Lens For Canon T2i

Good question b/c I have a T2I as well!

Picture quality is on a linear scale. The better pics you want, the more money you spend. How nice do you want your pics?

I'll tell it plainly. Dedicated macro lenses are not cheap, even from the "second-tier" manufacturers such as Tamron and Sigma. By the same token, pretty much all of them are superb glass, and will by themselves make you a better coin photographer. The lens is everything in this area of specialty.

On the lower end, Sigma's 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro is on the order of $300. Its' only disadvantage is that it extends to focus; depending on the ultimate size of the image you desire, the front end of the lens might get close enough to the coin to have a bearing on your lighting. It is a true 1:1 Macro, meaning it's capable of creating an image on the camera's sensor the exact same size as the subject.

What that means in your world is this: Using a Morgan dollar as an example, a 1:1 shot on the T2i's 22.3x14.9mm sensor would give you a photo of one-third of the height of a 38mm Morgan, 3400 pixels tall on your computer screen.

I refer to things like that as "stupid good."

In other words, the lens is capable of far more than you'll ever want from it. It'll shoot a dime that's twice the size of your computer screen.

OK. The midrange recommendation is Canon's 60mm Macro. For roughly $400, you get one of the single sharpest lenses on the market and the ability to place the lens a little further from the subject than the Sigma, to get a pic of the same size. You also get true internal focus; the lens does not extend when focusing.

The Holy Grail of Canon macro shooting is the Canon 100mm Macro. It'll set you back a little over $500. It is the lens I use, the one I swear by and my first recommendation to anyone who isn't intimidated by the price. It's considered one of the sharpest lenses ever sold, and most believe it deserves the "L" designation. I cannot argue.

Lighting is also important when shooting coins at this level; you will have a little more difficulty getting lighting right with the smaller lenses than the larger ones as you'll need to place the lens closer to the coin to get a large image. With that said, if your desired image size is 800 pixels or so (about as large as you ever see posted at CCF), any of the lenses I mention will work just fine, especially with the huge 18MP sensor of your T2i. I shoot with a 12MP 450D, and have to set the 100mm Macro almost 15" away from the coin to get a whole Morgan onto the sensor.

If the money I'm talking about here intimidates you, consider that the stock 18-55 kit lens is no slouch if you know what you're doing:



Coin photography is a mechanical process, not an artistic one. It can be taught. If I can do it, so can anyone else.

Thank you for that explanation - it helps a lot. I think what I need to now find out is what else will the Macro lens allow me to take pictures of? I think I may end up getting a decent one as I really enjoy growing vegetables and flowers in the spring and summer months. I'm pretty sure it would allow me to take some really sharp pictures of thsoe too. So I'll probably end up getting a canon. Not sure if it'll be the 100mm or not though

I'll add another morsel to the plate, lukkyseven, since you mention wanting to know what else you can do with it.

Macro lenses are also generally great portrait lenses, since they are so sharp. If this is of interest to you, I will point you more towards the 60mm than the 100mm. The reason is, the 100mm will force you to be across the room from the person whose portrait you're shooting, whereas with the 60mm you'll be able to shoot from a much more reasonable distance.

You'll like the 100mm for insects better, for the same reason - you can shoot the bug from farther away, making them less likely to bolt at your presence.

Having to hold off on your purchase is actually a benefit. You now have the time to research how macro lenses work, and develop your picture-taking skills in an environment where the lens won't make up for minor problems with technique.

What's your current level of photographic skill? Are you familiar with your camera's manual settings?

OK, it'll be important for you to learn the basics of manual photography in order to maximize the results you get from a macro lens, or portraiture for that matter. You don't have to be professor-level, just cognizant of what aperture, exposure, ISO and White Balance mean in the grand scheme of things. The settings of those you will use in coin photography will likely be different than how you use them in outdoor shooting, so an overview will make you better understand what's happening.

I like that Tamron 90 as well. It's very sharp, and inexpensive for what you get. It suffers from the same lens-extension thing while focusing, but remember you'll be able to counteract that with the sheer number of megapixels your sensor offers, allowing you to move the camera further away from the coin while getting images the same size as I, for instance, can.

Keep in mind, some of the problems I discuss with distance placement are because I'm always trying to get the biggest-possible image. I want to get something the size of a Cent 2000 pixels wide on my screen. If you're willing to settle for nice, sharp images of 1000px diameter, much of the problem with camera distance will never affect you.

I took the picture I posted above with my 18-55. Is that one satisfactory?

These were the settings: Zoomed all the way in at 55mm. ISO 400, 1/50 sec. exposure at f/8 aperture. If I recall, the camera was about 18" from the coin. I did have to play a little bit in postprocessing to get the color right.

That's another area of learning for you - postprocessing. One can fix a whole bunch of wrong with Photoshop or the Gimp.

While I can't offer anywhere near the expertise of SuperDave , I saw that you are considering the Tamron 90mm lens. I just wanted to say that is the same lens I use and I have been very happy with it. If I remember right it was about $375 or somewhere in that neighborhood and I feel I got a good lens that serves my needs. As far as I'm concerned, it was money well spent.

use the Tamron 90mm... a lot less $$$ tah the Canon.
I am extremely happy with it