help a noob on digital photography.

[Lemon law]

Many years ago I used to do my own dark room work using a 35 mm single lens reflex.

I have now gotten a canon XSI, the normal 18-55mm zoom lens, and a 75 to 300 mm telephoto.

I am extremely money challenged right now, and I am wondering how good those screw on macro lens are? Ya, I know, I should spend $500.00 on a good macro lens, but its not an option now.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Many years ago I used to do my own dark room work using a 35 mm single lens reflex.

I have now gotten a canon XSI, the normal 18-55mm zoom lens, and a 75 to 300 mm telephoto.

I am extremely money challenged right now, and I am wondering how good those screw on macro lens are? Ya, I know, I should spend $500.00 on a good macro lens, but its not an option now.

You've got many options for macro.

Check out this link: http://jimdoty.com/Tips/Closeup/closeup.html

For GOOD screw on filters/lenses check out the section on Supplementary Close-Up Lenses.

 

[Lemon law]

Thank you fussy for the write up.

 

[OulOat]

Extension tubes are best way to go if your subject doesn't mind you getting in close (not animals). Since they are just hollow tubes, there are no extra glass elements that could cause image degradation. Image quality will still go down, because you are now magnifying a small portion of the image (unavoidable). The tubes cost around $50-$150 new, depending on the quality. Kenko is a common brand. Check CL and ebay for used ones also; not much can go wrong with a simple piece of hardware.

The other options involving glass will cause your image quality to go down. How much depends on the quality of the extra glass. The more you pay, the less degradation. Closeup filters are convenient. Teleconverters can be used for general telescopic needs, and they don't alter the focus distance like extension tubes.

All three options will be less than $500. For the best performance, get a sharp prime telephoto lens to use with any of the options.

 

[Lemon law]

Thank you for weighing in OulOat, but one thing I fail to understand about extension tubes.
Back in my old screw thread pentax mount days, extension tubes were dirt cheap, why are they $40-50 today for a canon XSI?

And while the glass screw ins are also attractive options if its quality glass free from major distortion, but as a noob I don't know how to distinguish quality from junk.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Thank you for weighing in OulOat, but one thing I fail to understand about extension tubes.
Back in my old screw thread pentax mount days, extension tubes were dirt cheap, why are they $40-50 today for a canon XSI?

And while the glass screw ins are also attractive options if its quality glass free from major distortion, but as a noob I don't know how to distinguish quality from junk.

Extension tubes are actually going to be $100-$150 for Kenko or Adorama ProOptic. The reason being that there needs to be circuitry that carries signals from the camera body to the lens for autofocus and changing aperture, especially the latter. There are simple tubes on eBay that are just that - tubes that act as spacers, but they won't allow you to change aperture from the camera body. If you go with extension tubes, go with auto electric ones like from Kenko or ProOptic for the ability to adjust aperture.

For glass screw ons go for the major brands like Canon and Nikon. Never go for a no-name brand on eBay.

 

[Lemon law]

Thank you FuzzyBB for explaining the extra expense of extension tubes, but coming from a background where automatic aperture control and auto focusing did not exist, I see it as no great handicap to forgo the complex electronics that does not add much IMHO. As long as I can meter the light, and then manually adjust shutter speed, aperture, and focus, I would think its the better way to go for a macro shot. If the subject is moving rapidly, then auto focus might be nice to have for a macro shot.

 

[ElFenix]

you can't manually adjust aperture on canon EOS lenses as you would back in the day. you can stop the lens down using the DoF preview button and take the lens off while holding the button, and then attach the extension tube. however, that leaves the viewfinder very dim at smaller apertures.

as you don't mind doing it manually, the easiest thing to do is get some old manual glass and an adapter ring. the nikon 55/3.5 shouldn't run you too much.

 

[OulOat]

Now that I think about it, the cheapest option would be to get yourself a reverse lens adapter. Flipping the lens around gives you macro abilities. Your only cost would be the adapter.

You could purchase an used Nikon 50mm for under $100 and attach that to your Canon. Then you will get manual F-stop control. Hell, you can do this with any old lens, just find the right size reverse filter. Look at your local CL. Many old primes goes for pretty cheap.

 

[OulOat]

Back in my old screw thread pentax mount days, extension tubes were dirt cheap, why are they $40-50 today for a canon XSI?

Because they can get away with it. Most tubes are just plastic with a little bit of circuitry. If you want to build one yourself I imagine it won't be hard with a little basic electrical engineering. But for convenience sake, I just shell out the money.

 

[SAWYER]

Check out photography-on-the.net, awesome Canon site and they have an active for sale/trade board

 

[randomlinh]

buy m42->EOS mount adapter.
buy super takumar/SMC 50/1.4.
buy m42 extension tubes.

ok, this really isn't much cheaper than straight up extension tubes for EOS mount, but that super tak(either one, I think both give excellent results) is a beauty. But since you come from old film, I figure you might have something similar you could do.

 

[Lemon law]

For what its worth, I do have a super takumar/SMC 50/1.4 already sitting om my film only pentax SLR.

I have been reading on the internet and I will sure have a fairly steep learning curve as I get into digital. And my canon XSI is paid for but I don't have it my hot little hands yet.

All I know is that a $500.00 dedicated macro lens is not a realistic option.

 

[ProfJohn]

What about a cheap off brand zoom-macro??

This:

and

were both taken with a very old quantaray 70-300 zoom with macro.

The real nice thing about a tele-macro zoom is that the focal range is is so long that you can take macro pics like this without scaring away your subject.

Not fancy, but it works.
Here is a Sigma 70-300 Macro for only $189
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/47stphoto/items/item.aspx?itemid=4003457

 

[randomlinh]

For what its worth, I do have a super takumar/SMC 50/1.4 already sitting om my film only pentax SLR.

I have been reading on the internet and I will sure have a fairly steep learning curve as I get into digital. And my canon XSI is paid for but I don't have it my hot little hands yet.

All I know is that a $500.00 dedicated macro lens is not a realistic option.

There should be K->EOS adapters. The caveat is you have to break one of the pins on the lens, it's a one way conversion. BUT, if you are sticking it on tubes, it shouldn't matter, you're connecting the adapter to the tubes.

That might be your best option. I have done this, but I was never patient enough to fully use it since I had to use a tripod, heh