cannon macro lens suggestions

[rangerfan]

i am looking for a good macro lens for taking pictures of zoos that will fit an eos elanIIe. i dont wnat to spend 500 rather 200 or less is it possible???

[jwwill0]

Depends on if you need true 'life-size' or 1:1 capability. If so, then you should focus on the canon 100mm macro,$450 (which is what I have, and LOVE), or comparable lenses such as the Sigma 105mm($399). If you can use a 1:2 ratio, then you can go with a Sigma 70-300mm APO MacroII zoom (which I also have) that you can get for around $180, or a 50mm macro for around $240. You can also go with extension tubes from someone like Kenko that will give you more magnification at the cost of quality.

With the 100mm macro, you will gain a larger aperature (f2.8) verses the Sigma zoom at f4-5.6, which is a big help to keep shutter speeds up on aquarium shots. I use both lenses for more than just macro shots. They are great for portraits or just about anything else.

A good place to check on pricing is B & H photo (www.bhphotovideo.com)

[rangerfan]

jwwil,

you will have to explain all that stuff a little better as my knowledge is kind of limited on the subject

[jwwill0]

Ok, first, aperature. The lower the f-number (i.e. f/2.8), the more light the lens will let in. The more light it lets in, the faster the shutter speed the camera can use to get a correct exposure, which is key for moving objects. Typically, the more light the lens lets in, the more expensive it is.

Second, magnification. This is basically how close you can get and still focus. On a 1:1 magnification, the real-life size of the subject will be the same size on a 35mm negative. With a 1:2 magnification, you would have to be twice as far away from the subject to focus. With a 1:3 magnification, you would be three times farther away.

The focal length determines how far from the subject you are when you are at 1:1 magnification. For a 100mm macro lens, you will be around 6-8 inches away for 1:1. For a 180mm macro, you would be able to get a 1:1 magnification from 10-12 inches away. The canon 100mm f/2.8 macro is around $450. The canon 180mm f/3.5 macro is over $1200.

The Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 macro lets you get back about 3 feet, but you can only get a maximum of 1:2 magnification out of it (which is fine in most all cases), but you do lose a little shutter speeds due to the higher f-number.

There are alot of online tutorials on this kind of stuff that can explain it much better than I can, but I will be glad to answer any other questions about this.