Macro lens or Extension Tube

[limvo05]

Hi All,

With the lockdown, I am thinking of playing around with macro photography. I was thinking of getting a dedicated macro lens like the 100mm f/2.8, but then I saw some youtube videos of people playing with extension tubes.

I have a 24-70mm f/2.8 ii and a 70-200mm f/2.8 ii. Both of these lenses are fantastic especially when paired with my Canon 5Ds.

In that sense, is the macro lens any sharper than my two lenses paired with the extension tube? And if you recommend an extension tube, which brand would you recommend?

Thanks.

[limvo05]

Here is my photo stacking effort. Cross-section of the flower only. 19 photos in total.

[RobertTheFat]

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@limvo05 wrote:

I tested with both the 24-70 2.8 ii and 70-200 2.8 ii. Both lenses failed to focus even in manual mode. Not sure what happened? I checked the comment for the unit I bought and it appears to be a common theme, thus I've returned it.

Canon does sell extension tube, but the price is 3 times as much as other brands.

Which macro lens would you recommend to go with the 5Ds? I am looking at the 100mm f/2.8 IS. If I am not mistaken, this lens was released at least 11 years ago.

Thanks.

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Macro lenses don't seem to change much over time. For example, the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 is still the "go to" macro lens for an APS-C camera. I bought one for my wife when we got our first DSLRs, back in 2006 or 2007. It's still one of her favorite lenses.

[kvbarkley]

The newer 100 mm macro has the fancy new IS that has 3 planes of correction for handheld macro shots.

[limvo05]

Bought Kenko extension tubes. Here is the same photo. Pretty happy with the result thus far.

[limvo05]

Here is a sample I took with a few minutes ago @200mm f/2.8 1/640 ISO100. Almost raw without editing. All I did here was to crop it to a 1x1 factor. 

[Waddizzle]

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@limvo05 wrote:

Here is a sample I took with a few minutes ago @200mm f/2.8 1/640 ISO100. Almost raw without editing. All I did here was to crop it to a 1x1 factor. 

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The "1:1 crop factor" describes how the image is displayed on your monitor, not how the image might be cropped.  Your "1:1 crop factor" is actually a ratio, better known as a zoom ratio of 100%.  

The 1:1 ratio is describing that for each pixel in the image, one pixel will be used to display it on your monitor.  A 100% zoom ratio will look very different when viewed on monitors set to different display resolutions.

[ebiggs1]

"Pretty happy with the result thus far."

That is all that is important.

[RobertTheFat]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@limvo05 wrote:

Here is a sample I took with a few minutes ago @200mm f/2.8 1/640 ISO100. Almost raw without editing. All I did here was to crop it to a 1x1 factor. 

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The "1:1 crop factor" describes how the image is displayed on your monitor, not how the image might be cropped.  Your "1:1 crop factor" is actually a ratio, better known as a zoom ratio of 100%.  

The 1:1 ratio is describing that for each pixel in the image, one pixel will be used to display it on your monitor.  A 100% zoom ratio will look very different when viewed on monitors set to different display resolutions.

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Yeah, he should have said "aspect ratio" instead of "crop factor", but I think we all understood what he meant. The stuff about pixels and monitors is irrelevant to his point.

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@limvo05 wrote:

Here is a sample I took with a few minutes ago @200mm f/2.8 1/640 ISO100. Almost raw without editing. All I did here was to crop it to a 1x1 factor. 

---

The "1:1 crop factor" describes how the image is displayed on your monitor, not how the image might be cropped.  Your "1:1 crop factor" is actually a ratio, better known as a zoom ratio of 100%.  

The 1:1 ratio is describing that for each pixel in the image, one pixel will be used to display it on your monitor.  A 100% zoom ratio will look very different when viewed on monitors set to different display resolutions.

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Yeah, he should have said "aspect ratio" instead of "crop factor", but I think we all understood what he meant. The stuff about pixels and monitors is irrelevant to his point.

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I disagree.  

I do not thing he was describing an aspect ratio.  I am certain that he was trying to describe a "crop factor" of the original shot.  Many people conflate the displayed zoom ratio in their processing software with crop factor.  A 1:1 crop factor would imply no cropping, at all.

[ebiggs1]

"Many people conflate the displayed zoom ratio in their processing software with crop factor."

I don't know what the OP meant to say or imply.  I also don't know how other post editors work with the zooming and all.

But in Photoshop you select the Hand tool or the Zoom tool and click the 1:1 button in the Tool Options bar. Then choose view, actual pixels.  Press  Enter.  Or, you can zoom to 100% in the status bar and press Enter. You have 100% on screen.  Or, right-click the image and choose Actual Pixels.