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Macro Lens
- Thread starter greggor23
- Start date
Graeme Field
Senior Member
Hi Greg. I have a D80 and got the tamron 90 f2.8 macro. It gives 1:1. I love it. It AF's fast and quiet. It's also a great price too. Graeme in oz
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I've always loved taking pictures. Other interests incl motor bike...suzuki C90 cruiser, pushbike riding (just to keep fit after retiring),make things such as kitchens, picture frames,wood turning and other things out of timber (my forte when teaching).
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I've always loved taking pictures. Other interests incl motor bike...suzuki C90 cruiser, pushbike riding (just to keep fit after retiring),make things such as kitchens, picture frames,wood turning and other things out of timber (my forte when teaching).
Biarien
Leading Member
There are many good macro lenses. It would help to know what subjects you want to photograph and what other purposes for the lens you have in mind.
—Brendan
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcmlxxxvi/ :: 1cor13.1
—Brendan
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcmlxxxvi/ :: 1cor13.1
widarge burt
Well-known member
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Biarien
Leading Member
Kevin & Greg,
You may want to look into the Sigma 150mm macro, Tamron 180mm macro, or Nikon 200mm macro lenses. The Nikon is fairly expensive -- not sure about the Sigma. There are a number in the 90mm - 105mm range, and a few in the 55mm - 60mm range as well, but you will probably appreciate some extra range for animals and the like.
Here is a site with some information to start you off: http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests
For whatever it's worth, here are my shots taken with the Nikon 60mm AF macro lens (older non-D design): http://flickr.com/photos/mcmlxxxvi/tags/60mmf28micro/
—Brendan
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcmlxxxvi/ :: 1cor13.1
You may want to look into the Sigma 150mm macro, Tamron 180mm macro, or Nikon 200mm macro lenses. The Nikon is fairly expensive -- not sure about the Sigma. There are a number in the 90mm - 105mm range, and a few in the 55mm - 60mm range as well, but you will probably appreciate some extra range for animals and the like.
Here is a site with some information to start you off: http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests
For whatever it's worth, here are my shots taken with the Nikon 60mm AF macro lens (older non-D design): http://flickr.com/photos/mcmlxxxvi/tags/60mmf28micro/
—Brendan
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcmlxxxvi/ :: 1cor13.1
Brooks P
Veteran Member
Basically the longer the focal length the greater the working distance; therefore a 150mm Macro lens will afford you more working distance than will a 60mm. For example the Nikon 60mm AF-S lens has a minimum focus distance of 7.3 inches (18.5cm), the Sigma 150mm has a minimum focus distance of 15 inches (38cm), and the Nikon 200mm 20 inches (50.8cm).
The minimum focus distance is not measured from the end of the lens to your subject but from the sensor (or film) to your subject. With something like a 60mm Macro (Micro in Nikon parlance) you are going to be right on top of your subject and that can cause problems with light. There are two problems with the light one being your subject being in the shadow of the camera and the other being that frequently aperture stops down as you increase the ratio. I’m not sure about the new Sigma, but the Sigma Macro 105mm F/2.8 EX DG model dropped to about F/5.5 when shooting at 1:1 and F/4.2 at 1:2*. This is due to the loss of light as the barrel extends.
You can compute the working distance (distance from the lens to the subject) from the minimum focus distance. Mount the lens on your camera, find the sensor icon, an “o” with a line through it, and measure from that mark out to the front lens. Subtract that measurement from the minimum focus distance.
True macro refers to 1:1 photos. The 1:1 is the ratio between the actual subject size (the number on the right) and the size of the image on the film or sensor (the number on the left). Since the sensor is just under an inch a one 1:1 macro photo would be a picture of an object just under an inch in size. A ratio of 1:2 is not a true Macro, but rather a close-up, as the size of the image is only half the size of the actual subject. A ratio of 2:1 would have an image that is twice as large as the subject being photographed. Some Nikon lenses require the use of an extension tube in order to reach a 1:1 ratio; without the tube the ratio is 1:2.
* http://www.shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/lenses/0899sb_sigma/
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Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/
The minimum focus distance is not measured from the end of the lens to your subject but from the sensor (or film) to your subject. With something like a 60mm Macro (Micro in Nikon parlance) you are going to be right on top of your subject and that can cause problems with light. There are two problems with the light one being your subject being in the shadow of the camera and the other being that frequently aperture stops down as you increase the ratio. I’m not sure about the new Sigma, but the Sigma Macro 105mm F/2.8 EX DG model dropped to about F/5.5 when shooting at 1:1 and F/4.2 at 1:2*. This is due to the loss of light as the barrel extends.
You can compute the working distance (distance from the lens to the subject) from the minimum focus distance. Mount the lens on your camera, find the sensor icon, an “o” with a line through it, and measure from that mark out to the front lens. Subtract that measurement from the minimum focus distance.
True macro refers to 1:1 photos. The 1:1 is the ratio between the actual subject size (the number on the right) and the size of the image on the film or sensor (the number on the left). Since the sensor is just under an inch a one 1:1 macro photo would be a picture of an object just under an inch in size. A ratio of 1:2 is not a true Macro, but rather a close-up, as the size of the image is only half the size of the actual subject. A ratio of 2:1 would have an image that is twice as large as the subject being photographed. Some Nikon lenses require the use of an extension tube in order to reach a 1:1 ratio; without the tube the ratio is 1:2.
* http://www.shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/lenses/0899sb_sigma/
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Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/
P
Patco
Guest
I use my Tamron 90mm Macro a lot for chasing bugs, bees & butterflies:
My 28-200 is not so bad either:
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Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels
John Garth
Leading Member
The 105mm 2.8 Nikkor micro is legendary....don't settle for anything less.
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Thanks,
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Thanks,
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