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shrirama

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Extension tubes would work beautifully with the 60mm. Kenko and other third parties make stackable extension tubes with electrical contacts and mechanical couplings for AF, aperture control, and even VR. They'll give you a decent increase in magnification, a huge reduction of minimum working distance, a correspondingly reduced depth of field and a reduction in available light that you can pretty much ignore if you're shooting in sunlight or using a flash.

I've been using extension tubes with a 55mm micro (essentially the same as the 60mm - just older), and that combo can capture details like ants' whiskers.

Plus they're handy with other lenses - longer lenses in particular. Not because of the extra magnification (which is negligible on some lenses) so much as the reduction of working distance.
 
First, I second the other post recommending books. You can go to your public library and find one. It matters not if it was written during the film or digital era as the concepts are all the same. Or, you can go to Borders/Barnes and Nobles and look there for a more updated book.

Also, a 60mm lens with extension tubes will have less and less working distance. I believe the 60mm at 1:1 has something like 2" of working distance from the front of the lens. That distance will decrease with extension tubes. You may want to consider returning it --if it is not too late-- and getting as long of a lens as you can afford. My Sigma 150/2.8 HSM Macro was slightly under $500 shipped and I have almost a foot of working distance at 1:1. I used to have a Nikkor 60mm macro and returned it for this reason.

However, I realize that you may not have the money to go for a longer lens so I also suggest a lens reversing adapter. This allows you to mount the lens in reverse on the camera. This will allow for some serious magnification for only an extra $15 or so.

Also, a flash, preferably a ring flash. Nikon makes them as do others. They vary in price from $99 on up. They are an absolute must when shooting macro at high magnifications.

eb

--

Arthur Dent hoped and prayed there wasn't an afterlife. Then, realizing the contradiction, he merely hoped there wasn't an afterlife.
  • Douglas Adams, In Literature/Douglas Adams
 
I would also suggest Jon Cox's book, Digital Nature Photography Closeup, published by Amphoto, available new or used through Amazon.com (or lots of other places).

--
http://www.pbase.com/luxun54/galleries
 
OK I'm confused here, I though a 1.4x at the same working distance would give a 1.4:1 mag, and the benefit of a tiny bit more working distance for 1:1 also.

So are you saying the closest focus distance is extended when using a TC ???

Not saying you are wrong, just trying to understand.

--
Gerry,
http://gerryd.smugmug.com/ discount code on homepage

 
A longer lens will give him more working distance. This will be beneficial when he adds extension tubes to increase magnification as the working distance will decrease. This is why you want the longest macro lens that you can afford.

I've never used a TC for macro work.

eb

--

Arthur Dent hoped and prayed there wasn't an afterlife. Then, realizing the contradiction, he merely hoped there wasn't an afterlife.
  • Douglas Adams, In Literature/Douglas Adams
 
teleconvertes do increase magnification ratio.

you have effectively a longer focal length with the same focal distance, so greater magnification.

macro is a bit of a minefield for the uninitiated
here is a good thread about the diversity of techniques to get macro photos.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1030&message=13980405
gerryd04 said:
OK I'm confused here, I though a 1.4x at the same working distance
would give a 1.4:1 mag, and the benefit of a tiny bit more working
distance for 1:1 also.

So are you saying the closest focus distance is extended when using
a TC ???

Not saying you are wrong, just trying to understand.

--
Gerry,
http://gerryd.smugmug.com/ discount code on homepage

Click to expand...
--
some of my better photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14607952@N00/
 
gets you into the details fairly
inexpensively.

maljo
 
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