Add Nikon Macro Lens
May 24, 2018 20:48:49 #
Newbie just getting started late and saying thanks to the members and their educating posts. I am wanting to add final (my wife's hope) lens to my batch and wanting a dedicated macro to use on a Nikon D600 or D500. Considering a refurbished Nikon 200/f4 thru B&H. Have not done macro previously so welcome any suggestions of that vs the Nikon 105mm. Thinking the distance from lens to subject is important. Appreciate any thoughts
May 24, 2018 20:54:36 #
The 105mm is a fine lens. You will see many wonderful macros on this site from that lens. I, however, bought the Tokina 100mm for a much lower price and I love it. Reviews for it are great. The push/pull auto to manual focus ring is great. It does not have vibration reduction but that feature is not really that useful for macro. Just something for you to consider if price is an issue for you. I am not trying to steer you away from Nikon.
May 24, 2018 21:40:42 #
Tamron came out with a new lineup of SP prime lenses. Their new 90mm f/2.8 SP VC is supposed to be excellent. It has vibration compensation, a metal lens barrel, and is fully weather sealed. I purchased their new 45mm f/1.8 SP VC lens for my Nikon's. I've been impressed with it.
The Nikon 105mm macro is excellent. You can't go wrong with that lens.
The Nikon 105mm macro is excellent. You can't go wrong with that lens.
May 24, 2018 21:52:23 #
I have owned the Nikon micros 55, 105 & 200 for a long time. The 105 is the best of the lot in my experience. More working distance by far than the 55 and much less fussy & easier to get a good composition & better dof than the 200. Don’t sweat VR in my view. Use a tripod instead if you seek real clarity. Good luck with you choice.
May 25, 2018 05:59:50 #
boncarbo42 wrote:
Newbie just getting started late and saying thanks to the members and their educating posts. I am wanting to add final (my wife's hope) lens to my batch and wanting a dedicated macro to use on a Nikon D600 or D500. Considering a refurbished Nikon 200/f4 thru B&H. Have not done macro previously so welcome any suggestions of that vs the Nikon 105mm. Thinking the distance from lens to subject is important. Appreciate any thoughts
If you are prepared to pay for a Nikkor 200mm macro, may I suggest you take a look at the Sigma 180mm f2.8 OS macro (a good quality used copy). It is a brilliant lens with the benefit of stabilisation. It is a bit hefty for hand held shots, but does provide stunning images when coupled with a D500. I chose it over the Nikkor 200mm macro because of the stabilisation and did not regret my decision for a moment.
May 25, 2018 07:06:17 #
Sold my Nikon 200mm F4 because I could not handhold it and when shooting insects a tripod or mono-pod is not practical. I have the Nikon 60mm, Nikon 105mm, Sigma 150mm, Sigma 180mm and Tamron 180mm all macro lenses (the Sig 180mm is heavy that is why I doubled the 180's as the Tamron is lighter). My normal go to macro is the Nikon 105mm.
boncarbo42 wrote:
Newbie just getting started late and saying thanks to the members and their educating posts. I am wanting to add final (my wife's hope) lens to my batch and wanting a dedicated macro to use on a Nikon D600 or D500. Considering a refurbished Nikon 200/f4 thru B&H. Have not done macro previously so welcome any suggestions of that vs the Nikon 105mm. Thinking the distance from lens to subject is important. Appreciate any thoughts
May 25, 2018 07:07:31 #
My preference is the 200MM Micro Nikkor - the additional working distance certainly makes it more flexible. Most of the macro shots on my website (in my signature) were taken using this lens - in fact, I ended up selling the 105 Micro as it just became superfluous. I also had the Sigma 180MM Macro lens before, and that too was an excellent performer.
May 25, 2018 07:29:17 #
Nikon has manufactured several 105mm f2.8 Micro Nikkor over the years and any of them is excellent. I use an old 105mm f4 from the 70's although you will see me using my teles for "macro" more often than not.
May 25, 2018 07:30:35 #
You must not have problems holding heavy lenses and be steady. I like the Sig 150mm over their 180mm, I find it achieves focus faster and is lighter. The Nikon 105mm f2.8 G is a beautiful lens especially mounted on a crop frame camera (D7200 and D500) and gives me excellent results. Off course when shooting live insects it is close up photography not true macro, but it does allow you to get close up and personal with your subject.
f8lee wrote:
My preference is the 200MM Micro Nikkor - the additional working distance certainly makes it more flexible. Most of the macro shots on my website (in my signature) were taken using this lens - in fact, I ended up selling the 105 Micro as it just became superfluous. I also had the Sigma 180MM Macro lens before, and that too was an excellent performer.
May 25, 2018 07:35:13 #
I own the Tamron 60mm macro SP F2 DII aps-c lens and the 90 mm macro SP F2.8 DI full frame lens. Both have provided me excellent results and at far lower cost than their Nikon equivalents. I use the 60 mm on my D7200 and the 90 mm on my D810 and D850.
May 25, 2018 08:49:26 #
boncarbo42 wrote:
Newbie just getting started late and saying thanks to the members and their educating posts. I am wanting to add final (my wife's hope) lens to my batch and wanting a dedicated macro to use on a Nikon D600 or D500. Considering a refurbished Nikon 200/f4 thru B&H. Have not done macro previously so welcome any suggestions of that vs the Nikon 105mm. Thinking the distance from lens to subject is important. Appreciate any thoughts
I have been using the 200mm f4 macro for about 6 yrs and love it. Sharp and easy to use plenty of working distance for bugs and such.
When I first stated using the lens I found the auto focus to be erratic , but since I went to manual focus I have not problems at all.
May 25, 2018 09:20:53 #
My niche is macro. Don't be overly concerned with a brand as they will all deliver the goods. The 200mm or 180mm will give good results, but the tradeoff is increased bulk, weight & price. Plus an even narrower depth of field. I own 8 different macro lenses from 55 to 180mm in focal length. Some are AF, most are older manual focus. None have VR. Once you get to about half life-size, neither AF nor VR helps. I shoot almost all of my shots handheld but utilize additional lighting. The flash allows one to stop down their aperture (increasing the pitifully small DOF) and the short duration of the flash stops motion (both your own and that of your subject). Unless you intend to use the lens for other non-macro situations, AF & VR are not needed and an older film era manual focus macro will suffice and save you some money as well. Better if you had posted this question in the "True Macro" section as it is populated with lots of skilled macro shooters.
May 25, 2018 09:23:38 #
fetzler
Loc: North West PA
You should consider what you are photographing. If you have a DX format camera the 85mm nikkor is a nice lens. The 105, and 60mm are also great. Some find the 200mm difficult to work with but the bug guys like the distance. I have a 85mm nikkor and a 50mm Sigma lens. I find both useful. As a first lens the 85mm (DX) or the 150mm(Full) would be great. All micro nikkors are optically very good.
May 25, 2018 09:34:48 #
An addendum: What to choose also depends on your intended subject. I have found the 90-105 mm range to be the most convenient. Many will say you need a longer focal length for insects. A quick perusal of my Flickr stream will show many insects and almost all done with a 1980's MF 105. You need to know your subjects behaviours as well. For instance, a Dragonfly may fly off but many times will return to the same perch, so patience is a virtue. Don't get bogged down with tests as many are bench tests and don't reflect real world shooting.
May 25, 2018 09:43:30 #
I agree, bench tests do not reflect the real world.
Screamin Scott wrote:
An addendum: What to choose also depends on your i... (show quote)
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