Which Macro?? Please help!

[WatchTimes]

I just purchased a 5D MKIII

I photograph high end watches in a light box.

Ideally I am thinking a 50 or 60 mm

What will work will with the D5 and still work with the autofocus?

I have heard the Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact-Macro is a bit dated really.
The Canon 60mm f/2.8 EF-S Macro does not mount in the 5D.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[neuroanatomist]

I'd say the 100mm non-L USM Macro.  If your budget is higher, I think the ideal product photography lens is the TS-E 90mm f/2.8.

[kirispupis]

Note that most macro photography does not involve AF.  When you change the focus you change the magnification, which is generally not what you want for macro.  Focusing is therefore achieved by moving the camera back and forth.  Most of the top macro lenses do not even support AF (the 100L and 180L are the most notable exceptions).

In terms of which lens, I have both the TS-E 90 and the 100L macro.  If you are photographing the entire watch, then the TS-E 90 is likely what you want due to the ability to use tilt and a lower aperture (nice blurry background but watch is in focus).  If you want to photograph the interiors of some of the higher end watches, the 100L is better because it offers more magnification.

[paul13walnut5]

Years ago I had the 50mm f2.5 Macro, not life size (half, probably not an issue for timepieces perhaps) but tried and didn't like on a digital body, found it prone to colour drifts in the bokeh edges.

Now use a Sigma 70mm, albeit on a cropped body.  However the lens is a DG type and so will work on full frame.

It's not a fast focuser, but has focus limiter, although you are probably using MF anyway.

VERY very sharp lens.

Worth a look if thats the kind of focal length you are looking at.

Reviewed very well, and I can vouch for it's performance, on APS-C at least.

[WatchTimes]

I am taking pictures of the entire watch mainly.

Someday I may be taking pics of the inside but the main pics
will always be close ups of the watch case, dial etc.

I do also need a good all purpose lens for just general daily activities.

[wopbv4]

Hi,

I have had great success taking pictures of watches using the focus stacking technique.

Please have a look at what the Helicon guys have on offer

http://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconfocus.html

also see

http://peter-chong.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/brief-survey-of-focus-stacking.html

[drjlo]

Now use a Sigma 70mm, albeit on a cropped body.  However the lens is a DG type and so will work on full frame.

It's not a fast focuser, but has focus limiter, although you are probably using MF anyway.

VERY very sharp lens.

Worth a look if thats the kind of focal length you are looking at.

Reviewed very well, and I can vouch for it's performance, on APS-C at least.

The Sigma 70mm macro is indeed a very sharp lens, but I would definitely buy it from a place that allows returns/refunds.  My Sigma 70mm copy worked fine in viewfinder but would not auto focus properly in Live View mode on my Canon 550D body; incompatibility like this depends on the lens version/age/firmware and body version also, so it's hit and miss.  Sigma service was no help and clueless. 

I returned the Sigma and got the Canon 100mm Macro L, which is great also, especially IS helping a lot with hand-held macro shots, and the 100 mm focal length giving a little more working distance than 70mm. 

On a tighter budget, a used Canon 100mm Macro non-L would work very well also. 

[brianleighty]

If you're looking for 50mm macro, I think you'll find many people on here who find the Zeiss 50 2.0 makro planar very nice. I'm surprised nobody mentioned it yet. It is only half size but I think that should work for your purposes. I've never actually used it but I'm renting it next month for a wedding and have heard very good things about it.

[mikemilton]

I have the 65MPE and the 100F2.8Lis I'v also used tubes on older (FD) lenses in past. If I use flash, I use the MT24 or multiple speedlights off-camera. I use FF bodies for this (1Dx, 5Dii)

I would not recommend the 65 for your app because it is strictly macro (1-5x) and watches are actually fairly large.

The 100 is a great overall lens and being able to get close is a real advantage. If you do not have this range covered already it would be a good choice althought the non-IS verion is substantially less expensive.

[brianleighty]

I have the 65MPE and the 100F2.8Lis I'v also used tubes on older (FD) lenses in past. If I use flash, I use the MT24 or multiple speedlights off-camera. I use FF bodies for this (1Dx, 5Dii)

I would not recommend the 65 for your app because it is strictly macro (1-5x) and watches are actually fairly large.

The 100 is a great overall lens and being able to get close is a real advantage. If you do not have this range covered already it would be a good choice althought the non-IS verion is substantially less expensive.

Hmm very interesting. I'd never thought of using FD lenses as macros. Then you theoretically wouldn't need an optical element to adjust for the flange. I don't even know, does anybody even sell an adapter without an optical element though?

[drjlo]

Hmm very interesting. I'd never thought of using FD lenses as macros. Then you theoretically wouldn't need an optical element to adjust for the flange. I don't even know, does anybody even sell an adapter without an optical element though?

It doesn't have to be FD lens or manual-only lens to work with Macro extension tubes.  If you get good extension tubes with EOS contacts, you will retain auto-focus (albeit at "macro" slowness) and aperture/exposure. 
I have the ProOptic EOS extension tube set, which are built well and pretty cheap for a set of 3. 

http://www.adorama.com/MCAETEOS.html

[revup67]

+1 on the 100mm L IS USM Macro with 3 different distance settings.  Razor sharp as well but there were some excellent points made on the TSE90mm as an alternate although (great idea)  I think the OP wanted AF.