UW Macro 50mm or 100mm?

biggrey · 25th April 2009

just curious, i'm a 50D user and i'm thinking of buyin a macro lens for u/w shots.
want to ask what is the best suited macro lens for u/w shots? will 50mm or 100mm or somewhere in between? want to ask from all u pros....

diver-hloc · 25th April 2009

Err.... I don't own a DSLR setup.... but how about the EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro ??

antacid · 25th April 2009

there's no best lens..each serves its own purposes.

some creatures are shy, so you need a longer reach and hence the 100mm. but some are not, and it's always best to have as little water between you and the subject as possible, so the 60mm is preferably.

there are other factors to consider as well..as well as pros and cons. eventually most people end up with both lenses!

howeikwok · 25th April 2009

I think it depends on what you want to shoot u/w. I think most people start with a 50/60mm macro lens as it has an 'easier' working distance. I have a sigma 105mm f2.8 macro lens, but it's more suitable for skittish subjects like garden eels, shrimp gobies and maybe pygmy seahorses. A longer lens tends to take longer to 'hunt' u/w to lock focus i feel.

Anyway this new lens by tamron intrigues me very much. A 60mm f2.0 macro lens. Pity i don't see any info of it being launched with an oly mount.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09...ron60macro.asp

diver-hloc · 25th April 2009

Originally Posted by howeikwok

Anyway this new lens by tamron intrigues me very much. A 60mm f2.0 macro lens. Pity i don't see any info of it being launched with an oly mount.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09...ron60macro.asp

Sooner or later lah..... nowadays all the very popular lens are made for all the camera mount. Most likely after the Canon & Nikon mount is out....

biggrey · 25th April 2009

hmmm thanks u all.. think i might most prob consider the 60mm macro... but erhm.. btw the canon one n the tamron one.. which do u guys think is more value for money? lolz.. thus far i've been a canon only product guy..

thank u all in advance!

diver-hloc · 25th April 2009

Originally Posted by biggrey

hmmm thanks u all.. think i might most prob consider the 60mm macro... but erhm.. btw the canon one n the tamron one.. which do u guys think is more value for money? lolz.. thus far i've been a canon only product guy.. thank u all in advance!

I would stick to the Canon.... better AF speed

howeikwok · 26th April 2009

Originally Posted by diver-hloc

Sooner or later lah..... nowadays all the very popular lens are made for all the camera mount. Most likely after the Canon & Nikon mount is out....

Nah they didn't do oly mount for their 90mm macro either. From my knowledge, tamron don't make oly mounts for their lens. Not sure about the performance of the new lens compared to canon ones and AF speeds either.

diver-hloc · 26th April 2009

Originally Posted by howeikwok

Nah they didn't do oly mount for their 90mm macro either. From my knowledge, tamron don't make oly mounts for their lens. Not sure about the performance of the new lens compared to canon ones and AF speeds either.

That was last time lah..... times are difference. Anyway.... you could always 'Jump Ship'.... heeheehee

Gymrat76 · 26th April 2009

If you had to decide on one lens NOW, I'd go with the 60mm first, as its probably easier to use and would prob suffice for most u/w macro shots. Its sharp and you don't need to use higher shutter speeds to beat handshake blur.

Get the 105 when you feel that you want to take more skittish subjects like garden eels etc

biggrey · 26th April 2009

Thank you everyone! think i will most prob get the 60mm lens. lolz... now just the casing! will most prob go with ikelite.. haha... again thank you for all the advices from everyone!

markietan · 27th April 2009

dunno much about nikon but for canon, the 100mm and 60mm macro lens have different ports for ikelite due to the length of the lens

i didn't have the 60mm so i jumped straight to the 100mm. indeed its quite hard to find the subject in the viewfinder (350d, no liveview). u'll need good strobe placement to reduce the back scatter due to the amount of water in between. AF also takes quite awhile to lock so its best if you have a guide light. however once u get all those right, the photos are great! very nice bokeh w/ the 100mm.

also diving with p&s camera users, u gotta wait. coz they would have to place their camera very close to the subject to do macro while you are quite a distance away. so most of the time their hand or something would be in the way.. haha

lovells19 · 27th April 2009

i uses the nikon AF-D 60mm f2.8 and love it, its definitely more versatile then then 105mm, but if you wanna shoot small fish portraits then 105 is the way to go. 60mm is more flexible and you can stack it with a TC to become 120mm for supermacro or just shoot normal macro at 60mm, and if you see whale shark at lembeh, at least can take eyes and part of mouth!

diver-hloc · 27th April 2009

Originally Posted by lovells19

i uses the nikon AF-D 60mm f2.8 and love it, its definitely more versatile then then 105mm, but if you wanna shoot small fish portraits then 105 is the way to go. 60mm is more flexible and you can stack it with a TC to become 120mm for supermacro or just shoot normal macro at 60mm, and if you see whale shark at lembeh, at least can take eyes and part of mouth!

Err.... just like to know

Has anyone EVER seen a Whale Shark in Lembeh ??????

lovells19 · 27th April 2009

Originally Posted by diver-hloc

Err.... just like to know Has anyone EVER seen a Whale Shark in Lembeh ??????

yeap
they have at angle's window juvenile though about 3m

25th April 2009	#1
biggrey New Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 15	UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? just curious, i'm a 50D user and i'm thinking of buyin a macro lens for u/w shots. want to ask what is the best suited macro lens for u/w shots? will 50mm or 100mm or somewhere in between? want to ask from all u pros....

25th April 2009	#2
diver-hloc Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere North Posts: 2,636	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? Err.... I don't own a DSLR setup.... but how about the EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro ?? __________________ hloc's Flickr Site What Next ?? Camera or more Lens ??

25th April 2009	#3
antacid Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New York, Singapore Posts: 1,188	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? there's no best lens..each serves its own purposes. some creatures are shy, so you need a longer reach and hence the 100mm. but some are not, and it's always best to have as little water between you and the subject as possible, so the 60mm is preferably. there are other factors to consider as well..as well as pros and cons. eventually most people end up with both lenses! __________________ www.colouredshots.com Kodak film disposable camera

25th April 2009	#4
howeikwok Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bukit Timah Posts: 1,203	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? I think it depends on what you want to shoot u/w. I think most people start with a 50/60mm macro lens as it has an 'easier' working distance. I have a sigma 105mm f2.8 macro lens, but it's more suitable for skittish subjects like garden eels, shrimp gobies and maybe pygmy seahorses. A longer lens tends to take longer to 'hunt' u/w to lock focus i feel. Anyway this new lens by tamron intrigues me very much. A 60mm f2.0 macro lens. Pity i don't see any info of it being launched with an oly mount. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09...ron60macro.asp __________________ Canon 50D/60mm & 100mm Macro/Tokina 10-17mm FE/Nexus Housing Inon Z-240

25th April 2009	#6
biggrey New Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 15	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? hmmm thanks u all.. think i might most prob consider the 60mm macro... but erhm.. btw the canon one n the tamron one.. which do u guys think is more value for money? lolz.. thus far i've been a canon only product guy.. thank u all in advance!

26th April 2009	#10
Gymrat76 Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,591	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? If you had to decide on one lens NOW, I'd go with the 60mm first, as its probably easier to use and would prob suffice for most u/w macro shots. Its sharp and you don't need to use higher shutter speeds to beat handshake blur. Get the 105 when you feel that you want to take more skittish subjects like garden eels etc

26th April 2009	#11
biggrey New Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 15	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? Thank you everyone! think i will most prob get the 60mm lens. lolz... now just the casing! will most prob go with ikelite.. haha... again thank you for all the advices from everyone!

27th April 2009	#12
markietan New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 20	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? dunno much about nikon but for canon, the 100mm and 60mm macro lens have different ports for ikelite due to the length of the lens i didn't have the 60mm so i jumped straight to the 100mm. indeed its quite hard to find the subject in the viewfinder (350d, no liveview). u'll need good strobe placement to reduce the back scatter due to the amount of water in between. AF also takes quite awhile to lock so its best if you have a guide light. however once u get all those right, the photos are great! very nice bokeh w/ the 100mm. also diving with p&s camera users, u gotta wait. coz they would have to place their camera very close to the subject to do macro while you are quite a distance away. so most of the time their hand or something would be in the way.. haha

27th April 2009	#13
lovells19 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Deep Deep in the sea Posts: 3,235	Re: UW Macro 50mm or 100mm? i uses the nikon AF-D 60mm f2.8 and love it, its definitely more versatile then then 105mm, but if you wanna shoot small fish portraits then 105 is the way to go. 60mm is more flexible and you can stack it with a TC to become 120mm for supermacro or just shoot normal macro at 60mm, and if you see whale shark at lembeh, at least can take eyes and part of mouth!