AF Macro Lens

Nik-750 wrote:

Yea, I know, you shoot macro manually, but I can't handle it, o.k?

Now, I've never had a macro lens and I've got only like 300$ to spend (second hand lens), so I was thinking about Nikkor 105 af-d or maybe Tokina 100 or Tamron 90 (non VC version).

What would you recommend? Which one will give me the best AF results?

I prefer autofocus with a macro lens, but at high magnification or using a tripod, I'll probably need to use manual focus anyway.

Using autofocus hand-held, you'll probably want image stabilization to help avoid using flash all the time at the narrow apertures needed.

Nik-750 wrote:

Jack Tingle wrote:

I use a cheap extension tube set & my kit lenses. [E-M10 Mk. II + 14-42mm or 40-150mm] Their fields are flat enough to work fine & AF works as normal.

The tubes were under $30. They'll get you 90% of what you can get. I've never been able to justify the next increment. You start to need lighting & fixturing to go further.

I've tried that Jack. I think it was Meike's. Sent it back to Amazon. I'm not sure if I used it wrong or whether it was faulty. So my experience with tubes is terrible. I find it very difficult to move forward backwards to find a focus point for a brief second.

Is that how a real macro lens works?

Using extension tubes with your 50mm prime would be very similar to using a macro lens at higher magnifications. You have to "help" the autofocus by being at the correct distance.

It's like reaching minimum focus with any lens. You have to be at that distance. It's not like zoom. You have to be at a precise distance to get a specific image size. You move to the point where the camera focuses. If you get 30mm in frame from 12", you'll get that every time. You'll need to move closer to get 25mm and farther away to get 35mm. The scale on the macro lens should give you the magnification and distance to work with in manual focus. Without a distance scale, it's trial and error.

I'm an Olympus user and have an Olympus 60mm macro which is an autofocus lens that I really like -- BUT, I also use a set of Neewer extension tubes with a kit zoom lens and get excellent photographs with that setup. I have Meike extension tubes as well, but to me they're cheap and flimsy feeling compared to the Neewer. The only problem with extension tubes is the limited focusing range, but with some practice you can learn the limits of the lens/tube combo and save a big pile of money.