i just got a canon t3i for christmas and the stock lens is obviously not the greatest. i'd like the macro pics of my tanks to be much nicer. so the question comes: What macro lenses do you use? i'd rather rely some on peoples first hand experiences rather that blowing a ton of money and not having something i'm happy with.
also, who uses a remote shutter control? which ones? there are a ton of super cheap ones out there but i'm a bit skeptical of them.
Buk, if you have the funds, get the Amazon.com: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (~$890). You will be very happy with this lens.
A great alternative to the Canon lens is the Amazon.com: Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro Lens ~$450). HERE is a good comparison between the two lenses, Canon macro vs Tamron macro lens.
Stay away from the 50 or 60mm macro lenses (anything less than 90mm). At first, you will like the lens because you can get very close to take pictures. Later you will find that you HAVE to get very close to the subject to get the macro pictures and that you can't do it because corals are in the middle or back of the tank.
As far as the remote shutter release, I have found that the cheaper ones on Ebay work just as well as the Canon or Nikon ones do. Mine came from China and it works very well at a good distance at a GREAT price. Just search for remote shutter release for Canon T3i on Ebay for the correct one. Make sure you get a wireless remote. This is the one I use that is compatible with the Canon T3i: Wireless Remote Shutter Release for Canon Rebel T3/T3i | eBay
BeakerBob - Past MMMC Club President, current Board Member
Mike/poisden was selling his canon for 450 I think. Great price, great lense. Do a members search and send him a pm. He had a selling thread a while back on it
Why don't you post some pics of what the lense can do? And bad bad buk and bad BB, I think I may now go buy the Tamron today on Amazon because of this thread....