Macro lenses for the 60D

Davidread

Hi @Moose - Just purchased a Canon 60D and wondering what would be the best lens to purchase for macro insect photography. Cheers - Dave

Moose

Howdy @Davidread - One of my favorites is the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens (see here). Unbelievable sharpness, buttery smooth bokeh and beautiful color tonality...great for photographing insects. Happy shooting! :)

beckyc4u

How close can you get to the object you are photographing with this lens? I want to be able to, say, get within 3-4 inches of a lily of the valley. Can you do that with this lens?

Also, if I read correctly you can use EF lenses with the Canon Rebel T2i. Is that correct for this lens? Thanks!

Moose

Howdy @beckyc4u - The minimum focus distance with the 100mm f/2.8 macro is 1 foot from the image sensor, which means roughly 5 to 6 inches in front of the lens.

Yes, you can use EF lenses with the T2i. The biggest difference between EF and EF-S lenses is that, you can use EF lenses on a full frame sensor like the Canon 5D MK III without any vignetting (dark corners). Happy shooting! :)

beckyc4u

Thanks for the helpful information, @Moose. I loved my old 35mm and held off for a long time on getting a digital camera. I started with one that was not an SLR, but took a lot of great photos with it. It was great at super macro photos. Now that I have my T2i, I haven't been able to take those same kind of shots. I'm just trying to find the best lens for those. Thanks again!

Moose

@beckyc4u - If you're looking to dabble in Macro photography, have a look at the Raynox DCR-250 (see here). It's an affordable macro adapter that instantly improves your magnification. With it clipped to the front of your kit lens, you'll be able to get with a couple inches (2 to 4) of your subject for awesome macro close-ups. Happy shooting! :)

beckyc4u

This looks to be just what I'm looking for. I just ordered one ;-) I'll let you know how it goes! Thank you so much!