I have a canon t3i and am wanting to take more macro photo's of flowers. Right now I just have a kit 18-55mm macro 0.25m/0.8ft/ Is there a decent macro lens for the mild cost of about $250? I don't have much to spend but really wanting to get up close and personal. I have tried turning the lens around but don't care for it much. Any suggestions welcome. Also I have read that a sigma made after 2012, a 35mm, f/1.4 would be good to have. Would it be much different than what I have now?
Have you looked into extension tubes? At least I think that's what they are called... I got a set for my canon before I invested in the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens... They worked quite nicely although require manual focussing which can be a bit of a challenge for some subjects...
I love the versatility of the extension tubes. Last winter I stacked them on my 50mm lens and got some great snowflake pictures. I've also stacked them on my 100mm macro for some extreme fun. I actually really like the DoF you get with the extension tubes on the 50mm for when you want a larger area of sharpness.
You can get a Canon 50mm 1.8 for $125 at amazon which I use a lot. I bought a 35mm which I just can not get used to. Anyway, the 50mm with the extension tube set would be around $250 from amazon and with all three tubes stacked on the 50mm lens you'd have roughly a 118mm, which, on a crop sensor like ours, is more like 189mm. That's at the extreme end because you can mix and stack however you want with extension tubes.
I have found that with focusing I mostly have to move my body until I can get what I want in focus. It's no big deal, just be aware that extension tubes really bring you in close and at that range it's just simpler to move yourself to bring things into focus.
Thanks for the help April. If I buy the the 50mm 1.8 and the extension tube set you suggested, do I need any extra rings to get them to fit my canon t3i or will they just screw on alone? I am going to go this way. So this should give me the extreme close up on flowers I am wanting? Again, thanks so much.
@miata2u Nope. No extra rings. You will just attach an extension tube (or combination of them depending on how macro you want to go) to the camera body and attach the lens to the extension tube. You can use the extension tubes with your current lenses too, but I really like having the 50mm prime lens.
I don't know how macro you want to go, but this does give you some versatility as you can use one, two, or all three tubes. It's fun to play....
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https://www.amazon.com/Hoya-58mm-Close-up-Filter-Set/dp/B000T8Z13Y/ref=sr_1_6?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1472125748&sr=1-6&keywords=hoya+close+up+filter
(This is the set I have: https://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-VIV-CL-52-Close-up-52mm-Lens/dp/B004E54LBQ It includes a +10 filter, and you can stack them for even greater magnification if you want. Obviously you'd need whichever size fits your lens!)
I love the versatility of the extension tubes. Last winter I stacked them on my 50mm lens and got some great snowflake pictures. I've also stacked them on my 100mm macro for some extreme fun. I actually really like the DoF you get with the extension tubes on the 50mm for when you want a larger area of sharpness.
You can get a Canon 50mm 1.8 for $125 at amazon which I use a lot. I bought a 35mm which I just can not get used to. Anyway, the 50mm with the extension tube set would be around $250 from amazon and with all three tubes stacked on the 50mm lens you'd have roughly a 118mm, which, on a crop sensor like ours, is more like 189mm. That's at the extreme end because you can mix and stack however you want with extension tubes.
I have found that with focusing I mostly have to move my body until I can get what I want in focus. It's no big deal, just be aware that extension tubes really bring you in close and at that range it's just simpler to move yourself to bring things into focus.
Hope this helps.
I don't know how macro you want to go, but this does give you some versatility as you can use one, two, or all three tubes. It's fun to play....