Canon Macro Lenses. What are you using?

[Madmak]

It is very, very hard to use as it doesn't focus to infinity. The working distance is something like 30 cm at 1:1 and 4 cm at 1:5. I would read up on it before buying, it isn't really for taking pics of anything alive.

I played around with one at the camera store for nearly an hour and focusing on a tripod with a focusing rail took 1 to 2 minutes per shot. That is with pro help as well. Very capable lens but for very specific uses.

[sphelps]

I don't use canon but pretty much all my macros are shot with the 150mm 2.8 Sigma. I like the added distance I get with 150mm compared to a 100mm.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by Madmak

Very capable lens but for very specific uses.

I think when one is spending a lot of money on lenses, they should really be as useful as possible.

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 is also a great lens for portraiture.

If the budget can be stretched, the IS USM is a much better choice than the USM. I pretty much have to use a tripod with my lens: being that it doesn't have the image stabilization.

[MarkoD]

Yes the IS model has better optics and is sharper.

But why would you ever need IS on this lens? When will you be taking macro shots below 1/100 or 1/160 (on crop body)?

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by MarkoD

Yes the IS model has better optics and is sharper.

But why would you ever need IS on this lens? When will you be taking macro shots below 1/100 or 1/160 (on crop body)?

I can't hold the camera steady enough to use my macro lens without a tripod. 90% of my freehand photos come out blurry. I do sometimes take the camera with me while fishing, and I don't want to drag a tripod along: in addition to all of my fly gear and the camera.

[MarkoD]

Originally Posted by Enigma

I can't hold the camera steady enough to use my macro lens without a tripod. 90% of my freehand photos come out blurry. I do sometimes take the camera with me while fishing, and I don't want to drag a tripod along: in addition to all of my fly gear and the camera.

But when you're shooting outside your shutter should be higher than 1/100s meaning camera shake wouldn't cause any blur.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by MarkoD

But when you're shooting outside your shutter should be higher than 1/100s meaning camera shake wouldn't cause any blur.

Not when I'm tucked away in an eddy, in the shade, along the Bow, trying to get a photo of trout scales.

Edit: I should add, I'm lucky if my shutter is 1/60 in most of the conditions I shoot in.