My first Macro lens

[dan_spellman]

<p>Hey guys, I recently bought my first DSLR, a Canon 500D. Ever since I picked up my old Olympus hybrid Ive been pretty interested in macro, so I decided I'd like to buy a macro lens. I asked at Teds (though no way in hell Im buying from there) about it and one option seems to be the <strong>Canon 60mm 2.8 Macro</strong> . From B & H it's about 400/450 bucks I believe, which is around my budget though I could stretch it a few hundred more.<br>

Any thoughts on whether this would be a good first macro lens? Other macros you'd reccomend?</p>

<p>Cheers guys!</p>

[authoritee]

<p>The Canon 60mm f/2.8 Macro is a fine lens, it will deliver great shots if you have the technique polished already. Maybe, If you can stretch your budget to about $500 or $550, you can get a Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro, which is much better, in my opinion.</p>

<p>Erwin Marlin</p>

[dogbert]

<p>What Erwin said.<br>

Both the 100 f2.8 and the EF-S 60 f2.8 are great lenses. The 100 gives longer working distance which is very handy in macro work. It helps with avoiding the lens shading the subject and with keeping a distance from easily scared critters. The 100 will also allow you to work with film and a FF cameras such as the 5D or 5D mark II, if that is in your future.<br>

The downside is the 100 is a bigger heavier lens than the 60.<br>

I have the 100 and the old 50 f2.5 compact macro, but working with film and FF is important to me.</p>

[robin_sibson1]

<p>I disagree about the shading problem. For many years I used the 50/2.5 macro on film bodies, using it with the Life Size Converter when I needed to get closer than ×0.5, and I hardly ever had any problem with the lens shading the subject. With the 60/2.8 on 1.6-factor or the 100.2.8 on FF, it is a complete non-problem (except, I am told, for some very specialised axial lighting set-ups used for photographing coins and jewellery).</p>

<p>There is a genuine need for longer working distance than you get from a 60mm lens on 1.6-factor or a 100mm lens on FF, and that arises when photographing insects such as butterflies or dragonflies that you cannot approach closely. In that case, even 100mm on 1.6-factor may not give enough working distance. My advice is to get the EF-S 60/2.8 unless (a) you are going to buy a FF body within a few months (which sounds unlikely), or (b) you definitely want to photograph the sort of insects that you can't approach closely enough with a 60mm lens on 1.6-factor.</p>

<p>I should say that I have had the 50/2.5+LSC for twenty years and used it on film, 1.6-factor, and FF digital (it is still my favourite lens for copying artwork), and currently use the 100/2.8 USM (non-IS) on both FF and 1.6-factor and the 60/2.8 on 1.6-factor, so I've had plenty of experience with all these combinations. In my view the 60/2.8 is unbeatable as a general-purpose close-up/macro lens on 1.6-factor. Image quality and handling are both excellent, and macro flashes are directly mountable and compatible with using a filter. The only feature that is lacking (and that the 100mm has) is a focus range limit switch, and it would certainly benefit from having that, since, like all AF macro lenses, focus can easily be provoked into "hunting".</p>

[andrew robertson]

<p>I would go for the 100mm if for no other reason than the longer working distance.</p>

[pamela_van_nest]

<p>I have the 100/2.8 and absolutely love it. I've used it for all the standard bug stuff but also use it for the odd portrait now and then. I find it extremely useful when shooting kids as I'm so far away they don't go all silly. Also use it for animals as it's long enough it eliminates most head/body distortion except in large animals like the horses.<br>

It's sharp--VERY sharp. It's not too heavy. And think of it as a macro that's also a portrait lens as well as a good all around lens. Only draw back is that you have to move a lot, but that comes with any prime.</p>

[paddler4]

<p>I agree with Robin.The 60 and 100mm lenses are both superb on a crop-sensor camera, and both have their advantages. The 60 is cheaper, lighter, easier to hand hold (because of the focal length as well as the weight), and on a crop sensor camera, a nice portrait length. The 100mm is clearly better for easily scared critters and offers more background blur (a matter of the telephoto perspective, not depth of field). I have been shooting with a 60mm for quite some time and have a 100mm on order because I do shoot a lot of bugs. IMHO, the 60mm is far better than the 50 f/2.5, which I once owned. The 60 is better optically, has twice the magnification (1:1 rather than 1:2), better bokeh, and full time manual focusing.</p>

<p>If you poke around the bugs and flowers galleries on my site, http://dkoretz.smugmug.com, all but the oldest macro shots were done with the 60mm on either a 50D or an XTi. The oldest were done with the 50mm /2.5.</p>

[mike_connell1]

<p>Depends on what you're shooting. I was saving to buy a macro lens (Canon 100mm) when a friend lent me some extension tubes to play with. I ended up buying an extension tube set to use with my 50mm 1.8. That set up works well for me on flowers, but is too close in for bugs.</p>

<p><a title="_MG_9181 by mdconnell67, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdconnell/3958902535/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/3958902535_1f20743e6e_m.jpg" alt="_MG_9181" width="240" height="160" /></a></p>

[dhhensler]

<p>Daniel, <br>

I second the apparent consensus about a 100mm length being more practical than 60mm. To offer a budget concious solution, I would recommend you at least consider the Tokina 100mm f/2.8 Macro. Gets good reviews for the price. Cheers!</p>

[tommyinca]

<p>Like you said, your first macro lens. 60mm is a good handling lens. It has a field of view of about 100mm so it can double as an ultra sharp portrait. The shorter focal length is an advantage for hand held. If you need more working distant later on, you can also get the (expensive) 200mm macro for which you can be tied to a tripod. Should you really get hooked with macro later on, there is the 1X to 5X 65mm MPE macro. It starts where the 60 left off. </p>