zuzanne Loc: Crawfordville, FL

I have several telephoto lenses but no prime/fixed lenses. I have the Sigma 18-250mm lens and want to know if using it set at 60mm for macro will I get same or close to results as a fixed 100 macro lens. Using on a Canon T5I crop sensor camera. using 60 @ 1.6 crop factor I get 96mm, Looking at close up shots of flowers, bees, no people shots.

Second question is how hard is it to learn to use a fixed lens?

zuzanne

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

A real macro lens will give you more magnification than your zoom.
The "macro" setting on your zoom isn't technically macro if it doesn't give you 1:1 (life size) on the sensor.
I don't think any lens manufacturer makes a true macro lens that zooms in that focal length range.

Prime lenses are easy to use.
If the image is not big enough in the viewfinder, move closer. Other plusses with primes is they are usually faster, sharper and better corrected than zoom lenses.

Any lens you put on your Canon T5 will have a 1.6x factor to give you the equivalent full frame length, so that 100mm lens will give you the FF equivalent of a 160mm.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

The advantage of a macro lens is the close up focusing. You will be able to get much closer to your subject, assuming it will not bite or sting you, and still be able to achieve focus. A prime, or fixed lens, works the same as a zoom lens except it only has one range.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A few months ago I bought my first digital prime lens, a Canon 40 mm pancake (equiv. angle of view about 65 mm).

What I discovered immediately is how spoiled (and lazy ) we can become by zoom lenses. It's easy to say "move closer" but that's not always possible. It really depends on what your interests are and the availability of appropriate subjects.

Using the lens does make you slow down and think more carefully about composition and what story you are trying to tell.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

A friend has a Tamron 90mm prime f2.8 Macro lens with a 1:1 magnification. His macro work is excellent with that lens. It makes for an excellent portrait lens as well. Check it out. It is less expensive than either the Nikon or Canon macro lenses. I must admit macro photography is not an interest of mine anymore. Previously I was using extension tubes.

frankie c Loc: Lake Havasu CIty, AZ

You don't need to flip the in macro switch, just set it at 60mm and shoot. It should be a 90mm equivalent for an aps c sensor. flipping it to macro buys you nothing except maybe some additional depth of field but you prolly gots to get closer to the subject. Prime lenses are generally sharper and faster. A 50mm f1.4 is always a good choice equivalent to 75mm prime on an aps c. Good portrait distance perfect depth of field on f1.4 A 50mm f1.8 is good to and less expensive. Check used or referbs. The Tamron 90 is a nice lens, wouldn't be my choice for portrait. Prolly just because I'm a snob :( good luck have fun.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

You might try an extension tube. They have no glass, thus the effect on the image is minimal.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

And, not alarm the subject so it flys, hops, slithers or walks away.

utakirchlechner Loc: Homosassa, Florida

Will I be able to use my canon zoom lens ef 17-40mm 1:4l usm on the Canon EOS 5DS R 50.6 Megapixel DSLR Camera (Body)?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Uta, although the answer is technically 'yes', what does this have to do with zuzanne's question about macro lenses? Canon provided a recommended list of EF lenses for the 50+ MP bodies where the resolution of the lens complements the extreme resolution of the sensor. The v II versions of nearly every EF lens was on the list. Your question would be better dealt with as a new post and not a hijack of another topic.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Why? Are you planning to try to configure it for macro photography? If so, the technical answer is yes, but you need one or more extension tubes, and, starting with such a short lens, you will doubtless find the results unsatisfactory. If not, you have the wrong thread.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Do not confuse true Macro with zooming or using a lens on an APS-C camera. They are not the same things. For true Macro you will need a Macro lens or at minimum some extension tubes.

Best,
Todd Ferguson
Harrisburg, NC

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

It is definitely possible to take good "close-up" photos with the telephoto lens. A focal length longer than 60mm will give a lot of magnification and the background will have good bokeh.

However, a dedicated macro lens has some advantages over the telephoto. First, light-gathering ability - most macro lenses will have f/2.8. When close to a subject, you may need more light-gathering ability because your presence is blocking some of the light! Also, the wider open the aperture, the more shallow the depth of field. But when photographing something very small, this is not always a problem. Second, the image produced will be 1:1, a true macro shot. Third, you know up-front how close you can be to the subject to get an in-focus shot. Each lens has a minimum distance you must be from the subject, which varies with each lens. With your zoom lens the minimum focus distance is almost 14". A dedicated macro lens has a single minimum focus distance that does not change. The longer the focal length, the larger the minimum focus distance...

Next time you use the Sigma telephoto for a close-up photo, figure out how close you can get before focus cannot be achieved. Try this at different focal lengths, not just at 60mm. Go to 100mm to give you a comparison number for a 100mm macro lens (the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens has minimum focal distance of 12").

I prefer a macro lens with a longer focal length because it allows shooting subjects that sting or bite without much risk, as well as not disturbing subjects that will leave the scene if they suspect you of getting too close.

Learning to use a fixed focal length lens is not that difficult. Just have to remember to move yourself instead of changing the zoom!

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Put a Canon 500D lens on the front of your zoom and have some close-up fun !

anotherview Loc: California

The Sigma 18-250mm lens cannot match a prime lens. I say so from my experience owning and using this Sigma lens mounted on my Canon T6i for several weeks. A prime lens will produce an image with quality better than this Sigma lens.

Prime lenses, because of a single focal length, require the user to move in physical relation to the subject in order to fill the frame.

Otherwise, using a prime lens does not present problems. It use still involves the three main elements of photography: Composition, Exposure, and the importance of Subject.

That said, a good zoom lens like the Sigma 24-105mm can produce images much closer to, say, a macro lens or a prime lens.

You have to decide what result you want from your photographic efforts. This consideration will tell you which lens (or lenses) you will need.