Cameras and Macro. Buying a lens?

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Cameras and Macro. Buying a lens?

I'm a Moderator and I wasn't even sure where to post this! LOL

I want to buy a macro lens for my Canon EOS Rebel T6. But in searching, I'm finding it extremely overwhelming, and I don't have a professional photographers knowledge of all of the numbers and distances, etc. With that being said, anyone here do macro? Have a Canon? Could you maybe help me figure out what I need to buy?

I am looking to do macro photographs of real items such as fabric flowers, ribbons, etc for extraction, to publish here at PS. I own a light box, but even with the light box I'm not getting the detail and quality that I really want for this particular use. I love my scanner for really flat objects, but a lot of things I want to extract are NOT flat.

Links would be helpful, and I don't want to invest a lot, I'm ONLY using it for this purpose and it won't be an all of the time thing. I'm even cool with refurbished or used.

TIA!

Mine is an inexpensive 28-90mm zoom with macro capabilities. Here's a quote from the blog post I made about it back in 2015:

Quote:
I’ve also had time this evening to do some test shots with the used macro lens I picked up months ago, and it looks like it’s going to be a beauty. Nothing super-fancy, of course–it’s a used Quantaray 28-90mm f/3.5-5.6, but the reviews on it actually call it sharper than the Canon equivalent, and the couple of initial test shots I’ve done look like I got a great deal. It came attached to a Canon Rebel Ti, which is a 35mm film body that can use the exact same lenses as my DSLR. I’d been looking to consolidate to using only the EF and EF-S lenses on both film and digital for a couple of years, but hadn’t found a film body within my budget until I spotted this deal. I should call it a steal, though–I paid $40 for the pair, and what testing I’ve done looks like they’re both performing like new.

It's actually become my favorite "walkabout" lens, given that the 28mm end of the range makes it good for landscape shots and the 90mm end works well for portraits as well as macros. Here's a blog post from a photowalk I did with it. I've shot quite a few items with it for elements, too, but haven't put up a post with them; I strongly recommend shooting with a tripod for elements. Near a window or outdoors on the shady side of the house works well, especially with reflector fill; indoors with a couple of good photo lights will, of course, give great results as well.

Rachel: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, go for a fixed, not for a zoom lens.
This one is sweet for portrait too.
Currently I have the Canon 5D mark iv.

I actually just got an LED Lightbox, and yes, I use my tripod, thanks for the tip though!

I ended up going with this Andoer Metal TTL AF Macro Extension Tube Ring. I really am on a TIGHT budget, and after reading some blogs and watching a youtube video on choosing macro options, I decided this was best for me! Thanks for helping out!

Rachel: Good on ya! Pls let us know how this is works out. smiley I almost always by used gear.

I absolutely LOVE the light box, I think when paired with the macro lens, hoping it'll be here the first week of May, it's going to produce some killer elements for me to extract.