Has anyone tried the new Canon Macro Photo 1x-5x?

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Hello!

I am intrested in purchasing the above lens for some specific scientific applications (photographing winter bundle scars, scales, buds, and other features of winterized twigs). I am interested in user comments, of which I have seen little. For instance, as my work will frequently take me into the field, is the lens better suited to this kind of work then bellows?

Thank you!

Matthew

-- Matthew Smith (mpsmith@email.unc.edu), February 28, 2000

Answers

Yes I am also interested in hearing about this lens too, especially how it works and why such a high price is put on it. Certainly the scientific community and macro enthusiasts can benefit from it. At that price I would hope the optics are "L" quality and that it should have IS and IF features among others.

-- Jeff Hallett (franjeff@alltel.net), March 02, 2000.

Well, i haven't actually used it, just played around with it for 30 min or so in my cmaera store. I liked it very much, focusing is very smooth, of course it has no IS nor IF, I guess IF wouldn't have been possible with a mag.range bewteen 1x and 5x. Anyway, I am going to buy it in May. It is much more convenient, than the reversal ring (Novoflex) I use right now with my EOS and much better than any bellows I ever used. It is more compact, lighter and much tougher than a bellows, both ring-lites can be attached directly to it and the new ring-lite MR14EX or so even covers the whole focusing range. Would be nice to hear from somebody who actually made some pictures. Handling is very good. Hope this helped. The high price is typical for such specialised lenses, guess the low quatities sold play na important role here. Michael

-- Michael Schmidt (mschmidt@data.net.mx), March 02, 2000.

Thank you two so much for you kind posts.

Jeff, I couldn't agree more that this lens may really shake things up. Before, to get magnifications in the 1x-5x ranges, we had to do all kinds of jerry rigging that was expensive, dangerous for our equipment, or ineffective. I don't think a single traditional way would give the working distance of a 65 mm prime (although if it focuses via floating element that advantage is diminished). Maybe lens reversing but even that can be iffy.

Although I too think the price is expensive, it is much cheaper and more convenient than the alternatives needed to get a 1x-5x- magnification range! (Keh.com sells it for 999, which is a little cheaper).

Michael: your post was very helpful and very much what I needed to hear. I too will probably buy one, although maybe not until his summer or a little later. Let me know what you think when you get it!!

Matthew Smith

-- Matthew Smith (mpsmith@email.unc.edu), March 02, 2000.


For that application, you will definitely need a tripod and mount the lens on a focusing rail. Set the magnification and use the focusing rail to focus. The lens performs very well.

-- Peter Chen (pcchen2002@yahoo.com), June 10, 2002.

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