MACRO LENS

Shalamab said:

What is the best Macro Lens for the Nikon D810?

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Given you're asking the question, I'd look for an all purpose macro lens. That's something around 105mm - like the Nikon 105 f/2.8 AFS VR macro. A focal length around 100mm provides a nice balance of minimum focus distance with a reasonable reach. It also works well as a traditional lens for portraits and close ups.

Shorter focal lengths are normally for subjects that allow very close approach - coins, jewelry, stamps, copying slides, etc. Nikon has a 60mm macro lens that is quite good.

For live subjects that are hard to approach - like spiders, butterflies, bees, snakes, etc - a longer macro lens makes sense. These lenses may be too long for tight quarters such as flower photography or for coins. The Nikon 200mm fits the long end nicely.

Magnification at minimum focus distance is the same on most macro lenses - 1:1. Longer lenses have longer minimum focus distances and working distances. Longer lenses also retain more magnification as you move away from minimum focus distance. Longer lenses provide a narrower field of view.

Third party macro lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina are all pretty good. You give up VR, build quality, and maybe a slight amount of sharpness at normal distances, but all macro lenses are sharp at macro distances. You may run into long term issues with firmware and resale with third party lenses. For example, my older Sigma 150mm required a firmware update for my D850, and it won't AF at all with my Z6.

Macro requires really good technique. Often that means managing flash or reflectors, using a tripod, and using mirror up or exposure delay to minimize vibration. Handheld work usually requires a flash, but not always.

ericbowles said:

Shalamab said:

What is the best Macro Lens for the Nikon D810?

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For example, my older Sigma 150mm required a firmware update for my D850, and it won't AF at all with my Z6.

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Good précis of a large and complicated subject Eric!

I have 3 macro primes at 90mm; 105mm and 180mm. Among these the Sigma 150mm is NOT. Nonetheless, I wish I had one as I think it a superb lens.

Shalamab said:

What is the best Macro Lens for the Nikon D810?

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You would chose different lenses depending on subject, lens to subject desired, do you want VR, budget, and other factors.

I rather like the 105.

Tamron’s updated 90mm macro lens - i have heard the image quality is better than nikon’s 105mm micro lens.

If you want greater magnification, Laowa have recently released a 100mm 2:1 macro lens - but it is manual focus only.

I had the Nikon 105 f2.8 VR but was stolen. I replaced it with the Tamron 90mm G2 I like it...it wrks well with my D850 - using focus peaking...

All macro lens are good/best. You need to work out what your working distance needs to be and what your budget is and then buy that lens.

Personally I like the Nikon 105 VR, it's a good working length, especially on DX and can be used for many other things especially portraits.

All macro lenses are sharp with flat fields. Some do more.

For true macro work, neither VR nor autofocus are of much use, and the main differentiator is not going to be sharpness, but rather focal length. Longer is generally better as you can

a) be farther away from your subject, for the subject's sake - macro distances on short lenses may be less than an inch clearance, and that can spook a lot of subjects.

b) allow for better external lighting - something that is often needed when shooting live, moving subjects at F32.

If longer is better for macro, it may or may not be the right focal length for non-macro, and there both VR and AF make a difference. Also resolution at the distances you are shooting. Many macro lenses are much better at closer subjects than distant ones.

I like my Nikon 105vr. There are times I wish I had a 150mm for more working room, so I would certainly like a 90mm less. I also have a 60mm macro, and it's simply too short for FX.

I used to use my 105vr for portraits, and it's not bad at that. I prefer my 85F1.4g though.

Nowadays my biggest use for the 105vr is underwater, first on a D810, now a D850.

This is a crop of an animal about the size of a quarter taken with a D810.




star horseshoe worm, Roatan Honduras



--
Phoenix Arizona Craig
www.cjcphoto.net

The 200mm Micro is the best native F mount macro lens available, assuming its size, weight, and price work for you.

ClosePhoto said:

The 200mm Micro is the best native F mount macro lens available, assuming its size, weight, and price work for you.

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What is your data source for that assertion?

Some general comments about macro lenses:

I prefer internal focusing so the working distance doesn't change as you change focus.

I also like AF because it is sometimes helpful for macro but more importantly it is helpful when using the lens for normal shooting (the same can be said about image stabilization).

If the lens does have AF, I prefer the option of full-time manual focus override rather than having to push-pull a clutch or move a switch to change AF/MF back and forth...AF works really well in some instances but often it needs fine adjustment with MF and having to deal with a switch or clutch IMO is a PITA.

Unless you want to do wide angle macro like with a Laowa 15mm 1:1, I would go for something 90mm or longer.

My personal experience and testing of all currently available F mount lenses, along with the MTF charts and reviews conducted by numerous others.

Are you policing the forums today with random challenges or do you have actually any information contrary to my assertion?

Please elaborate as to which F mount Macro lens is sharper, has less chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion when used at macro focusing distances.

ClosePhoto said:

The 200mm Micro is the best native F mount macro lens available, assuming its size, weight, and price work for you.

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You don't think that focal length is an important consideration in choosing a lens?

ClosePhoto said:

My personal experience and testing of all currently available F mount lenses, along with the MTF charts and reviews conducted by numerous others.

Are you policing the forums today with random challenges or do you have actually any information contrary to my assertion?

Please elaborate as to which F mount Macro lens is sharper, has less chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion when used at macro focusing distances.

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I am interested in macro and merely asked the source of your information.

ClosePhoto said:

The 200mm Micro is the best native F mount macro lens available, assuming its size, weight, and price work for you.

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I have the Nikon 200 mm f4, the 105 f2,8 VR and the 60mm macro. Each is good, but I agree the 200 f4 is the best of the three for stable subjects. For moving subjects I get more keepers with the 105. Each is quite good.