Lovely, I like the sparkle in the eye of the middle one ;-) As a sigma 70mm user on a 400D, I often want to be farther away from insects etc. but still fill the frame so a f2.8 150mm looks fab. Can I ask why you'd use the 70mm as a macro over the 150mm for small subjects? The MPE65 is a real cutie and on my want list but not just yet.

Lovely, I like the sparkle in the eye of the middle one

As a sigma 70mm user on a 400D, I often want to be farther away from insects etc. but still fill the frame so a f2.8 150mm looks fab. Can I ask why you'd use the 70mm as a macro over the 150mm for small subjects?

The MPE65 is a real cutie and on my want list but not just yet.

And thanks, just read your website - i can put a 2xTC on my 70mm and get 140 and also the image size increases :-)

And thanks, just read your website - i can put a 2xTC on my 70mm and get 140 and also the image size increases

And thanks again for my latest upload idea - Focus.

And thanks again for my latest upload idea - Focus.

Thanks for the comments Stuart! And yes the 70mm macro will work with both of the sigma teleconverters, myself I tend to use the 1.4 more than the 2* simply because it gives a bit of a magnifiation boost, but its overall image quality still remains very high. The 2* I tend to use less often since as you say if I just want the longer working distance for 1:1 stuff I can use the 150mm - and I tended to use the Raynox DCR 250 + the 1.4TC if I wanted to get to 2:1 macro instead of using the 2*TC. Not on an image quality basis but on a speed (slipping the Raynox on takes a matter of moments) and also ease factor - since with a really short working distance you can often end up resting on the ground or leaning on a surface whilst focusing, whilst a longer working distance tends to work better with a tripod (since the further away one is the more handshake affects the shot). As for when I use the 70mm over the 150mm in butterfly farms/enclosures I tend to prefer it since the long working distance of the 150mm tends to get in the way (large bugs and one can only back so far before running out of path to stand on). Indoors is also another time I tend to reach for a shorter working distance over a longer one. Even with the 65mm now the 70mm will still keep its place since it can still do 1:2 and all the way to infinity whilst the 65mm starts at 1:1. You might find these two test results that I did of interest as well: [link=https://www.ephotozine.com/topic/t-79634]Sharpness test for the MPE[/link] [link=https://www.ephotozine.com/topic/t-79672]Comparison 70mm, 150mm and 65mm[/link] though I do think there might be some focusing errors on my part in the last test and I will repeat it at some point with angled shots like in the first - where any focus error on my part won't affect the test results.

Thanks for the comments Stuart!

And yes the 70mm macro will work with both of the sigma teleconverters, myself I tend to use the 1.4 more than the 2* simply because it gives a bit of a magnifiation boost, but its overall image quality still remains very high. The 2* I tend to use less often since as you say if I just want the longer working distance for 1:1 stuff I can use the 150mm - and I tended to use the Raynox DCR 250 + the 1.4TC if I wanted to get to 2:1 macro instead of using the 2*TC. Not on an image quality basis but on a speed (slipping the Raynox on takes a matter of moments) and also ease factor - since with a really short working distance you can often end up resting on the ground or leaning on a surface whilst focusing, whilst a longer working distance tends to work better with a tripod (since the further away one is the more handshake affects the shot).

As for when I use the 70mm over the 150mm in butterfly farms/enclosures I tend to prefer it since the long working distance of the 150mm tends to get in the way (large bugs and one can only back so far before running out of path to stand on). Indoors is also another time I tend to reach for a shorter working distance over a longer one.

Even with the 65mm now the 70mm will still keep its place since it can still do 1:2 and all the way to infinity whilst the 65mm starts at 1:1.

You might find these two test results that I did of interest as well:
Sharpness test for the MPE
Comparison 70mm, 150mm and 65mm
though I do think there might be some focusing errors on my part in the last test and I will repeat it at some point with angled shots like in the first - where any focus error on my part won't affect the test results.

Hi Alex, Thanks for the detailed and explaining reply. The answers are very helpful indeed. Interesting point about the MPE and 1:1 Love the MPE guide its great, and the comparison of the 3 is good as well and gives me confidence with my 70mm. I really appreciate the time you spent producing these guides and answering questions. Thanks, Stuart

Hi Alex,

Thanks for the detailed and explaining reply. The answers are very helpful indeed. Interesting point about the MPE and 1:1
Love the MPE guide its great, and the comparison of the 3 is good as well and gives me confidence with my 70mm.

I really appreciate the time you spent producing these guides and answering questions.

Thanks,
Stuart

I had the mpe 65mm macro but could not get on with it so sold it and brought the new canon 100mm f2.8 l is usm lens which gives more flexibility with shutter speeds. The mpe is great fun on dead insects but other than that I couldn't get much else before it flew away. The focal point at 5x is so tiny even with the f stop adjusted to the max, plus it gets so you are needing more shutter speed constantly or buy a macro ring flash. A very difficult lens to use in my opinion.

I had the mpe 65mm macro but could not get on with it so sold it and brought the new canon 100mm f2.8 l is usm lens which gives more flexibility with shutter speeds.
The mpe is great fun on dead insects but other than that I couldn't get much else before it flew away.
The focal point at 5x is so tiny even with the f stop adjusted to the max, plus it gets so you are needing more shutter speed constantly or buy a macro ring flash.
A very difficult lens to use in my opinion.

The MPE 65mm is certainly not for everyone and I know several other macro shooters who have tried it out only to pass/return the lens and not through lack of skill. It's a very demanding lens and easily one where you can come back and find a lot of out of focus or just missed focus shots - takes more practice yet to get good with it (and I've still got a long way to go!) Live insects are possible, but always tricky - I tend to find heading out early or just after a rainstorm is best, bugs are much more sluggish then and far easier to frame and shoot. Must say though that I do find I hate using a tripod with the MPE - finding subjects is a challenge in itself and at higher magnifications I find a tripod slows me down way too much - far easier to hunt with the lens handheld.

The MPE 65mm is certainly not for everyone and I know several other macro shooters who have tried it out only to pass/return the lens and not through lack of skill. It's a very demanding lens and easily one where you can come back and find a lot of out of focus or just missed focus shots - takes more practice yet to get good with it (and I've still got a long way to go!)

Live insects are possible, but always tricky - I tend to find heading out early or just after a rainstorm is best, bugs are much more sluggish then and far easier to frame and shoot. Must say though that I do find I hate using a tripod with the MPE - finding subjects is a challenge in itself and at higher magnifications I find a tripod slows me down way too much - far easier to hunt with the lens handheld.