Whenever I go out to take photos of dragonflies and
butterflies I prefer to use my long reach tele-lens (Canon 100 – 400L IS – full
review here) since my keeper rate is better than running after the little
critters with a macro lens. When I am out taking photos of other insects my
long reach tele-lens is of no use to me. Sure, I could use it for taking photos
of general insects but the photos won’t be any good.
Most insects are several times smaller than dragonflies and
butterflies and my 100 – 400 won’t zoom in enough to get the type of shot I
want. To take photos of insect I am often scrabbling around on my hands and
knees looking for likely subjects, and once located I take photos of them at
“funny angles”. I am not balanced in these situations and as the 100 – 400 is a
big and heavy lens it would be impossible to keep it steady enough for a sharp
shot, even with the IS turned on. The bottom line is a 100 – 400 lens or any
other super zoom lens for that matter is not a good tool for insect
photography.
The lens I use for insect photography is a macro lens, and
if you want to capture frame filling shots of insects a macro lens is the only
way to do it. Macro lenses are designed for capturing close up photos of tiny
subjects, and you don’t get many subjects smaller than insects. The majority of
macro lenses are small and light enough to capture sharp hand held shots. I say
majority of macro lenses because there is one particular macro lens I can think
of that is big, heavy and not good for hand held photography.
When choosing a macro lens for insect photography there is a
trade-off between weight and focal length. You need a macro lens with the
longest focal length (to give the best working distance, i.e. the distance
between the end of the lens and subject) that is light enough to use hand held
for extended periods. The macro lens of choice for insect photography is the
100mm f2.8 macro lens. This lens is long enough to give a good working
distance, but light enough for hand held shots. If you are serious about insect
photography a 100mm f2.8 macro lens should be the top of your shopping list.
The macro lens I use for insect photography is the Canon
100mm f2.8L IS macro lens (full review here)
 |
Focal Length – Full
frame/APS-C:- 100mm/ 160mm/ Aperture:- 2.8 - 32/ Min focus:- 11.8"/Dimensions:- 3.1" x 4.7"/ Weight:- 22.1 oz/ Image stabilization:- Yes/ Price (approx.) $USD/£ GBP:-$800.00/£685.00
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This lens isn’t cheap but it is the best money can buy and
worth every penny. Being an L series lens this lens is made using the best
quality materials and superior optics. In addition to the toughness, robustness
and excellent image quality this lens also has 4 stop image stabilization, to
ensure tack sharp hand held shots time and time again.
If you don’t have the budget for the Canon 100mm f2.8L IS
macro lens a cheaper alternative is the Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens
 |
Focal Length – Full
frame/APS-C:- 100mm/ 160mm/ Aperture:- 2.8 - 32/ Min focus:- 12.2"/ Dimensions:- 3.06" x 4.84"/
Weight:- 21.2
oz/ Image stabilization:-
No/
Price (approx.) $USD/£ GBP:- $600.00/£385.00
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I owned this lens before the Canon 100mm f2.8L IS macro lens
was released. I can vouch for the quality of this lens and can confirm it is
exceptionally good. This is a mid-priced lens so whilst it is not made using
the same materials as the L series version, it is still a strong and robust
lens. The image quality of this lens is superb, and it is very sharp. The image
quality is not quite up there with the L series version, but it is not a
million miles off. This lens does not have image stabilisation, and this
feature is the only reason I upgraded to the L series macro lens.
For a detailed comparison between the Canon 100mm f2.8L IS
macro lens and the Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens take a look at “Canon 100mm f2.8L IS macro lens v canon
100mm f2.8 macro lens”
Related reading:
Below are links to macro photography and insect photography
related posts, articles and tutorials that may be useful and/or of interest.
Please feel free to head on over and take a look.
- Review of theYongnuo YN24 macro twin light
- Insect photography tips
- Macro photography on the cheap
- The best flash for macro photography
Photography ramblings video playlist that may be of interest
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