wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

I bought the Vivitar set of 3 extension rings from Amazon, work great and fully automatic. The only real drawback is that a macro lens will usually give you better depth of field, a concern in close-ups.

myersmig

I would not put a converter on the 70-300mm. The advice to save for the Sigma is good. As for macro, I had a Micro Nikkor 60mm f2.8 for a few years and it is a fine lens. I sold it and bought a Micro Nikkor 55mm f3.5 for $100 (like new) and it is a superb lens. On your camera, it is the equivalent to 82.5mm which is good for many subjects. In my opinion, manual focusing is more accurate and more sure than auto focus for macro work. I also carry a Canon 500D close up lens.

raysass Loc: Brooklin, On, Canada.

Hi MtnMan, would you recommend the 'Big Sig' over the Canon 100-400 L. I shoot Canon. Ray.

nederob1 Loc: Brandon, Ms

Thanks guys. I heard about reversing your kit lens or a prime with an adapter ring. How does that work?

schuchmn

The close-up lens route really is the simplest. Autofocus works (if that's what you want to use) and all of the couplings for the lens metering and diaphragm are there. In short, the lens behaves just as it does without the close-up lens.

Extension tubes will work and avoid adding an optical element to the light path, but zoom lenses behave peculiarly (the zoom and focus rings don't act the way they usually do).

A high quality close-up lens like the Canon 500D and a moderate telephoto lens will do you very well. And with step-up and step-down rings, you could mount a 500D on any lens you own.

There are two problems with shorter focal length lenses. First, you can scare off a live subject like an insect, and second, it's hard to get light on a subject when the end of the lens is inches away from it. If I were to buy a single focal length macro lens, even for an APS-C camera, I'd get at least a 90mm lens or even a 180mm. Well, maybe 180 is a bit much, but something like a 180mm f3.5 Tamron or 180mm f/2.8 Sigma would make a heck of a good medium telephoto and work pretty well with a telextender too.

That's my preference; others, of course, will differ.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

It works best with a bellows ...

schuchmn

You can also do it with two lenses. You mount one lens to the camera and, with an adapter ring, mount a second lens reversed to the first lens. The adapter ring screws into the filter threads of each lens. Clunky at best and I don't know how it'd work out with zooms.

BTW, what will work best also depends on how much magnification you need for whatever it is you want to shoot. What are we looking at here? Nice flower close-ups? Gnats' eyeballs?

nederob1 Loc: Brandon, Ms

Imagemeister; You say a bellows would work better at macro. with what lens

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

With a reversed lens, or with an enlarging lens...

nederob1 Loc: Brandon, Ms

Thanks