topic Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ravinat — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 14:40:36 GMT

I bought a T7i recently and I wanted to try macro photography (I am a landscape photographer). I bought a macro extender tube in Amazon and also a Yongnua 50 mm prime lens.

The prime lens attached tot he T7i is great and works fine at different aperture settings from 1.8 to 22.

When I attach the extender tube, and the prime lens to it, I am unable to change the aperture as there seems to be no way to do that on a Yongnua. I saw some recommendation that you can lock the aperture by doing a DoF preview. I did that and then when I remove the lens and attach the extender+lens,, the camera now allows me to manually focus, but not change the aperture.

Any suggestions?

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

RobertTheFat — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 14:45:06 GMT

@ravinat wrote:
I bought a T7i recently and I wanted to try macro photography (I am a landscape photographer). I bought a macro extender tube in Amazon and also a Yongnua 50 mm prime lens.

The prime lens attached tot he T7i is great and works fine at different aperture settings from 1.8 to 22.

When I attach the extender tube, and the prime lens to it, I am unable to change the aperture as there seems to be no way to do that on a Yongnua. I saw some recommendation that you can lock the aperture by doing a DoF preview. I did that and then when I remove the lens and attach the extender+lens,, the camera now allows me to manually focus, but not change the aperture.

Any suggestions?

Return the lens and extension tube, and buy a Canon 60mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ebiggs1 — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 14:48:04 GMT

"Return the lens and extension tube, and buy a Canon 60mm f/2.8 macro lens."

...and.......

Return the lens and extension tube, and buy a Canon 60mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ravinat — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:00:46 GMT

I will perhaps do that after I am sure if I want to be a macro photographer. This is a small $30 experiment and if that works I do not mind spending another $520 on the expensive Canon lens.

Can someone suggest ways with my current equipment?

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ebiggs1 — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:11:13 GMT

"Can someone suggest ways with my current equipment?"

The problem is, not being Canon brand stuff, it may never work. But we don't or can't know that for sure.

On the other hand the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM is designed to work completely with your Rebel T7i. Also consider if you wanted a lens in or near this FL, you bought a 50mil didn't you, the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM is great as an all around lens, too. Not just a macro lens.

They are in Canon's refurb store for $399 and used ones for $299. You and your camera will like it a lot better.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

kvbarkley — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:32:08 GMT

To pile on ebiggs comment.

With the EF-S macro you have everything you have in the 50mm lens, and 10 mm more! 8^)

Plus, you get a lens that is good for macro and relatively low light.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

jrhoffman75 — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 21:19:28 GMT

Does your extender tube has the same electrical contacts as your camera?

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ravinat — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:27:16 GMT

No, it does not have the electrical contact. Manual focus is not the issue. Setting the right aperture is. This is the case with the prime lens as well as the 18-55mm kit lens of Canon.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

jrhoffman75 — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 01:18:56 GMT

As far as I know you cannot set the aperture manually on an electro-optical lens. There are some manual lenses with a Canon EOS mount where you can set the aperture. For less than $20 you can get an extension tube with contacts.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

RobertTheFat — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 04:13:29 GMT

@ravinat wrote:
I will perhaps do that after I am sure if I want to be a macro photographer. This is a small $30 experiment and if that works I do not mind spending another $520 on the expensive Canon lens.

Can someone suggest ways with my current equipment?

The question is: How much is your time worth? You're on a path to expend a lot of effort trying to accommodate an apparently incompatible extension tube. Even if you finally get it to work, it won't be a long-term solution if you find that you like macro photography. If, OTOH, you buy a refurbished macro lens and decide to sell it later, you'll be out some money, but you'll probably have saved a lot of time. When you're as old as I am, you may wish that you'd valued your time more highly now.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

Waddizzle — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 09:18:25 GMT

@ravinat wrote:
No, it does not have the electrical contact. Manual focus is not the issue. Setting the right aperture is. This is the case with the prime lens as well as the 18-55mm kit lens of Canon.

If your extension tubes have no electrical contacts, then you went just a little too low ball. Those would be useful with a fully manual lens.

Most AF, Auto Focusing, lenses have electronic aperture control. Without the electrical contacts, there is no way you will get aperture control with an AF lens.

Macro lenses can also double as very good prime lenses. In addition, because of their flatter focus plane, they can be useful where standard lenses are not. For example, I recently too photos of a fairly wide wall mural. The left and right ends of the mural were falling out of focus due to DOF. My 100mm Macro was able to capture all of it in focus.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ravinat — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 12:59:49 GMT

Thanks for all your valuable suggestions. I think the best way for me to test this is to rent the lens for a day or two and try out if the macro lens works for me.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ebiggs1 — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 13:46:00 GMT

Now you'er talking. Even if you got the cobbled off brand stuff to work the results would likely not be high quality. So then the question becomes why do it at all.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

Waddizzle — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 22:03:59 GMT

@ravinat wrote:
Thanks for all your valuable suggestions. I think the best way for me to test this is to rent the lens for a day or two and try out if the macro lens works for me.

Another lens choice that has not gotten any mention, probably because of the focal length, is the EF-S 35mm f/2.8 IS STM Macro lens. It has 1:1 magnification, and an MFD around 5 inches. It would probably also be a pretty good “normal” lens on an AOS-C sensor body, too.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

jrhoffman75 — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 22:39:45 GMT

And has built in macro light.

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/lenses/ef/macro/ef-s-35mm-f-2-8-macro-is-stm?cm_sp=EF-Lenses-Listing-_-Espot-_-EFS-35mm-f2.8-Macro-IS-STM

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

kvbarkley — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 16:32:36 GMT

I have always felt that that lens has too small a working distance for 1:1.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

ebiggs1 — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 20:09:11 GMT

The EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM is an interesting lens but I would still go for the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM instead.

Re: T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

Waddizzle — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 22:02:33 GMT

@kvbarkley wrote:
I have always felt that that lens has too small a working distance for 1:1.

I agree, but ...

If you are shooting static subjects, the distance should not be an issue most of the time. If you need to back up, the camera has enough resolution to where a modest crop should not make much difference. Also, the shorter focal length should give you more DOF.