Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)After years of manual flash macro work, recently in digital format with extension tubes on the Canon 100mm macro lens, I decided to cast a onsiderable sum of money at this twin light. Where I used to struggle just to get the correct exposure, now I'm able to concentrate on background (no night-looking flash fall-off anymore) and on modeling the light -- including little shiny aphids tended by ants! If you're serious about great macro work -- this is the flash to have.
I was worried about breaking the hot-shoe mount with rough field work, but the 45 degree angle of the mount adds stability. Even so, I bent up an aluminum strap bracket in my shop that surrounds the camera and flash -- a camera "roll bar."
There's a bit of a learning curve -- but when I tried manually setting the aperature (f22 is my lens's "sweet spot") and a shutter speed of 1/200 -- ISO 100 -- all of the exposures were perfect, because the ETTL function "dials in" the foregrand and background appropriately. I've used the same manual settings for just the macro lens, and for many variations of one to three extension tubes.
I've retired my 25 year-old Cokin flash unit that has served me so well with guess-timate exposures.

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A versatile, adaptable lighting system for macro, scientific, medical, industrial, commercial, and advertising photography.

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Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/100 ZF Manual Focus for Nikon F Mount Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had this lens on my D700 for about a month now. Having previously owned Canon 100mm, 135L, 85L and other L lenses on my 5D, I can give a comparison with those.
With the exception of losing the ability to autofocus, this lens is the best lens IQwise that I have owned.
I purchased it for portraits and general use - not so much for macro, but the ability to use it for macro is a definite plus. Serious macro photographers may have an issue with this lens not being 1:1 but rather 1:2, but for me this is not a big deal. You could always use an extender to get it to 1:1 if necessary.
Pros: This lens is the sharpest lens I have owned, and it has the best bokeh of any lens I have owned. All other qualities are excellent, such as color, contrast, CA etc. At times, for portraits, it is a bit too sharp - but this can always be adjusted in photoshop.
Cons: The lens may be a bit heavy if you are not used to this weight. No autofocus, but you know this already :)
Initially I was a bit skeptical of manual focus because I have bad eyesight, but with the combination of the full frame D700 and its diopter adjustment i can focus very well with the ZF 2/100.
In addition, there is also the option of using the live-view feature which allows for ultra-accurate manual focusing. I have realized that manual focusing can be more accurate than autofocus.
If you are considering this lens, I would recommend it 100%. In my opinion its a bit plain/ugly looking (!) but thats just my opinion, many other think the lens looks awesome. Its also very well built and the manual focus dampening is great.
Alternative Option - IF you have a Nikon camera and cannot afford this lens, and don't need macro, I highly recommend the Nikon AIS 105mm F2.5 (or F1.8) lens - You can get it dirt cheap on craigslist, and the IQ is excellent on that lens. If you can afford it, the ZF 2/100 is amazing.


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The Makro-Planar T 2100 ZF is the first photo lens with ARRIZEISS Master Prime optics from Hollywoods movie industry enabling exceptionally selective focusing Far superior in optical performance even wide open from infinity to the close-focus limit a...

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