Macro lens recommendation please

[The Mangler]

I'm looking for a good (as good as my budget will allow anyway) lens that will be used strictly for macro - mostly insects and small objects. It will be going on a 350D, if that has any impact on your recommendations.

My budget is $600, but I could wait & save more if I had to. Max budget would be $1000, although I prefere not to spend that much on it right now.

I'm looking for something with 1:1 magnification.

I've been looking at this 100mm f/2.8 USM (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=194451&is=USA&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation) lens and so far I like it.

This lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=183199&is=USA&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation) (MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x) has been starting to look more and more interesting to me too. I think I may hold off a while on this one though.

Ultimately I'd like to have both.

So, should I go ahead and get the 100mm, save up for the 65mm, or do you recomend something completely different?

[timmciglobal]

Might consider the sigma 150 F2.8 HSM macro. Bugs/insects hate things close to them so greater working range is good.

Runs about 550.

http://photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/sigma_150_28/index.htm

By all reports quite a nice lens, not up to the 180L but at quite a bit less.

Tim

[cwphoto]

I'd pass on the MP-E. It's arguably Canon's most specialised lens and is hardly an appropriate introduction to Macro.

The 100mm sounds fine to me. Decent working distance (and FF image circle) over the EF-S 60mm - and without the L silliness.:)

Coldrain will jump in here soon - he does a lot with Macro and his advice will be solid.

[coldrain]

Ok cw ;)

The 100mm Canon is a very good macro lens, but all macros are basically very good. The Tamron 90mm f2.8 SP Di is also a lens to contemplate. It is argueably the sharpest (by a small margin) of the Sigma 105mm, Tokina 100mm and Canon 100mm group. What is very nice about this lens is the very precise feel you get with manual focussing, a reason to get the Tamron. Aldso very good colour and contrast, it has that "L" quality (but I have the suspicion the Canon may have that too).

Downsides are the noisy AF (and sometimes it can hunt for AF), so its motor is its downside. And that is precisely what is the upside of the Canon, its silent and accurate USM.
So those are the two contenders in the 100mm range, as far as I am concerned.

If you want more tele reach (so you have to be less careful with insects for instance) you should look at the 180mm macros. The Tamron AF 180mm f3.5 SP XR Di LD, Sigma EX 180mm f3.5 DG APO HSM, and Canon EF 180 f3.5 L USM are very close in sharpness and contrast.
My preference would go to the Tamron due to that I personally do not like the colour of my Sigma lens, and they are known for warm/yellow-ish colour casts (this can well be not the case with these macros, but tests never look at this so it is hard for me to know), and I am very impressed with the great colour my Tamron macro gives me.
The Sigma of course has a HSM motor, which means it is more silent than the Tamron. And the Canon is the most expensive. It does have very good colour, as cwphoto showed with his sample. And a silent and accurate USM motor.

So.. the choice is between weight + size and price, I guess. All of the above mentioned macros will do well though... they all are sharp and the leats sharp 100mm class macro is not available for the Canon platform.

[The Mangler]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I think I'll go with the 100mm Canon, but I'm still considering the Tamron and Sigma lenses. I noticed that the Tamron and Sigma lenses are both "designed for digital", with coatings to correct chromatic aberration while the Canon is not (or is it?). Does that really matter?

[coldrain]

No, nothing to worry about. The EF 100mm f2.8 has no patricular CA problem. It is a fine choice, and its silent and fast focussing and the fact that it stays the same length, where the Sigma and Tamron (and Tokina) all extend with focussing make it very nice to use.