yet anonother Macro lens Q

[Badams]

HEY ALL: I have a very general Question regarding lenses for a cannon 20D. I need to find a Macro lens, im looking at these picts and think WOW!? I could do that. But then I look in the magazines and the Internet and start to scratch my head. As far as I can tell, there are two types of macro for the cannon cameras a 1.8, 2.8 . Now, this may sound like a really dumb Question to some but, I'm wondering how close these lenses can get without blurring the picture to _____ (fill in the blank) and back.

[coldrain]

This is more a question for the Canon DSLR forum, but I will try to answer you here.

I have NO idea what you mean by 1.8 and 2.8 macro lenses.
The numbers more look like aperture ratings to me...

Macro lenses usually have a maximum aperture of 2.8.
They come in a variety of focal lenghts, and that is where you have to make your choice.
Most macro lenses let you make 1:1 photos, meaning is you have a 22mm sensor like the 20D has you can get a a subject that is 22mm wide to fill the photo.

There is only one 50mm 1:1 macro for the Canon EOS series, the Sigma 50mm f2.8 EX DG. It is a good and affordable lens.
The Canon 50mm macro is a 1:2 macro lens.

The Canon EF-S f2.8 60mm macro is a good lens also, nice and sharp. Only downside is that it can vignet a bit, it focusses fast and silently.

The Tamron 90mm f2.8 SP Di is also a very sharp, good lens with nice bokeh. Its focus is not as fast and more noisy, it can hunt a bit at times.
The Canon 100mm f2.8 macro is as sharp as the Tamron, but it feels more sturdy. It may focus more silent and fast, but it is also more expensive.
The Sigma 105mm f2.8 EX DG is almost as sharp as the Tamron and Canon, also a very nice lens.

For the longer focal lenghts there are the Sigma 150mm f2.8 EX DG, the Tamron 180mm f2.8 SP, and the Sigma 180mm f3.5 EX DG.
All perform well... so a LOT of lenses to choose from to make excellent macro shots.