What Micro Lens?

[Beauty Through a Lens]

Price aside which lens can get me the closets to a subject? I will most likely be using this for nature stuff so like bugs/insects, flowers and so on.
Does higher price tag = better lens? assuming it has the features you want

(Click to view full details)

AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5G ED VR


AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D


I'm new to the whole buying a lens thing so this may seem stupid but I am assuming that bigger the number is the closer it gets you? And for wide angle lens it's the opposite? Then for fish eye bigger the number means more of the fish eye look?

[Shadowman]

Both will have listed closest focusing distance, but chances are for macro you'll be manually focusing.

[rpcrowe]

You will "get closer to the subject" with the 60mm focal length. However, both lenses can give you a 1:1 image ratio; 60mm, 100mm, 105mm, 150mm and 180mm macro lenses will all give you the same 1:1 maximum ratio. Image ratio is what you should be talking about when discussing a macro lens... However, with the longer lenses you will be able to achieve the maximum ratio with a larger lens to subject distance.

The longer lens to subject distance allows greater flexibility in lighting (all macros should receive some additional lighting) and being further away, the longer focal lengths will not scare the little creepie crawlies you are shooting...

OTOH: the downside of many of the longer focal length lenses is that they are often more expensive and usually heavier than the shorter focal lengths.

IMO: the best compromise (on either a crop or full frame camera) is a focal length of around 90-105 mm. The compromise in this case is the camera to subject distance against the price and weight of the lens.

IMO: a 90-105mm lens is just about minimum for portraiture (again with either a crop or full frame camera). Using a macro lens of that approximate focal length, you can easily have it double as a portrait lens. My 90mm f/2.8 Tamron Macro produces very nice bokeh and is a great portrait lens. I don't use it for portraits because my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens is my go-to lens for human and dog portraits simply because of the greater versatility of the zoom...

[pnodrog]

Richard has basically said it all.

There are some subjects you do not want to get close to (wasp nest) and there are other subjects that are shy and will not want you to be too close. The image ratio is what I suspect is what you are referring to as getting close.

[xpatUSA]

Price aside which lens can get me the closets to a subject? I will most likely be using this for nature stuff so like bugs/insects, flowers and so on.
Does higher price tag = better lens? assuming it has the features you want

(Click to view full details)

AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5G ED VR


AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D


I'm new to the whole buying a lens thing so this may seem stupid but I am assuming that bigger the number is the closer it gets you? And for wide angle lens it's the opposite? Then for fish eye bigger the number means more of the fish eye look?

I had the Micro-Nikkor on a D50 for a couple of years, shooting watches generally around 1:3 (30mm diameter watch to about 10mm on the sensor). After selling both the camera and the lens, I bought a Sigma 70mm EX DG f/2.8 Macro and was highly impressed - especially by the sharpness - plus the 9-blade shutter was very helpful for pleasing bokeh behind bugs or flowers.

For your information, Adrian, 60 and 70mm both strike a good balance between having to get too close to an insect and having to stand too far back with a 105mm+.

Manual focusing has been mentioned. Be sure that the focusing ring has a good travel. Some lenses have a very short travel, as low as 30 degrees which makes manual focusing a bit touchy.

Personally, I find auto-focusing for macro photography to be a waste of time on my Sigma DSLRs.

Also worth mentioning is the Raynox DCR-250 magnifier which ups your magnification quite a lot. I have one for shooting watch parts and it is really good for that purpose.

[Mark von Kanel]

I have the 105 2.8, its a peach, if you can afford it, get that one its a cracking portrait lens as well. Hving distance between you and the bugs will also help so pick a longer focal length.

[chauncey]

Granted that I shoot Canon but...my 180 macro has been a godsend to my work, from macro to
portrait to landscape. The only downside is that it somewhat slow to AF, common to micro lenses.

If ya got the coins...go for the Nikon 200mm f/4 ED-IF AF Micro

[JR1]

Don't go shorter than 80mm you will be too clsose to anything to be any use unless you are a stamp collector

http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/c...cro-lens.shtml

[DanK]

A couple of points:

First, if you are going to be working at or near maximum magnification, minimum working distance for any give macro lens it the same regardless of sensor size.

Second, the ideal length is really a matter of taste. I do a lot of macro work and have never used anything more than 100mm, whereas Chauncey uses a 180mm. However, if you are interested in bugs, I would consider getting something in the 90-105mm range at a minimum. It's not the case that you can't do bugs with a lens < 80mm, but it is harder, and you will have a lot fewer keepers.

60mm, no extension:



60mm, extension tube:



So it is do-able, but it is much tougher, and I now that I have a 100mm, I never use the 60 for bugs.

[Geoff F]

What subjects, Adrian?

Are you physically able to get very close to your subject?

An extension tube will enable any lens to get a little bit closer.

When photographing live and nervous subjects in the field I use a 180 mm lens which has a closest focusing distance around 12 ins; but if I am able to get that close on a regular basis I am doing very well. However, for dead insects or other inanimate objects a smaller lens will allow you to move closer.

For flowers or other larger subjects I often find that a relatively close focusing normal lens actually gives better results and has a greater depth of focus. I use a Tamron 24-70 for these subjects.

Also consider your lighting needs. Will you need to use flash because a normal flash unit on the camera may create a shadow area due to the flash angle. But if working under studio lighting conditions you can obviously arrange that to give suitable lighting when working very close.

[xpatUSA]

Second, the ideal length is really a matter of taste. I do a lot of macro work and have never used anything more than 100mm, whereas Chauncey uses a 180mm. However, if you are interested in bugs, I would consider getting something in the 90-105mm range at a minimum. It's not the case that you can't do bugs with a lens < 80mm, but it is harder, and you will have a lot fewer keepers.

So it is do-able, but it is much tougher, and I now that I have a 100mm, I never use the 60 for bugs.

This moth seemed to be asleep on my porch screen, so I was able to sneak in with the 70mm hand-held but propped against the door post. Screen wires are about 1/16" apart.

[Dave Humphries]

AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5G ED VR

AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D

I'm new to the whole buying a lens thing ~

Hi Adrian,

There is one more potential 'gotcha' with buying Nikon lenses ...

You haven't said, and I can't remember if you mentioned it elsewhere in the forum, what camera body you are shooting with?

If it is one of the models* without a body mounted Auto-Focus motor, you should avoid buying any lens that does not have "AF-S" in its designation - e.g. that particular 60mm one.

* D3000 or D5000 series (e.g. including later models such as D3200, D5300, etc.) - it also applies to several earlier models from 5+ years ago (e.g. D40, etc.) , but I won't list them here.

Now someone has already mentioned that they don't use AF on macro, I do sometimes - and of course if you intend using the lens for more general photography or portraiture, you will soon regret not having AF.

[Beauty Through a Lens]

Mostly Bugs/insects (including wasp/bees) and flowers. I am using a Nikon D5100

[Beauty Through a Lens]

Yes it is. So If I want to take a photo of an insect/bug and flowers I wouldn't want get to close. So what is your suggestion? I have DX body.

[Geoff F]

In that case, I wouldn't want to go smaller than 150 mm. I use the Sigma 180 mm which is available in a number of different mounts so there should be one for your camera.

But, besides being expensive it is heavy and bulky so a tripod is recommended. The newer version does have lens stabilisation and I have successfully shot butterflies etc when hand held; although tripod use is my normal method.

Can be manually focused as close as 12 ins although auto focus is a little longer. AF is a bit slow at times so manual often works best.

You can get away with a 100 mm lens, which will give excellent quality but expect to have a lot of 'fly aways' as you try to get sufficiently close.

[Dave Humphries]

Please also see this thread: Micro Lens Suggestions for Nikon D5100?
(not sure why another was started)