Recommendation of Macro Lens

[Witness]

actually if u juz wanna enjoy the macro function there is always this sigma 70-300

 

[Snoweagle]

no... not exactly.

macro/micro lenses often indicate magnifaction factor - dedicated macro/micro lenses are 1:1; ie life size. if u see 1:2, 1:3.5 etc... it means the lenses happened (IMO) to have macro function. they won't give u 1:1 life-size magnification - ie u can't really fill the whole pic with the subject.

Similar to my Tamron 28-300 at 1:2.9. Tamron calls it macro when its maximum magnification is 1:4 and above. But for people like me who don't own a macro lens, this is gd enough for me, or use close-up filters.

 

[henkee]

actually if u juz wanna enjoy the macro function there is always this sigma 70-300

yep i got 70-300 but mine is tamy... not bad for it's 1:2 mag..
even greater if combined with 500D closeup filter.. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[aaron80]

I am new to macro photography, my lens got 1:2:8 printed on it. What does it means? But it has 1:1 magnification too.. And whats the difference between the switch, Full and Limit? I heard some1 told me Full is for portrait and limit is for macro? Which one should I use? Ty

 

[valice]

And whats the difference between the switch, Full and Limit? I heard some1 told me Full is for portrait and limit is for macro? Which one should I use? Ty

Which on your AF instead of MF and then switch to Limit and you will know the difference when your lens go hunting for the subject.

Limit will limit the focusing distance to that typically used in Macro... Full will then of course hunt in the full range... But macro is shot normally with MF...

 

[aaron80]

I see. You mean if I use MF, the Limit and Full switch won't make a difference? I heard you can actually choose to limit from what range to what range the lens actually hunt, how to go about doing it? The manual of the lens like not very comprehensive..

Which on your AF instead of MF and then switch to Limit and you will know the difference when your lens go hunting for the subject.

Limit will limit the focusing distance to that typically used in Macro... Full will then of course hunt in the full range... But macro is shot normally with MF...

 

[Snoweagle]

I am new to macro photography, my lens got 1:2:8 printed on it. What does it means? But it has 1:1 magnification too.. And whats the difference between the switch, Full and Limit? I heard some1 told me Full is for portrait and limit is for macro? Which one should I use? Ty

You must be using the Tamron 90mm. The 1:2.8 denotes it's an f/2.8 lens.

Limit means the lens will limit itself to 1:3 magnification and full means 1:1. You can see it from the distance window on the lens.

Should be limit for portraits and full for macro.

 

[aaron80]

Yup.. Thanks alot for the help Snoweagle, really appreciate it.. Now I know, no wonder I find it strange when I tried to shoot macro using limit..

You must be using the Tamron 90mm. The 1:2.8 denotes it's an f/2.8 lens.

Limit means the lens will limit itself to 1:3 magnification and full means 1:1. You can see it from the distance window on the lens.

Should be limit for portraits and full for macro.

 

[Snoweagle]

Yup.. Thanks alot for the help Snoweagle, really appreciate it.. Now I know, no wonder I find it strange when I tried to shoot macro using limit..

No probs, cos full will get u closest.

 

[aaron80]

The 90mm range of my macro lens means i can be at 90mm away from the subject and still shoot 1:1 magnification?

 

[Snoweagle]

The 90mm range of my macro lens means i can be at 90mm away from the subject and still shoot 1:1 magnification?

Nono...1:1 magnification's closest focusing is denoted on your lens. In your case, it's 0.29m or 29cm.

 

[aaron80]

Ok i get it. That means the further away I am from the subject, the magnification will be lesser than 1:1? eg. 1:2, 1:7

Nono...1:1 magnification's closest focusing is denoted on your lens. In your case, it's 0.29m or 29cm.

 

[nightwolf75]

Ok i get it. That means the further away I am from the subject, the magnification will be lesser than 1:1? eg. 1:2, 1:7

ah.... no...

idea of 1:1 is so dat u can fill the whole frame with ur subject. think by now u would have realised lenses not offering 1:1 means dat u can go up close and focus closely, thus cannot get those 'count the eyeballs of a dragonfly' pics in macro sub-forum... :sweatsm:

easiest to try at home - try going eyeball-to-eyeball with ur tamron on a coin or something small. then u'll get wats 1:1.

 

[Snoweagle]

Ok i get it. That means the further away I am from the subject, the magnification will be lesser than 1:1? eg. 1:2, 1:7

Nope, the magnification will still be the same but if u stand further away, the image will just be smaller.

Take for example, i stacked my 50mm f/1.8 II with two +4 close up filters and can give a max. of 1:2 which is around twice smaller than 1:1.

If i go further away, the pic will just be smaller but same magnification. But of cos not too far away as it won't be able to focus anymore since it's using close-up filters.

 

[aaron80]

1:1 is to fill up the whole frame with the subject. But u mentioned that to get 1:1 magnification I have to go nearer up to 0.29 or 29cm. The further I get away from the subject means the subject will appear smaller on the frame rite? For non-true macro lens without 1:1 magnification you can only get up close and focus?

ah.... no...

idea of 1:1 is so dat u can fill the whole frame with ur subject. think by now u would have realised lenses not offering 1:1 means dat u can go up close and focus closely, thus cannot get those 'count the eyeballs of a dragonfly' pics in macro sub-forum... :sweatsm:

easiest to try at home - try going eyeball-to-eyeball with ur tamron on a coin or something small. then u'll get wats 1:1.

 

[Snoweagle]

1:1 is to fill up the whole frame with the subject. But u mentioned that to get 1:1 magnification I have to go nearer up to 0.29 or 29cm. The further I get away from the subject means the subject will appear smaller on the frame rite? For non-true macro lens without 1:1 magnification you can only get up close and focus?

There's a big difference between macro and non-macro lens. If you're to go further away then IMO it wouldn't be called macro already. The magnification factors in these cases mean the closest that you can focus and get.

 

[kahheng]

Anybody can recommend me any macro len if my budget is $300 ?

Cosina 100/3.5. Comes in many mounts and can do 1:1 with the supplied matched adapter. It's about $300 or less locally if you get the Vivitar badged version (which is er, a LOT more than its worth).

 

[aaron80]

I see. Thanks alot for enlightening me on this.. Was previously using a digital compact and have only used the built-in macro mode thats why quite blur to this. I think I will go home experiment more tonight.. Thanks again for all the advices guys..:thumbsup:

There's a big difference between macro and non-macro lens. If you're to go further away then IMO it wouldn't be called macro already. The magnification factors in these cases mean the closest that you can focus and get.

 

[nightwolf75]

1:1 is to fill up the whole frame with the subject. But u mentioned that to get 1:1 magnification I have to go nearer up to 0.29 or 29cm. The further I get away from the subject means the subject will appear smaller on the frame rite? For non-true macro lens without 1:1 magnification you can only get up close and focus?

ah... no. u are confusing magnification and closest focusing distance of lenses. they are related, but not the same.

magnification refers to the ability of the lens (macro or otherwise) to reproduce the size of the image on film or media (in DSLRs). 1:1 is the best, of course.

closest focusing distance is the ability of ur lens to go toe-to-toe with the subject. eg. i have an old nikkor 105mm/f4 micro lens. it has 1:2 magnification, but a closest focusing distance 47cm. ie - i can stand off at a longer distance (excellent for bug shooting), and yet fill the frame reasonably. some lenses, tho the label say macro, dun have this ability. eg the sigma 70-300 macro APO lens 95cm - almost twice of my old 105. snoweagle has already explained it better than i could.

like i said - go home, get a coin and try. too much explanation without trying is pointless anyway.

 

[aaron80]

Thanks alot for the info nightwolf..:thumbsup: Think I will go back experiment more tonight..

ah... no. u are confusing magnification and closest focusing distance of lenses. they are related, but not the same.

magnification refers to the ability of the lens (macro or otherwise) to reproduce the size of the image on film or media (in DSLRs). 1:1 is the best, of course.

closest focusing distance is the ability of ur lens to go toe-to-toe with the subject. eg. i have an old nikkor 105mm/f4 micro lens. it has 1:2 magnification, but a closest focusing distance 47cm. ie - i can stand off at a longer distance (excellent for bug shooting), and yet fill the frame reasonably. some lenses, tho the label say macro, dun have this ability. eg the sigma 70-300 macro APO lens 95cm - almost twice of my old 105. snoweagle has already explained it better than i could.

like i said - go home, get a coin and try. too much explanation without trying is pointless anyway.