The Gear Thread

Clix Pix

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Oh, Eric, what a heartbreaker!!!! OUCH!!!!!! I hope that Sigma can repair it...... Since it clearly was an accident and not any sort of warranty issue, probably you'll have to cough up the full costs of the repair. In that case it might be just simpler all the way around to purchase a new one.....?
 

Eric

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Oh, Eric, what a heartbreaker!!!! OUCH!!!!!! I hope that Sigma can repair it...... Since it clearly was an accident and not any sort of warranty issue, probably you'll have to cough up the full costs of the repair. In that case it might be just simpler all the way around to purchase a new one.....?
I have sent it in to see how much it will cost to repair, I don't have $900 to throw away so I have to at least try. If it's damaged beyond repair then it is what it is, it's an expensive lesson to pay closer attention to WTF I'm doing.
 

Chew Toy McCoy

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What would be a good reasonably priced macro lense setup for a Canon EOS Rebel XSi (box also says EOS 450D, if that means anything)?
 

Eric

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What would be a good reasonably priced macro lense setup for a Canon EOS Rebel XSi (box also says EOS 450D, if that means anything)?
It really depends on how much you want to spend, you can look up actual macro lenses and get an idea but as you can see it's pretty expensive, as I would say any decent high quality lens is. However, if it's just for hobby you can always look at getting an extension tube, I've seen a lot of really awesome shots from them and they're super cheap https://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Canon-Extension-Extreme-Close-Ups/dp/B003Y60DZO
 

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So I dropped it on my Yosemite trip yesterday, I didn't properly have my bag zipped up and it slipped out onto the road while I was running across to avoid traffic. I signaled the oncoming truck to avoid it as it bounced a couple of times rolling down the street. I was hoping it would still be usable but it broke the mount :( I'm contacting Sigma today to see what (if anything) could be covered from this event.
Ouch. Any insurance cover it?
 

Eric

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Ouch. Any insurance cover it?
No but going forward I'll be insuring all of my equipment, if I can't learn from this experience then it's on me. :mrgreen: However, I am wondering if my credit card insurance will cover some of it, I'll see what the repair bill is going to be and then ask.
 

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Chew Toy, I missed your post earlier..... OK, a long-winded answer here.......

First, in response to AFB's post, actually, Lensbaby lenses are not actually macro lenses. They're closeup lenses, and there is a difference. They're also specialty lenses with appeal to those who want to get certain creative effects in their images which they may or may not be able to get with actual macro lenses if they don't already have well-honed basic knowledge and good technique. The Lensbaby line makes special effects a lot easier and quicker to accomplish. On MR in the Digital Photography section, actually MollyC is the primo Lensbaby enthusiast and expert, not me! I've got one Lensbaby lens that I bought a few months ago just to play around with but it really is not a true macro lens, just a closeup lens with particular attributes. It's fun but I regard it as a novelty, a gimmicky item. Molly is using her collection of several Lensbaby lenses with her Nikon Z6 because she likes to shoot flowers and to create images in a certain style, but also because to date, Nikon has not yet offered a native macro lens to go with its Z mirrorless camera bodies. Nikon users have to use the FTZ adapter with the two f-mount macro lenses that Nikon has made in the past. (That is one big reason when I was ready to shift to mirrorless I said goodbye to Nikon. I wanted native mirrorless genuine macro lenses right from the get-go and Sony offers them, along with other native lenses, many of which Nikon still doesn't offer yet, either. I don't know anything about Canon so can't speak to either their mirrorless or their DSLR available choices of bodies and lenses.).

OK, setting aside my lack of knowledge about the Canon system, I can at least contribute to the discussion by backing up Eric's suggestion of using extension tubes as a good way to get up close and personal with your subject(s) as well as mention the option of a series of filters in various diopters which do the same thing, closing the gap between a lens' usual minimum focusing distance and allowing the user to get in closer to the subject(s). Extension tubes are made to fit the various camera manufacturers' mounts, so it's important to be sure that you get the right set for your gear. An extension tube or set of stacked ones mounts on the camera body and then whichever lenses you want to use mounts on that. A filter or set of filters in various diopters (often called closeup lenses or filters), as the name suggests, needs to be in the appropriate filter size of the lens with which one is planning to use it. If your lens is a 77mm or a 67mm then you need a 77mm or 67mm size set of closeup filters, respectively. There is also a way of working around this by using step-up or step-down rings, but let's just keep things basic here in the beginning.....

So. In order to be more helpful and answer the question you have posed here we would need to know what type of mount the camera you have actually uses, since over the years Canon has changed that a few times. If you want to just buy a macro lens you need to be sure you're getting the right one that will work with the mount on the camera. Also, again the mount becomes important if you are considering extension tubes. If you're keen on the idea of using close-up filters then it is important to know what lenses you already have and the filter sizes they take.

Oh, I'd love to be able to spend a little time with my A7R IV, my beloved 90mm macro and maybe even the 50mm macro and your adorable Butters! We'd have so much fun.....
 
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No but going forward I'll be insuring all of my equipment, if I can't learn from this experience then it's on me. :mrgreen: However, I am wondering if my credit card insurance will cover some of it, I'll see what the repair bill is going to be and then ask.
My house insurance covers mine.
 

Clix Pix

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No but going forward I'll be insuring all of my equipment, if I can't learn from this experience then it's on me. :mrgreen: However, I am wondering if my credit card insurance will cover some of it, I'll see what the repair bill is going to be and then ask.

Like AFB, my homeowners' insurance covers my camera gear; I've got a special rider along with my regular coverage that I set up years ago for just this reason. I forget now how much extra the "rider" cost me, but it is not all that much per year and it is definitely worth it -- certainly it costs much less than it would to replace either my A7R IV or my most-used and most valued lenses!

That is a good idea, too, to check with your credit card and see if there is coverage through that....
 

Chew Toy McCoy

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Thanks for the responses to my macro lens question. The camera is actually my mother's but she said she'd let me use/have it. I don't currently have it in my possession yet. So was doing a little pre-research. Mostly I'd want to use it to take Macros of my critters, from reptiles to insects. Since it doesn't seem there is an easy answer, which I totally understand, I'll probably come back with the same question when I actually have the camera in hand and therefore am more motivated.
 

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Like AFB, my homeowners' insurance covers my camera gear; I've got a special rider along with my regular coverage that I set up years ago for just this reason. I forget now how much extra the "rider" cost me, but it is not all that much per year and it is definitely worth it -- certainly it costs much less than it would to replace either my A7R IV or my most-used and most valued lenses!

That is a good idea, too, to check with your credit card and see if there is coverage through that....
They replied that it's just the mount and the entire fix, including shipping, is around $100. I got off lucky with this one all considering.
 

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Adding to the discussion, I currently have a few Fuji bodies:

X-Pro 1
X100
X-E 3

Mostly use the X-E with Fuji’s 35mm 1.4

Thinking of maybe treating myself to a Leica Q2 this year, but not sure about it yet.

Oh, and somewhere I have a D200 with the 18-200 on storage.
 

Clix Pix

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I have heard good things about Fuji camera bodies and lenses, but have never actually tried one myself. I've seen some wonderful, beautiful images, and people I know who have Fuji really love their gear.

Moving into another realm entirely.....Leica Q2 sounds absolutely delicious and the images I have seen from that camera are definitely amazing. Leica makes exquisite camera bodies and lenses which, while expensive, definitely do deliver the goods when in the right hands.....

Go for that Leica! You'll discover a whole new magical world out there looking through its lens.....
 

ericwn

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I have heard good things about Fuji camera bodies and lenses, but have never actually tried one myself. I've seen some wonderful, beautiful images, and people I know who have Fuji really love their gear.

Moving into another realm entirely.....Leica Q2 sounds absolutely delicious and the images I have seen from that camera are definitely amazing. Leica makes exquisite camera bodies and lenses which, while expensive, definitely do deliver the goods when in the right hands.....

Go for that Leica! You'll discover a whole new magical world out there looking through its lens.....

Thanks for the response and encouragement.

I have a few old film Leicas (mostly SLRs) and a couple old lenses that my dad used back in the day so I have high expectations, but I couldn’t settle on a digital M setup. With the Q it would be a great manageable size for every day and I’m used to shooting with a single prime. They even have a monochrome Q but I’m not sure I’m that committed to shooting solely in black and white.
 

Clix Pix

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The Q2 sounds as though it would be just ideally suited to a lot of shooting situations. On another website I have a friend who has the monochrome version and his images are fantastic, too. He mostly shoots in color but a while ago decided to go with the B&W/monochrome with this camera just because it was more than different and it would be absolutely challenging to him. We did an Octoberfest challenge on that site back in October, and his images with that camera/lens were just fabulous.

If it were me, though, I'd be looking at the full color spectrum version of the Q2, as it really offers more versatility in the long run. If you want to convert an image or two to B&W you can still do that.....
 
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