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A Good Nikon for Macro?

Started 3 weeks ago | Discussions
Gpruitt54
Gpruitt54 Regular Member • Posts: 160
A Good Nikon for Macro?

I am just getting into macro.  I have not done a lot of shooting, and still getting some of my lighting in order.  I currently use a D3 and D700.  Looking to buy a used (Not doing Mirrorless, yet) Nikon D750 24.3MP, or D800 36MP.  Clearly the D800 with 36MP would be a better choice for macro... Yes/No?

What glass will I be using you ask... Nikkon 24mm f2.8D, Nikkor 105mm AI-s Macro, also have reverse rings, and a set of extension tubes, with SB-700 Speedlight with diffusers.

So, 24.3MP or 36MP camera for macro??

 Gpruitt54's gear list:Gpruitt54's gear list
Nikon D3 Nikon D700 Nikon D800 Nikon AF Nikkor 24mm f/2.8D Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D +10 more
Nikon D3 Nikon D700 Nikon D750 Nikon D800
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Joseph S Wisniewski Forum Pro • Posts: 35,461
First generation Z6
1

Gpruitt54 wrote:

I am just getting into macro. I have not done a lot of shooting, and still getting some of my lighting in order. I currently use a D3 and D700. Looking to buy a used (Not doing Mirrorless, yet) Nikon D750 24.3MP, or D800 36MP. Clearly the D800 with 36MP would be a better choice for macro... Yes/No?

What glass will I be using you ask... Nikkon 24mm f2.8D, Nikkor 105mm AI-s Macro, also have reverse rings, and a set of extension tubes, with SB-700 Speedlight with diffusers.

So, 24.3MP or 36MP camera for macro??

I mostly do macro, and haven’t really picked up a DSLR since getting my Z7. The Nikon EVIL (aka "mirrorless") cameras have focus peaking (contrasting details turn red when in sharp focus) and focus magnification.

They also have far less vibration than DSLRs, with a minimal vibration "electronic first curtain" shutter mode that you can use basically full time, and a fully electronic "silent mode" that totally disengages the mechanical shutter.

And they can give you several stops of image stabilization with your old 105mm AI-s.

-- hide signature --

The term "mirrorless" is totally obsolete. It's time we call out EVIL for what it is. (Or, if you can't handle "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens" then Frenchify it and call it "LIVE" for "Lens Interchangeable, Viewfinder Electronic" or "Viseur électronique").
-----
Stanley Joseph Wisniewski 1932-2019.
Dad, so much of you is in me.
-----
Christine Fleischer 1947-2014.
My soulmate. There are no other words.
-----
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.
Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.
----
Ciao! Joseph
www.swissarmyfork.com

 Joseph S Wisniewski's gear list:Joseph S Wisniewski's gear list
Nikon D90 Nikon D2X Nikon D3 Nikon D100 Nikon Z7 +48 more
number_5
number_5 Contributing Member • Posts: 579
Mirrorless
2

I did a bit of research before I made any macro gear purchase. I started with a FF macro setup, but it was a bit on the heavy side, so I downsized to something lighter.

I shoot handheld and manual focus only. I ended with:

That's all the MFT I owned for a fairly long while until recently. It's a dedicated macro setup.

My two cents: I think mirrorless with focus peaking and magnification makes shooting macro much easier.

Gpruitt54
OP Gpruitt54 Regular Member • Posts: 160
Re: Mirrorless

How important is a high Megapixel camera for macro work?

 Gpruitt54's gear list:Gpruitt54's gear list
Nikon D3 Nikon D700 Nikon D800 Nikon AF Nikkor 24mm f/2.8D Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D +10 more
Joseph S Wisniewski Forum Pro • Posts: 35,461
How important is high megapixels?

Gpruitt54 wrote:

How important is a high Megapixel camera for macro work?

Exactly as important as it is for any other kind of work. In other words, it depends entirely on what you want to do with the images.

  • 12mp is 1:1 on a 4k monitor.
  • 45-50mp is an 8x10 print at 720dpi, basically as sharp as a contact print from an 8x10 view camera, or a pretty killer 16x20 or 13x19.
  • 100mp gets you an 11x14 at 720dpi, and an even better 16x20 or 13x19. But the GFX-100s is a bit awkward camera.
  • 128mp is what you want for large-format contact-print quality on a 13x19 at 720dpi. That's the limit of my printing capability here. It's also a 4-panel stitch from a Nikon Z7, and each panel is a stack of a couple hundred images. Such an image is an all-day job.

The sort of critical sharpness needed to make a 45mp image "pop" is something that comes with practice (lots) and work (much). In macro it comes with solid setups and focus stacking. That sort if thing is much easier in tasks like still life, landscape, art repro, architecture, etc. I've done lobby art in the 800mp range, but it's not an everyday occurrence.

tl;dr?

Clearly the D800 with 36MP would be a better choice for macro... Yes/No?

No. You don't have good enough technique yet for 36mp. I can tell by the questions you're asking. So, 24mp with "technique boosters" like lower vibration (that's mirrorless) better focusing (mirrorless, again) and image stabilization (yep, mirrorless) will do more for your work than raw insane megapixel counts.

-- hide signature --

The term "mirrorless" is totally obsolete. It's time we call out EVIL for what it is. (Or, if you can't handle "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens" then Frenchify it and call it "LIVE" for "Lens Interchangeable, Viewfinder Electronic" or "Viseur électronique").
-----
Stanley Joseph Wisniewski 1932-2019.
Dad, so much of you is in me.
-----
Christine Fleischer 1947-2014.
My soulmate. There are no other words.
-----
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.
Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.
----
Ciao! Joseph
www.swissarmyfork.com

 Joseph S Wisniewski's gear list:Joseph S Wisniewski's gear list
Nikon D90 Nikon D2X Nikon D3 Nikon D100 Nikon Z7 +48 more
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