Dedicated macro lens

[Gaz2374]

Hi guys I'm thinking of a dedicated lens my options are canon 100mm usm f2.8 or sigma ex dg 50mm f2.8 macro I no the canon will give me a better distance to work with and is a better lens so this might be the one but i also have a canon 50mm f1.8/tubes and upto 17x of diopters .
So question is will I get better results with the sigma over my current nifty fifty as I wouldn't want to scrimp and get the sigma for nothing better than what I can get already. And would rather save and get the 100mm canon instead if this is the case .

Thanks gaz

[Jediboy]

Have you considered the105mm Sigma?

[Gaz2374]

Originally Posted by Jediboy

Have you considered the105mm Sigma?

Not really looked tbh , I tell you what though I put a 55-250 canon on tubes and that did quite a bit better than the nifty 50 and I got alot further away too due to the zoom.

[cosmicma]

to do close up macro on the cheap have you considered using your 50mm with a reversing ring ?
i believe great results can be achieved this way for not a lot of money

[donoreo]

I have extension tubes. The cheap ones, no contacts. The downside, no aperture control. The upside, they cost $8.

[jet_kit]

Originally Posted by cosmicma

to do close up macro on the cheap have you considered using your 50mm with a reversing ring ?
i believe great results can be achieved this way for not a lot of money

Yes, reversing rings are very cheap and will give you superb macro quality. The downside is that you will have no focus or distance control at all, the reversed lenses will focus where it wants to, and that's an end of it. Also, the aperture has to be set manually after you done all your setting up, so a tripod is essential.
Tip. Wide Angle lenses give you more magnification when reversed. Long lenses are pretty useless.

[Gaz2374]

Thanks guys , Iv got the cheap tubes also a reversing ring seems very hit and miss when reversed , doesn't seem as though I'm in control atall tbh although It's a start I guess

[cosmicma]

Originally Posted by jet_kit

Yes, reversing rings are very cheap and will give you superb macro quality. The downside is that you will have no focus or distance control at all, the reversed lenses will focus where it wants to, and that's an end of it. Also, the aperture has to be set manually after you done all your setting up, so a tripod is essential.
Tip. Wide Angle lenses give you more magnification when reversed. Long lenses are pretty useless.

i realized using the 50mm canon lens wasn't the best option after i commented because there would be no control thanks for pointing that out as what i said was a bit miss leading
i should have said an old manual lens on a reversing ring would be a much better choice
it's one of those things on my todo list get a reversing ring and an old 28mm manual lens which can be picked up quite cheaply on the second hand market

another option which i have put a bit of thought into was using bellows with an old manual lens to try and achieve those " fly's eye " kind of shots

not really made my mind up which route to take yet