Mark Sturtevant wrote:
The advice you are getting is spot on. Canon, Sigma, Tamron macros are all great. Longer ones like a 180mm give you a longer working distance to get to 1:1 mag, and the advantage for that is that some critters won't be scared off. As said, the minus might be they are bit more challenging with camera movement. Don't know of any in that length that have image stabilization.
I'm going shopping too, but the wife does not know it yet. Shhhhh...
Image stabilization really doesn't work when shooting macro... but it does come in handy when using the lens for other purposes.