Cheap camera lenses?

[AUSGECKO]

Just wondering if anyone can suggest the best place in Aus to get a decent price on a canon 100mm is usm macro lens? I looked at digital camera warehouse and a couple of others but they are not as cheap as what I thought they would be, it's difficult to find one under a grand in Aus.

 

[bigfella77]

Thats right, i aint bought a lense for a few years but they aint cheap. especially a USM macro. Just remember its all about the glass, you cant skimp on the quality of your glass. Better to have 1 or 2 top quality lenses than a bag full of cheap ones, you will never be satisfied with the cheapos when you see what a good lense can do. What model Canon do you have?

 

[inthegrass]

Look on ebay, I purchased a canon 60mm from Hong Kong no problems. for about $550, I think 100mm go for a bit more.
cheers

 

[lone_soldier]

The lens you are after is a great lens!! Definitely not a cheapy.. I know a place you can get it for about $900 nothing dodge but they aren't in aus and another that is $1000.. send me a PM if you want.. best thing is they are L series which means international warranty!! (at least it use to be i think)

 

[Bradchip]

Don't discount the Tamron 90mm lens. Bloody good lens, and think it's around the $550 mark now.

I'm a nikon shooter, and much prefer the Tamron 90mm to the Nikon 105mm macro (which is double the price)

Image quality is as good, if not better than you'll get with the canon or nikon counterparts.

http://www.teds.com.au/catalogsearch/result/?q=canon+macro

 

[Fuscus]

Shopbot!
canon 100mm is usm macro lens - Price Comparison - Buy Cheap in Australia
Tamron 90mm lens - Price Comparison - Buy Cheap in Australia

 

[Bradchip]

Just remember you do NOT need image stabilisation on a macro lens (if you're using it for macro). It's basically useless in the case of macro (but could come in handy for portraiture...which is another great use for lenses at this focal range)

The L series lenses are pretty sweet though

 

[AUSGECKO]

I'm like all consumers, I want the best quality at the cheapest price. I've had my heart set on this lens for over 12 months, I would be using it as one of my prime lenses and it will get plenty of use as both macro and portraiture, although mostly macro.
Brad, is there a particular reason why IS is useless for macro?

 

[LJ77]

the tamron 90mm macro is really good I know a few pro's that swear by them.

 

[SteveNT]

the tamron 90mm macro is really good I know a few pro's that swear by them.

+1

 

[Klaery]

I also use the tamron 90mm. It is an absolutely fantastic lens and cost me about 400 on ebay. I would like to try the Nikon at some stage because it does not extend while focusing (a problem I sometimes have with the tamron) but image quality wise I see no difference.

 

[Renenet]

Have PM'd you. You can also search the Whirlpool photography forum for recommended shops. http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/132

 

[Bradchip]

Brad, is there a particular reason why IS is useless for macro?

Nikon's VR and Canon's IS systems are both the same. Both vibration reduction. All the literature I've read states that any vibration reduction is useless at 1:1 ratios. It's actually a fairly commonly asked question too.

Here's what Thom Hogan says about the vibration reduction on the Nikon 105mm

"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The closer you focus, the less VR has an impact on the final image. At 1:1 (the closest focus distance), it may not impart any benefit (it didn't seem to in the testing conditions I could create). So do you turn VR off when working in macro? If you're pressed up towards the limits of focus, I'd say yes--you're wasting battery life and potentially making it more difficult to hit a focus point. But if you're focused out beyond two or three feet (~.7m+), it probably makes sense to leave it on, as you'll get some benefit "[/FONT]

This is probably because any movement that you make when focused at 1:1 ratio (closest focus distance of this lens), every movement you make is exaggerated...because of the tiny subject you're dealing with.

 

[Klaery]

As well as what Brad says with macro you are also almost always using a flash when hand held.

 

[Bradchip]

I know you've got your heart set on the Canon 100mm, but it's definitely worth looking at other alternatives. The Tamron 90 seems popular here...and for good reason. I also recommend that you have some sot of flash when you're doing macro too (the pop up one on your camera becomes pretty useless for macro as the lens barrel obscures the light from the flash).

The Tamron 90mm teamed with extension tubes is a killer setup too....although takes a steady hand and a lot of patience to learn.

This is my rig.

 

[Waterrat]

best thing is they are L series which means international warranty!! (at least it use to be i think)

Don't be fooled by that. Most internet dealers offer international warranty but Canon Australia will only honor products bought from Canon Australia authorised dealers.

 

[AUSGECKO]

Thanks for the input guys, it has given me food for thought. My budget is $1300 and was wanting to get a macro and a flash, I was looking at a canon 430ex II.
Considering that any portrait work I do is usually outdoors in bright light (no flash needed) and macro is usually laying on the floor of my Herp room in the middle of the night (flash needed), maybe a setup similar to what brad uses would be most appropriate and I would most likely have enough cash left over for a wide angle lens.............
Why is there never a simple solution lol

 

[Waterrat]

Geck, keep in mind that to get a decent depth of filed in macro-photography, you have to close the aperture to f16 or even better to f22. You seldom have enough ambient light to do that without a flash.

 

[AUSGECKO]

Thanks for the tip Michael, that's something I hadn't thought about, my aim is to create a small studio set up similar to what you have shown in your 3 part RA article.

 

[Waterrat]

You will still need plenty of light unless you're shooting a gecko or a frog that is likely to stay still for a few seconds and take time exposure shots. Anyway, one flash unit will do if you use one or two reflective screens in addition.