Any good alternative to the MP-E 65mm?

[micheleberti]

I will be using that kind of lens on a 1dMkII and on a EOS3; I wonder

if is there any good alternative (might be cheaper) on the market.

Thanks in advance for your help

[yakim_peled1]

What exactly do you mean by "good alternative"? There are no other lenses that can go beyond 1:1 without accessories so in that respect there are no alternatives at all. BTW, which lenses do you have?

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

[mikemilton]

I have that lens (and those bodies). Prior to the MP-E I used extension tubes (and,

previously on a T90 a reversing ring).

 

One can certainly take good macro shots using the tried and true solutions (and one can

get normal shots with the lenses used, which is not possible with the MP-E) but I would

not term the alternatives 'good'. Why? Because they are not as well specialized to macro

shooting and so the shooting process is slower, less flexible and more demanding.

 

BTW if you DO buy the MP-E I'd recommend a ringlight (I use the MT-24). You *will* need

the light, you could use alternatives but, again, they are more cumbersome

 

m

[ron c sunshine coast,qld,a]

There us a cheap alternative.

<BR>A EF-s 18-55 kit lens reversed gives serious magnification.From memory i measured it at about 1x-4x.

<P>Of course it's tricky to use reversed because of the electronic aperture.There are workarounds but they are fiddly.

<BR>The alternative is to use the novoflex EOS lens reverser but that costs a fair bit

[ron c sunshine coast,qld,a]

Here's a pic taken at maximum magnification with a reversed 18-55.

<BR>http://www.photo.net/photo/3718542

[peter2]

Actually no, I think. For the EOS system there is no easier and more convinient way than to use the MP-E 65. You can use tubes, closeup filters, teleconverters or reverse mount lenses but to go up over 2-3 times magnification only reverse mount lenses will do, and they are not so easy to mount. So if you are willing to spend the money for the MP-E 65 you will get a lens that is easy to use for macro 1-5x. Use it with at teleconverter 1.4x or 2x you can get macro photos with a magnifucation up to 7-10 times!

[tommyinca]

You can get quality result by using a bellow and a old manual 50mm lens. e.g.: Get a M42 to EOS adapter. Get a M42 Bellow. Get a Takumar or other M42 50mm. You can find them all at ebay for less than $60. MP-E 65mm is a handle tool but it is not the only way to get quality macro.

[andrew robertson]

I used to use the FD bellows with an FD 50mm f/1.8 lens and the FD-EOS macro adapter.

Novoflex also makes an EOS bellows that'll couple to EOS lenses and retain all functions.

[lancemcvay]

I don't know the exact magnification this results in, but I took <a href="http://sacredartichoke.com/coppermine/albums/07-02-2005/IMG_8297.jpg"target="new">this picture of a sage leaf</a> with a 50mm f/1.8 lens mounted backwards on my 100mm macro lens. It was a bit cumbersome to work with, but I had fun.

 

<p>

If anyone knows, if I was to reverse an 85mm lens instead of the 50mm, would I get more or less magnification? What about working distance?

[mark_chappell]

Peter is correct: if you can afford it, the MP-E 65 plus one of the two Canon macroflashes

(ringlight or twinlight) is by far the easiest way to do this kind of photography. I used to use

a bellows, and compared to that setup, using the MP-E 65 is utter simplicity, which allows

you to concentrate much more on the image and not get lost in technique.

[carnagex_carnagex]

I am using the Sigma 150 2.8 with a reversed Canon 50 1.8. (using a 72 to 58 step down

ring and a 58 to 52 coupling ring). It gives me 3x magnification. (150 / 50 = 3). This was the

cheapest option for me. Plus I have a set of kenko extension tubes if I need that extra

magnification. And I have the 1.4x Sigma Teleconverter for a little more "zoom". The 2 rings,

bought on ebay came to a total of $15 (with shipping).

[carnagex_carnagex]

Oh, and LANCE McVAY, to anwser your question. Here is the math for you...Take the focal

length of the prime lens and divide it by the reversed lens. ( i.e. 100mm main divided by

50mm reversed = 2x life size. The 85 / 50 = 1.7x life size. Hope this clears things up for

you) 8^D