I bought this lens when I was starting to dabble in macro photography - and it was very much recommended on other websites. Some macro lenses are incredibly expensive and I would recommend that you went for something low to middle of the range like this if you're not sure that macro photography is for you.

From my experience, this lens is a great starter lens. It focuses quickly and quietly (if you get the USM version), which is invaluable for subjects (like insects!) which are likely to move. You do have the option of automatic focus or manual focus on the lens, as well as two range settings (0.31m - infinity and 0.48m - infinity). The images have a scale of 1:1 which is good enough for most subject matters undertaken by the macro photographer. I have personally found that it is necessary to have a lens hood to reduce glare - but lens hoods are easy to come by second hand and don't have to be expensive.