Recommended Macro Lens?

[BrianI]

I'm looking to treat myself this Festive Season with a proper Macro lens for my Canon 750D.  I'll be using it for nature macros of flowers / fungi / lichens / bugs and other wee beasties.

Focal length I recon around 100mm to give me a bit of distance between myself and the subject.  Price, under £500, preferably under £400. Would consider used.

Now what do people recommend?

Tokina 100mm f2.8 AT-X Macro Lens - Canon Fit - £349

Sigma 105mm f2.8 Macro EX DG OS HSM - Canon Fit - £359

Canon EF 100mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens - £419

Or do I push the boat out for the Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM Lens? 

At the moment I'm leaning towards either the Sigma since it has built in optical stabilisation...

Thoughts?

[David Martin]

The sigma is excellent. I have the Nikon fit version. I really like it.

[BrianI]

Thanks David!

My Ebay £15 extension tubes are in my local sorting office, hopefully I'll get a chance to pick them up tomorrow. I would imagine that they would still be useful even when using a 100mm macro lens.

[mike]

I've got one of the older canon 100mm (not the L) and it's very good, but I expect the sigma is on par or better based on my other sigma lenses.

I find macro bloody hard!

[David Martin]

Thanks David!

My Ebay £15 extension tubes are in my local sorting office, hopefully I'll get a chance to pick them up tomorrow. I would imagine that they would still be useful even when using a 100mm macro lens.

I have extension tubes but have never used them with the macro lens.

[T42]

The sigma is excellent. I have the Nikon fit version. I really like it.

+1. Along with a macro slide it's wonderful.  You can do stuff like this:



That's 92 stacked shots of the top of a loaf of muesli bread.

[BrianI]

The sigma is excellent. I have the Nikon fit version. I really like it.

+1. Along with a macro slide it's wonderful.  You can do stuff like this:



That's 92 stacked shots of the top of a loaf of muesli bread.

 

£20 for a macro rail? That's a lot cheaper than I expected!

Anyway, my £15 extension tubes turned up today, so I may as well add a £20 macro slider as well!  Good to hear that the Sigma is getting good reviews, I think I will end up going for that.

[BrianI]

That's the £20 macro slider ordered!