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 Joe
Farace is Colorado-based photographer/writer, and a regular contributor to Photographic.
Visit him at: www.joefarace.com
or joefaraceshootscars.com.
Conventional lenses are not optimized for close-up photography. True macro
lenses, on the other hand, are corrected for close focus and can be used with
good results at infinity as well. Canon’s EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM has
a floating optical system that lets you focus to life-size (1:1) magnification
at a working distance of 4”—allowing you to fill the frame with
a subject the size of a penny.
The EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM is the shortest focal length macro lens Canon
offers with fully internal focusing. Autofocus is driven by a silent ring-type
USM (Ultrasonic Motor) so overall length never changes.
Like other offerings in Canon’s EF-S series, the 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens
is designed to cover the smaller sensor in the EOS Digital Rebel, Digital Rebel,
XT and 20D. EF-S lenses have a rubber ring surrounding the rear element that
sets deeper into the camera than an EF lens. This ring will hit the mirror if
you try to mount an EF-S lens on Canon’s full-frame digital or film SLRs.
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Adorama’s
Macro Focusing Rail Set has two 6” rails that allow precise
movement in four directions—right, left, forward and backward—and
has positive locking knobs to assure rock-steady focus. It’s
used here with a Manfrotto tripod and Canon EOS 20D with Canon’s
EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens.
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The new 60mm Macro uses special coatings to minimize reflections and flare
and has a circular aperture design, so even when stopped down it produces natural-looking
highlights. It works with both the expensive ($450) MR-14EX Macro Ring Lite
and really expensive ($650) MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite, but you’ll need an
optional ($13.95) 52mm adapter to attach either light.
For critical focusing of still objects indoors I used the lens in the manual
focus mode with the camera mounted on an Adorama Macro Focusing Rail (www.adorama.com).
This set is designed specifically for tripod-mounted macro photography and has
precise rack-and-pinion movements that provide extremely fine focusing adjustments.
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With
a focal length equivalent of approximately 96mm you might think
Canon’s EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens might be a good portrait
lens; in fact, it’s a great portrait lens—especially
if your subject like Leah Marie can handle the crisp focus. Exposure
was 1/125 at f/3.5 to minimize depth of field at ISO 400.
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When shooting outdoors or in less predictable conditions, the Autofocus mode
is the best way to use this lens. When mounted on Canon’s EOS 20D, which
has a 9-point autofocus system arranged in a wide diamond-shaped array, the
most accurate focusing results will be achieved by using the camera’s
multi-controller to select a specific focus point.
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