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100mm Macro: Handheld pix?

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I looked at Canon's specs on the 100 and 180. The 100 achieves 1:1 at a distance of 1 foot, while the 180 does at 1.6 feet.

Aside from that, what would the difference between the lenses be? and what would make the 180 worth 3X the price of the 100? The 100 appears to be very sharp with excellent contrast.
--
Walter K
 
I bought the sigma 180 several months ago to shoot butterflies etc. I had been using my 100-400IS. Yes this is a big lens but its extremely sharp and give me plenty of room to work. I have been very pleased with it so far.

This little buttefly is no more than a half inch and I shot it handheld with the sigma 180. I have shot a lot of larger butterflies hand held and have gotten awesome results as long as I keep it at least 1/250.
John R.

 
I can't imagine shooting things like butterflies...damselflies etc with a tripod. They would be gone before I could even set it up. Guess thats why so many macro shooters kill them first. Even handheld I can't keep up with the butterflies turning constantly or flying to another flower. I tried some bugs and they crawled off while using my tripod.
Oh well will keep trying.
John R.

 
People seem so adamant about using a tripod or monopod, but for most insects I can't use either, no matter how fast I try to shift things. That includes trials with/without the Wimberley Sidekick, with/without a ballhead, etc.

What I do wonder is how come the mosquitos always find me, and stay still on my face or arm until I try to swat them? Meanwhile, the other insects stay still until I get them in focus but not until I hit the button :(
--
Walter K
 
Yeah and when I swat the mosquitoes the subject matter flies off. Just lost a great shot on a monarch that way..
John Harrison82293 said:
This little buttefly is no more than a half inch and I shot it
handheld with the sigma 180. I have shot a lot of larger
butterflies hand held and have gotten awesome results as long as I
keep it at least 1/250.
John R.
Click to expand...
 
I never use a tripod for my 100 mm work since it is such a pain. However, as somebody above noted, when you want to get really close and have maximum depth of field the Canon Ringlite can't be beat.
http://arnica.csustan.edu/photos


WalterK said:
I have been wanting to get the 100mm 2.8 macro. I have been using
the 100-400 with extension tubes, and have got good results with
it. I have been shoting handheld, without a flash. I have been
using the IS, as well as using higher ISO to get higher
shutterspeeds.

I like to shoot insects, and have found that the monopod is more
of a hinderance for the kind of shots I take.

Can the 100mm macro be handheld without flash and still get sharp
images? Or would the lack of image stabilization mean I would be
wasting my time and money
--
Walter K
Click to expand...
 
That does it! I'm gonna get the 100mm lens! Until I can get the ringlight I'll find a way to use the 550EX, even if I have to use pipecleaners and velcro to hold it.

--
WalterK
 
I never use a tripod even though I know I should.

I too am saving for a ringlite. In the meantime, I use my 420EX with a Lumiquest 80/20 bouncer. With the flash pointed forward (unlike the usual straight up for useing the Lumiquest) I get decent light right at the end of my 100mm+12mm ext tubes and the +5 Hoya closeup.

This lets me get decent shots at f16 to f18.
Here's one from about max distance.... I can get really close with this setup.



RobertG
WalterK said:
I have been wanting to get the 100mm 2.8 macro. I have been using
the 100-400 with extension tubes, and have got good results with
it. I have been shoting handheld, without a flash. I have been
using the IS, as well as using higher ISO to get higher
shutterspeeds.

I like to shoot insects, and have found that the monopod is more
of a hinderance for the kind of shots I take.

Can the 100mm macro be handheld without flash and still get sharp
images? Or would the lack of image stabilization mean I would be
wasting my time and money
--
Walter K
Click to expand...
 
Hallo Walter,

you can use also the internal flash even at 1:1. I had had the Canon 100mm macro for a few days and did some macro shots on my D60 using the internal flash. Se one example below.



With this lens you you can see even the subject distance in the EXIF info if you use BreezBrowser for example.

Bernd
WalterK said:
That does it! I'm gonna get the 100mm lens! Until I can get the
ringlight I'll find a way to use the 550EX, even if I have to use
pipecleaners and velcro to hold it.

--
WalterK
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/berndb

BerndB
 
Berndb said:
Hallo Walter,

you can use also the internal flash even at 1:1. I had had the
Canon 100mm macro for a few days and did some macro shots on my D60
using the internal flash. Se one example below.
Click to expand...
That's really good to know. I probably never would have tried it for fear of gross overexposure or a shadow of the lens.

--
Walter K
 
RobertG said:
I never use a tripod even though I know I should.
I too am saving for a ringlite. In the meantime, I use my 420EX
with a Lumiquest 80/20 bouncer. With the flash pointed forward
Click to expand...
It certainly seems to work.

Do you find a decrease in sharpness when shooting at such narrow apertures, because of refraction?
--
Walter K
 
I have no complaints at f16 or f18.

RobertG
WalterK said:
RobertG said:
I never use a tripod even though I know I should.
I too am saving for a ringlite. In the meantime, I use my 420EX
with a Lumiquest 80/20 bouncer. With the flash pointed forward
Click to expand...
It certainly seems to work.

Do you find a decrease in sharpness when shooting at such narrow
apertures, because of refraction?
--
Walter K
Click to expand...
 
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