Subing for a canon 100mm macro

[troron]

I cant afford it.. its a great lens and *just* what I need. But I can't come up with nearly 5 c-notes!
I really need a macro lens that allows me to sit on my butt and zoom in on a flower from a short distance away rather than have to belly up close.

I have a canon ef 100-300mm and an ef 28-90mm

What are my options for reasonable quality and cheap?

A tube?
Sigma?
Other?

Ron

[dang]

Tubes would probably be a good start, since you could use them with a macro lens later also. With a standard lens, as a general rule.. you'll reach roughly life size by using the same amount of extension, as the mm of the lens. You could also try a converter, but how well it works with your lenses isn't going to be known until you try it. There's also the alternative of using older manual macro lenses with a body adapter. I have several galleries explaining these things if you'd care to look.

If you decide to get a dedicated macro, I highly suggest a Sigma 50mm EX DG since it reaches life size, and is priced reasonable for such a sharp lens.

Good luck, and happy shooting.
tom

[troron]

So if I wanted to use an extension tube with the 28-90 zoom which tube would i choose? Can I get 1:1 with that?

Ron

[dang]

Ron wrote:

So if I wanted to use an extension tube with the 28-90 zoom which tube would i choose? Can I get 1:1 with that?

Ron, there's more to it than simply using a tube with any lens there is. As I said, 1:1 magnification is generally considered to be obtained by add an equal amount of extension, as the millimeter of the lens being used. This said, if the tube mounts to your 28-70mm zoom without problem, the a 25mm tube will almost give you life size reproduction when it's zoomed into 28mm. However, this isn't saying the quality of photo you get is going to be usable.

There's other problems which can occur. Vignetting, and especially distortion can ruin what might be a nice shot with a different lens. If you want life size, there's really not a perfect solution, other than a dedicated macro lens if you wish to keep the quality as high as possible. I can't tell you how well your combination will work, since I haven't tried it. And I'm assuming the reason you're trying to find an inexpensive alternative is due to cost. Could you specify an amount you're trying to stay with? You might prefer going with diopters as a start, and add more expensive items with time.