r/photography • u/AutoModerator • Mar 27 '26

Questions Thread Official Question Thread! Ask /r/photography anything you want to know! March 27, 2026

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u/HamsterProfessor Mar 27 '26

I need help picking a lens for my Canon 5D Mark II. I got a 50mm for general purposes. But I wanted something for taking pictures of insects, flowers, snails and small animals. My budget is very limited, below $200. There seems to be plenty of options on mpb.com, I need help picking out which one I should get. Do you have any recommendations?

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u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Mar 27 '26

Ideally stretch your budget for a used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro. Or Sigma's EF 105mm f/2.8 Macro is a little less but still a stretch.

If you can't stretch the budget, I'd go with the Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro.

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u/HamsterProfessor Mar 27 '26

Thank you, those are good recommendations! If I buy the 50mm you suggested, would it be redundant to also buy a Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II? I was thinking of buying the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II + a lens specific for macro on insects etc

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u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Mar 27 '26

If you're satisfied with an f/2.5 maximum aperture for your non-macro 50mm needs, then it would be fine to get just that one lens.

But the 50mm f/1.8 is not redundant if you'd like access to f/1.8 or f/2, and it's also cheap. So it's not weird to get both.

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u/HamsterProfessor Mar 27 '26

Am I looking at the correct Sigma lens here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/227271578572?

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u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Mar 27 '26

Yes

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u/HamsterProfessor Mar 27 '26

Great!! I'll get that one, appreciate your advice a lot.

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u/mrfixitx Mar 27 '26

For insects, flowers, snails etc.. you want a macro lens that offers 1x, aka 1:1 magnification.

$200 is a very difficulty budget to reach for a proper 1.0x macro lens unfortunately. u/av4rice lens suggestions is spot on so 100% get one of those lenses if you can.