T7i - Beginner macro photography challenges

[ravinat]

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?

[RobertTheFat]

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@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?

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

[ravinat]

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?

[ebiggs1]

"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.

[kvbarkley]

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.

[RobertTheFat]

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@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?

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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.

[ravinat]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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.

[Waddizzle]

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@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.

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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.

[kvbarkley]

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