DaveyDitzer wrote:
I have only a Nikon D5300. I cannot say I will never go FF, but I doubt it, especially with the advent of the D500. I just ordered, received am about to return to Adorama, a Nikon 40mm f2.8 macro lens. Lens seems OK, but the supplied lens hood and another I ordered both fit so loosely that they fall off when just brushed against my shirt. The lens inserted into the body with a slightly "rough" feel to it. I currently have Nikons: 16-80 f2.8/4 and a 55-300 f3.5/5.6 Before stepping back into this venture, I would like advice from experienced hoggers. I am considering either the 60mm f2.8 or the AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED. Both are costly so I don't want to mess up again. Both offer a serious weight penalty. I expect both offer much better glass. Since I have either focal length covered already, the choice comes down to image quality and future utility. I searched UHH and found some hoggers who liked the 90 mm Tamron and some who liked the Sigma. I usually stick with Nikon so as not to run into any issues with compatibility with the electronics in the camera. But after this experience with the 40mm, I am not so strongly "married" to Nikkor lenses. In my film days I had a Nikkor 105 f2.5 which was a stellar lens. Thanks in advance for your help and advice.
I have only a Nikon D5300. I cannot say I will nev... (
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For general purpose macro shooting, a 40mm lens is awfully short... puts you right on top of your subjects. Even 60mm is just marginal... but might be chosen for it's more compact size when used on a crop sensor/DX camera such as yours. The shorter macro focal lengths are usually used in-studio and with inanimate subjects.
I generally recommend 90mm to 105mm macro lenses, as a versatile focal length for most peoples' uses. That's a good compromise of adequate working distance versus difficulty using the lens. Nikon makes an 85mm DX macro too, I know, which is certainly "in the ballpark".
Short focal length (35mm to 50mm) typically give less than 6 inches or less when at full 1:1 magnification. 55 and 60mm are only a wee bit better. Keep in mind that this is measured from the film/sensor plane, so a lot of that distance is occupied by the camera body and lens itself... plus any accessory you might attach to the front of the lens such as a hood, flash, filters.
Lenses in the 90 to 105mm range give around 12" working distance (also from film/sensor plane) at full 1:1 magnification. The Nikkor 85mm is a wee bit less, about 10 or 11" minimum distance, at full magnification.
150mm, 180mm and 200mm macro lenses give around 18" working distance, but the longer focal length and smaller apertures required to get adequate depth of field make it more difficult to get a steady shot... so these lenses are more likely to call for a tripod, i.e. are lens "hand holdable".
Shopping around for them, there are quite a few 85mm to 105mm lenses to choose among. All of them actually have fine image quality. That's the least of your concerns.
Nikon themselves offer 85mm f/3.5 and 105mm f/2.8.
Sigma offers a 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM which is quite comparable to the Nikon.
Tamron offers two different 90mm f/2.8 macro. Both are excellent and able to do full 1:1. The more exensive one has faster USD autofocus,
If you want a more compact lens, Tamron makes a 60mm DX lens that's very nice and has an f/2.0 max aperture, a full stop faster than most macro.
Nikon makes two different 60mm themselves, both f/2.8. One is a D-type, so won't autofocus on your camera. The other is a G, which will AF on any current/recent Nikon camera, including yours. There's also a manual focus-only 55mm Nikkor, but it's a 1:2 lens, only reached half life size on it's own.
There's a Tokina 100mm f/2.8that's one of the least expensive... but in the Nikon version it's a "D" type lens, that won't be able to autofocus.
If you're only planning to use the lens for macro, manual focus might be fine. It's often easier than trying to autofocus macro shots. But if you want dual purpose, to also use the lens for non-macro purposes, AF might be more important to you. Just be aware that autofocus macro lenses tend to be slower than non-macro... even when fitted with higher performance types of focus drive (Nikon AF-S, Sigma HSM, Tamron USD). A macro lens needs to move it's focusing elements a long, long way to go all the way from infinity to 1:1. And, a macro lens' focusing is typically a "long throw" design that emphasizes precision over speed, because ultra shallow depth of field at high magnification isn't very forgiving of even minor focus errors.
If manual focus is acceptable for your purposes, there are literally millions of vintage macro lens in Nikon F-mount, a lot of which are excellent and might be worth consideration. A concern would be whether or not the vintage lens will be able to meter properly and make correct exposures on your camera. Do some research, if you consider a vintage lens.
Some macro lenses have image stabilization (Nikon VR, Sigma OS, Tamron VC)... This might be useful for non-macro purposes, but it actually can do little to help at the highest magnifications.
Some other features to look for on macro lenses include "IF" or "internal focusing".... this type lens doesn't change length when focused closer. Some macro lenses double in length by the time they reach their max magnification, and that reduces working distance. "IF" lenses may be a little less compact to start with than other types, but they don't grow any larger when focused closer.
Many autofocus macro lenses also have some sort of Focus Limiter. The user can set this to restrict the lens to only AF within a certain range, helping the lens focus faster.
None of the lenses I'm aware of for Nikon in the 60mm to 105mm range can be fitted with a tripod mounting ring. Some are small enough that one is pretty much unnecessary, but it can be a nice accessory for some of the larger ones, if possible. AFAIK, for Nikon only longer 150mm, 180mm and 200mm can be fitted with a tripod ring... and normally come with one. (Not relevant here, but Canon has two 100mm that can optionally be fitted with tripod rings, which is a handy accessory. The ultra high magnification MP-E 65mm also is fitted with a tripod ring.)