Is Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro good for family portraits ( one behind the other)?
142426
at f2.8 it will be tough, since the DOF is pretty shallow, but you don't want to shoot portraits that wide open as they tend to be soft wide open on most lenses. if you want nice bokeh just increase the distance of your background behind your subject, while closing down the lens a few stops. but this lens should take sharp photos.
1927315
I use a Canon 70-200mm F4 zoom and a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 with macro focusing. I have found that this combination of lenses has served me well since the late 70's, shooting concerts, landscapes and wildlife. For extreme macro get a lens reversing ring for the wide angle and you can shoot snowflakes.
1244448
This is one of the better Micro/Macro that I've work with. But for newborns ? Yes, it still darn good. It would be good for tiny hands, sleepy smiles, or good for Mom and babe together. It has a focal length that is a good all around use and I've had one of these macros in my bag since 1965. If your a Nikon shooter and your question leads me to think you are or will be, stick with this 60mm, you won't be disappointed.Your the one that the lens has to please and it's you and not the equipment that takes the picture/image.
916339
Yes! I have both the 5D Mark III and EF 85 1.8. They're a great combo, I use the 85 1.8 often for portraits.
176768
For macro work you would really want a lens ratio of 5:1, but as you can imagine those are a bit pricey. In response to your question of whether or not it is good for macro work, I would say it's alright. There is such a thing as a poor mans macro which is essentially four filters you place on your lens with various levels of magnification. This is a very affordable option as it will probably cost you less than 20 dollars. However, in doing so your depth of field will be very shallow. I suggest googling and doing research about it before you make a purchase.
1483057
YES...... I would highly recommend this lens and it is now used as my general lens of choice. To use the macro, it is necessary to stand back further than most lenses but it still produces a very crisp image. The weight of the lens helps to keep the camera steady as it is weighted well making the whole unit more sturdy. So far I have no regrets.
1356282
It doesn't get super close, but it's really damn sharp. If you want to get closer, I'd suggest Sigma's 28mm f1.8 macro (they also have a 24, a 50, etc.)The macros are reviewed well enough, may not be as optimal in the corners, but for center-frame macro shots, everything else will be bokeh-d out anyway. This is more of a perfect travel lens- sharp as anything corner to corner for the landscape shots, and wide f1.8 for the people shots, while still being practical and relatively distortion-free.
814300
The 85mm 1.8 would obviously have less depth of field when opened up, which may be useful to throw the background out of focus for portraits. The 3.5 is also macro, great for close focusing for small objects. I got it because it seemed to be a good compromise. I use it both ways. If the macro function were not important to me I probably would have gotten the 1.8 although it's also more money.
2054216
The 50mm is actually more "zoomed out," and is therefore probably more functional for indoor family stuff. The 85 is awesome but isn't going to give you anything other than close-ups if you are standing inside of 15-20 feet from the subject. If versatility is your goal, I would strongly suggest something like Sigma 17-35 zoom. I think that's about F/1.8 as well. Same price range. That gives you the flexibility of zooming way out for wide-angle group shots and then back in for relative close-ups.
1630950
It's not fair to make the comparison between these two kind of lenses in my opinion as each has its own forte and fulfills a different function. If you want both portrait work and macro then you should get the 100mm macro. While you can use the 50mm for portrait work, it is more suited for full body portrait. For closeup, the 100mm is better (less distortion). Of course you can use just about any lens for any application...some just won't perform very well. With the 100mm, it would be very tough to take landscape pictures (wide angle scenics shots). The 50mm would be better (though not ideal for your T2i which has a 1.6x crop factor). If you must have only one lens, I'd go for the 50mm.
1114828
Yes - I believe so, though I've never used it. Mainly macro lenses are more expensive to produce to allow them to focus so close to the subject. This 35mm f/2.4 has become one of my favorite lenses for its sharpness - I often use it to shoot panoramas, although I have an old A-series 50mm f/1.7 and an ancient Takumar 135mm f/2.5 I also use for that. But for the price this 35mm has outstanding image quality.
1770841
It's good, but you'd want a true macro lens if that's all you want this lens for. With this lens, you'll have have to stand a good 2-3 feet away from your subject. With a true macro lens, you'd be able to get directly in front of your subject, and the results will be better.
204310
The 85mm is perfect for portraits on a Full frame an almos equivilant on the 60d will be the 50mm 1.4. In my opinion a 50mm and the macro will be a better choice.
855771
The lens you have would be perfect for the family portrait. I use my 35mm for most of my work.
2072504
F. Dudek,This lens would be ok. The speed of the lens is ok, as far as f/stops go. The focus speed might not be up to the task. Also the focal length of the lens might be a little short for what you want to do. However, at $100 you wont find a better value lens, it is worth having. My suggestion would be buy the lens and try it. If it doesn't work it will still be great for home indoor photography. If it doesn't work look at the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens, it has just as fast aperture, has faster ring USM focus, and has a little bit longer reach. For even more reach look at the Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens. F. Dudek,This lens would be ok. The speed of the lens is ok, as far as f/stops go. The focus speed might not be up to the task. Also the focal length of the lens might be a little short for what you want to do. However, at $100 you wont find a better value lens, it is worth having. My suggestion would be buy the lens and try it. If it doesn't work it will still be great for home indoor photography. If it doesn't work look at the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens, it has just as fast aperture, has faster ring... » Read More F. Dudek,This lens would be ok. The speed of the lens is ok, as far as f/stops go. The focus speed might not be up to the task. Also the focal length of the lens might be a little short for what you want to do. However, at $100 you wont find a better value lens, it is worth having. My suggestion would be buy the lens and try it. If it doesn't work it will still be great for home indoor photography. If it doesn't work look at the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens, it has just as fast aperture, has faster ring USM focus, and has a little bit longer reach. For even more reach look at the Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens. « Show Less
138092
Hello Hugh, It focuses super fast, zooms from wide-angle to super-telephoto, and gets close enough for macro shots. However, this is not a replacement for macro lens. Suggestions for Canon macro lens - Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS or Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L. If you looking for cheaper options - Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM or Canon EF 50mm f/2.5.
723759
I found the macro capability as outstanding. However to get good results you'll need to shoot in manual mode and understand some of the basic setups and lighting conditions. Different situations require using different settings.