It is so hard to find that one DSLR camera that I want to buy. First of all, I will tell you a little bit about myself before starting the conversation. I am an amateur photographer, and I've decided that I want to build a niche inside my home to shoot macro photographs and sell those photographs online. I currently don't have any digital SLR camera, and I've decided to search for a different kind of SLR cameras online, compared cameras from both Nikon and Canon and later decide which one to buy. I intend to buy the camera this month (October 2009), and I will appreciate any help from your side to help me decide which camera to buy. I wrote this guide to help my digital photography blog decide, which Macro lens to buy?
First of all, I wanted to talk about my budget. My budget is around $2000-$3000. I was looking on the difference reviews on several digital photography websites on the Internet, and I was interested to learn more about the Canon EOS 50D, Canon EOS 7D, Nikon D90 and the Nikon D300s. What bothers me, is that I think that I should be investing in high optical quality lens, instead of the camera body.
What Is You Budget For a New Macro Lens?
I need to buy several things: camera body, a high optical quality macro lens (1:1), strobe, macro photography liking accessories and anything else that they need in order to take beautiful macro photographs. I've seen many great images taken with the Nikon D40, which my brother has bought last year. I've decided to buy a more sophisticated camera that will let me have more control of the final image output. I know how to use photo editing software like Photoshop and therefore, I intend to shoot raw images and manipulate them using a photo editing software like Photoshop.
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Hybrid Macro Lens
Taking that fact into consideration and all the above, I thought about buying the Canon 50D body with the new Canon EF 100mm f2.8L IS Hybrid USM Macro Lens. It is still not available in my country, and I think it will only be available later this month (October 2009).
The question that arises, should I wait for the new Canon EF 100mm f2.8L IS Hybrid USM Macro Lens, or maybe I should buy the older 100mm lens from Canon. In terms of price and performance, I think that the Canon hybrid macro lens will be worth spending more money and get higher optical quality lens. I even think about buying the Canon cheaper 500D to go with this lens. As you can see, the optical quality of the lens is very important, in order to achieve high quality and high resolution images.
The non-IS Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens
Canon or Nikon Macro Lens?
Another think I wanted to talk about is the Canon versus Nikon thing. For me, it is really doesn't matter if I buy a Canon or Nikon camera, as long as I can get a great macro photography lens to go with it. I have searched "Best Macro Lenses" in Google's search engine, in order to find more information about the best macro lenses for both Nikon and Canon digital SLR cameras. Another thing I've learned is that there is another word to describe macro photography, and this is "close up photography" (good to know).
First of all, I have searched for the best macro lenses for Canon. The first results in Google's search engines brought Bob Atkins review about the best Canon EOS lenses. The specific post on Bob Atkins website was updated on (24/11/08), but I've decided to read about it any ways. Optically wise, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro is in the first position with an average user rating of 9.6 with 234 user votes. After that into 2nd Place, came the Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro lens. So just looking at the two top positions, I can see that the most popular Canon macro lens is the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM.
Another thing that I should mention, that I'm planning on buying a prime macro lens and not a zoom macro lens, and they want an original Canon Nikon lens and not a third-party manufacturer.
Start Reading Macro Lens' Reviews
The next website is the digital picture website. In their I've read the review about the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens and how it is in comparison to Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens, Tamron 89mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens and Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Lens (maybe I should take the camera and into consideration, it seems that it appears in almost every review on macro photography lenses).
Focal Range and Bokeh
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L USM Macro Lens
There is an advantage of using the larger focal range Canon 180mm f/3.5L USM lens, because it gives you a better background blur (bokeh), much smoother and more beautiful for macro photography shots. Of course their disadvantage of using a long focal range macro lens, is that they are larger and heavier and require a faster shutter speed to take sharp macro images, and you will probably need an image stabilization incorporated into the lens in order to take sharp images at that focal range. The digital picture website recommends buying either that Canon 180mm macro lens or their Canon 100mm lens. It was a nice comparison, but you didn't help me to choose the lens that I wanted to buy, next.
Checking FredMiranda Macro Lens Reviews
Continuing my journey to find more information about great macro lenses from both Nikon and Canon, I have decided to check Fred Miranda website, and see if there is something that will help me to decide which macro lens to buy. This time, I didn't care whether it was a Nikon or Canon macro lens, I will check old the appropriate reviews on prime macro lenses on Fred Miranda and see something will come up.
The first thing I've noticed when I clicked their review button, is that in their recent products on Fred Miranda reviews page, there was a link to the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Hybrid lens, cool, let's see what our the ratings. It seems many photographers like this lens and gave it an overall rating of 9.1. I was actually kind of disappointed, because the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM (non IS) was given a rating of 9.6. Maybe the hybrid Lance isn't better than the non-IS lens?.
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L - The Best Macro Lens?
So the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM (non-IS) gets an extra point. Just to mention that the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro lens got a rating of 9.7. I've read some text reviews on the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L and it seems that these specific lens rocks! -- so one point to this lens, if I am already in Fred Miranda reviews section, let's see their ratings on the Tamron Macro 90mm prime lens. Wow!, a rating of 9.5, very impressive, even though that it doesn't have a fast focusing motor or an image stabilization, but I will give it one point because I've seen such some amazing images taken we that lens, that I think it is worth considering and the price is cheaper, when comparing it to the 180mm 'L' series' lens.
I am giving a point to the 100mm Hybrid lens, because it is still new, and got very good rating in Fred Miranda site, and because it has the IS (Hybrid) advantage.
My current rating summary:
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 IS USM Hybrid Macro - 1 Point
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro - 1 Point
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro - 1 Point
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro - 1 Point
Okay let's continue. Now let's check some Nikon's NIKKOR macro lenses, or is Nikon calls it 'Micro' lenses. I have been putting my eyes onto lenses: Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikons 85mm f/3.5G ED VR and Nikon AF-S Micro NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED. It seems that both are very good 1:1 macro lenses. The 105mm has one a TIPA Award for 'Best Professional Lens'.
Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Macro Lens (TIPA Award winning Lens)
The Nikon 105mm has a silent wave motor (SWM) and vibration reduction (VR) version II, which allows photographers to shoot hand-held at up to 4 shutter speeds slower than otherwise possible. It's also had an internal focus and non-rotating from design, so you can put circular polarizing filters. So it is a great combination of features all around. That gives the Nikon AF-S VR Micro Nikons 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED a single point in my rating summary. It hasn't got many great reviews on Fred Miranda website, and with an overall rating of 9.0, it is worth considering.
The other Lens that I considered buying is the AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR. However, because it has a f/3.5G aperture and "only" 85mm focal range, I have decided not included in my list, sorry guys. The reason I didn't put the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens in the list, because it disappoint in the image quality section.
My current rating summary:
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro - 1 Point
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro - 1 Point
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro - 1 Point
Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Macro - 1 Point
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS (Hybrid) USM Macro - 1 Point
Sigma Macro Lenses - Worth Considering?
Another thing bothered me, what about the Sigma? -- does Sigma offer any great macro lenses?. After doing some research and searching Google for "The best macro lenses", I've seen some reviews about two Sigma macro lenses: Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM Macro and Sigma AF 180mm f/3.5 EX HSM APO Macro. I have started reading reviews about those lenses on photozone.de, and here are my conclusions. The Sigma 180mm they didn't get a rave review, and it didn't have an image stabilization. Considering that I wasn't interested in third-party lenses in the 1st Place, I am putting down the Sigma 180mm. Now let's see what about the Sigma 150mm macro lens.
Sigma AF 150MM f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM Macro Lens
The Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM Macro was pretty good in terms of sharpness, but not something that will convince me to buy its stead of Canon or Nikon's offering. Just consider that this lens is a very good one, and it got pretty good reviews on the Internet. However, as you know, I want an excellent lens and not a very good one, and I am willing to pay for it. So bye-bye sigma 150mm, maybe we will see you soon again.
For meanwhile, I have decided to calculate the prices for each Lens in my current rating summary. Just let you know that the compilation was made using the currency exchange rate in my country (Israel).
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro - 1 Point = $700
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro - 1 Point = $1750
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro - 1 Point - $500
Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Macro - 1 Point = $1115
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS (Hybrid) USM Macro - 1 Point = Not yet available
As you can see, there is a you wish differences in prices between the Canon 180mm and the other lenses. However, even though, I am still considering all of those lenses, because they think that one or more of them can produce high quality macro photographs, in comparison to the Canon 180mm L Macro lens. My only problem with the 180mm lens, is that it only has f/3.5 and it doesn't have IS. However, I'm still considering it because it has superb optical quality.
An update. After reading some reviews, forum posts and seen images taken with the new Canon EF 100 mm Hybrid IS, I have decided to give it another .because it has a long focal range and an image stabilization.
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro - 1 Point = $700
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro - 1 Point = $1750
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro - 1 Point - $500
Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Macro - 1 Point = $1115
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS (Hybrid) USM Macro - 2 Points = Not yet available
I have decided to investigate a little further, and search for more information and reviews about the Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED Tipa award winning lens. I've visited NikonLinks.com website for more reviews about that specific lens. NikonLinks.com has brought to me to LensTips.com Nikon AF-S Micro 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR Review page. This review on Lens Tips website, gave the Nikon and excellent image quality rating, but in the same breath, it talks about the pricing of the Nikon 105mm, which is almost twice if not more than the Tamron 90mm macro lens. One thing you should consider, is when you shoot macro objects, you usually should them in daylight or under good lighting conditions, so that the image stabilization is not that important. Optically wise, the Tamron produces amazing sharp close up pictures that can even be in comparison to the Nikon 105mm macro lens. So the Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Macro doesn't get extra points, and instead, we want to investigate further about the Tamron 90mm macro lens.
I have decided to visit Nikonian.org website to read Nikonians review about the Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro lens. The Nikonians editor said and I quote: "Optically, this lens is superb. It is Sharp with a capital S as can be seen in all samples...". " As a portrait lens, it may be too sharp.". As you can see, the Tamron macro lens is extremely sharp and each is probably the best macro lens on the market, as the editor also Nikonians is summarizing their review. For that, we give the Tamron 90mm an extra point, taking the low price into consideration. PhotoZone.de wrote and I quote: "The Tamron AD 90mm f/2.8 Di SP is a superb lens without any significant flaw. In fact, optically it is every bit as well, maybe even slightly better than the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro.".
Another review on alphamountworld.com wrote, and I quote: "AMW graded the Tamron 90mm 2.8 Di Macro in overall cost and performance value an easy 'A', or 9 out of 10.".
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro - 1 Point
Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro - 1 Point
Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro - 2 Points
Nikon AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Macro - 1 Point
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS (Hybrid) USM Macro - 2 Points
Which Macro Lens to Buy? - Help Us Decide!
There are many reviews on the Internet about macro lenses. But for now, I think that the best macro lenses that I found are the Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS (Hybrid) USM Macro, by taking anything into consideration, including focal range, image stabilization, build quality, aperture, optical quality and price.
From now on, I want to hear your opinion, and I will update of the points, by reading and analyzing your comments. Please participate and help others in choosing their next macro lens.
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