat around that focal length if you are more interested in macro shots.

 

So, I guess how much you want to use the 135 L 2 for macro, would be an important consideration. It is certainly a fine lens, just no close focusing champion.

[john_nastelin1]

Just for kicks, I put a 135 f/2L on a 10D with a 1.4 extender and Kenko 36mm tube. I put the contraption on a tripod, set mirror lockup, attached a cable release, and shot an exposure of a wristwatch (f/2.8 at 1/60 sec.) I measured the inner diameter of the watch circle at 30mm, which implies a magnification of .8 - not bad for a non-macro lens. (Of course, had this been a full-frame camera the magnification would have been less.)<div></div>

[yakim_peled1]

<p> The pic is either not sharp enough or not focused properly (my suspicion). I'd stop down for more DoF and avoid the need for hair-split focus.</p>

 

<p> <a href="http://photonotes.org/articles/beginner-faq/lenses.html#closeup">I want to take closeup photos. What do I need?</a> </p>

 

 

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim.</p>

[w_t1]

i recommend extension tubes as previously mentioned. Extension tubes have no glass in them.

 

i use an FD bellows with my FD lenses/bodies, and can use my eos bodies with an adaptor. To me there is nothing like a good bellows if you are working in a controlled environment.

 

If you have a spare 600-$700 you can get a novoflex bellows that will work for eos mount, check at B&H

 

Tom

[john_nastelin1]

Yakim, I forgot to mention in my post that I used the camera's autofocus for that shot. It took a few tries to determine the shortest distance at which it was able to lock in focus - about 1.5 feet I recall (forgot to measure, sorry). I shot at f/2.8 to demonstrate the capability of the lens/TC combo wide open, but underestimated how incredibly shallow the DOF is at that aperture.