Help with lens for beginner

Just bought that first macro lens? Post here to get helpful feedback and answers to any questions you might have.

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j1g4r
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Help with lens for beginner

Post by j1g4r »

Hello pros.

I have canon 1300d with 18-55mm kit and 50mm f1.8 stm lenses.

I read and did YouTube on macro photography and now am confused. Where should i start and what should i buy? Reversal ring, extension tubes?

I cant afford lens upgrade so need to be cost effective.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

j1g4r, welcome aboard! :)

The cheapest way to begin is with a reversing ring.

See the discussion at Shooting with a reversed 18-55 mm Canon kit lens .

--Rik

j1g4r
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Post by j1g4r »

rjlittlefield wrote:j1g4r, welcome aboard! :)

The cheapest way to begin is with a reversing ring.

See the discussion at Shooting with a reversed 18-55 mm Canon kit lens .

--Rik
thanks alot.
I tried something by reversing the lens and just holding it near camera. It gave me my first pic. But it was more like mobile pic . I hope I can get some accessories

Deanimator
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Post by Deanimator »

As a beginner, your best return on investment is probably going to be a decent set of extension tubes WITH CONTACTS.

You don't need the contacts for autofocus, which I in any cause wouldn't use for macro. You need them for aperture control on modern lenses. Without them, you'll be shooting wide open all the time. There are workarounds, but the contacts are a much better solution.

I've got a set of ProMaster tubes. Kenkos are extremely popular.

After that reversing a used manual 50mm lens onto the front of one of your other lenses is an economical way to go.

Finally, if you decide you like macro and have the money, get a decent macro lens in the 90-105mm range. I have a 100mm Tokina and really like it. A lot of people consider it to offer the best performer for the money. The Canon and Nikons are probably better lenses... but for substantially more money. Your other option is to buy used from some place like B&H or Adorama.

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

Good advice. I was looking today though - a set of Kenko tubes is about $100, but a Chinese autofocus set with contacts can be bought for $12 or so. They probably won't be as well made, but they do the same job.
Chris R

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Post by Deanimator »

ChrisR wrote:Good advice. I was looking today though - a set of Kenko tubes is about $100, but a Chinese autofocus set with contacts can be bought for $12 or so. They probably won't be as well made, but they do the same job.
Where did you see them, on eBay?

Make sure they actually have contacts. I've got a set of Chinese tubes that cost about that and they're nothing but plain tubes. They're ok with my manual Minolta MD 50mm reversed onto them.

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

Plenty of them - this one shows the connections:
Image
Chris R

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Post by Deanimator »

ChrisR wrote:Plenty of them - this one shows the connections:
Image
That's a relatively new development.

Any idea how well they work?

If they work well enough, they'll open up macrophotography to a lot more people.

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Post by ChrisR »

No. I was looking to replace my similar-looking $35 set, which were fine until I dropped one and it broke!
Chris R

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

ChrisR wrote:a Chinese autofocus set with contacts can be bought for $12 or so.
Nice catch! These ultra-low-cost versions are new to me also. I've just now ordered a set.

--Rik

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Post by Deanimator »

rjlittlefield wrote:
ChrisR wrote:a Chinese autofocus set with contacts can be bought for $12 or so.
Nice catch! These ultra-low-cost versions are new to me also. I've just now ordered a set.

--Rik
How well do they work?

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Deanimator wrote:How well do they work?
They're terrible. See "TTL Auto Focus AF Macro Extension Tube Ring is junk" for details.

--Rik

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Post by Deanimator »

rjlittlefield wrote:
Deanimator wrote:How well do they work?
They're terrible. See "TTL Auto Focus AF Macro Extension Tube Ring is junk" for details.

--Rik
Too bad.

Sometimes you get decent results from the cheap Chinese stuff (like my macro focus rail), and sometimes you get a disaster.

MarkSturtevant
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Post by MarkSturtevant »

I got inexpensive extension tubes with contacts, (Neewer, about $30) and I recommend to not be cheap. Just inexpensive. That is how I got my start with a 50mm, and that set of tubes worked very well. Have fun!
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

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