Macro lens suggestions, please (Page 5): It's hard to go wrong with macro lenses, and the 90-105mm ones mentioned are all very good. But VR is of limited use for macro and you will...

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

It's hard to go wrong with macro lenses, and the 90-105mm ones mentioned are all very good.
But VR is of limited use for macro and you will find that to be true on your own. Shutter speed and flash are good at removing camera shake.
If you are photographing outdoors you may still want to stabilize some flowers by attaching a stake to their stem, out of the field of view.
For more formal, super-high resolution pictures you would go with focus stacking. But then you will likely need a lot more than a tripod.

PhotoPhred Loc: Cheyney, Pa

I bought the Nikon 60mm macro when I was using my d3100. I sold that camera and now I use a d7100 and a d5100 for backup. I like the 60mm because it is fairly lightweight and tack sharp. It also has a reasonable depth of field for taking flower photos. Also not too expensive.

Al Beatty Loc: Boise, Idaho

Regarding adapting a Minolta to Nikon: I'm using an old 50mm Minolta macro lens (manual focus) on my Nikon D7000 and it works great. I got the adapter off eBay. Take care & ...

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Mark Sturtevant wrote:

It's hard to go wrong with macro lenses, and the 9... (show quote)

Surprisingly I have always felt that VR was pretty much useless for macro but it is actually a huge aid with my 180mm, handheld using natural light with a 180 used to be an exercise in futility, I know because I have owned both the Sigma and Canon 180 f/3.5 macros, I now own a Sigma 180 with OS and it is about the same as if not better than using a 100mm lens. Definitely has an advantage with creamy backgrounds, however it is a big heavy beast but it also has an 18 1/2" working distance....

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Al Beatty wrote:

Regarding adapting a Minolta to Nikon: I'm using an old 50mm Minolta macro lens (manual focus) on my Nikon D7000 and it works great. I got the adapter off eBay. Take care & ...

Yes, you do however lose distant focus so it pretty much limits the use of that lens, would the OP not be better off with a lens that he can use for portraiture and general photography also?

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

Deanie1113 wrote:

I would like to start taking close up pictures of flowers. I mean super-close up. I have a Nikon D5500 and would like suggestions on what lens to purchase. I think I need VR and do not want to use a tripod. Manual focusing is fine. I'm thinking of purchasing the Nikon 100mm or the 90 mm Tamron with VC. Anyone have any good recommendations? Thank you!

I'm very satisfied with my Tamron 90, but I don't think you can buy a bad macro lens today if you tried. For flowers, something in the 90-110mm range works best IMO.

JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

The Nikon 105 mm is an excellent lens for insects flowers at cetera. It gives you a nice working distance. The 200 is okay if you need longer working distances without blocking the light. And 60 mm is more for two dimensional type photographs such as products etcetera

rcarol

Bobspez wrote:

Macro lenses tend to make flowers look unreal. A small bud winds up looking like a giant orchid. Also, the very shallow depth of field will only capture a portion of the flower, leaving everything else blurry. Macro lenses are best suited for objects less than 1/2 inch across and with a relatively flat focal plane like coins or jewelry or small insects.

You can get around these objections by focus stacking.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

So what's the point of using a macro lens instead of a non-macro lens?

RWR wrote:

At the same magnification a macro lens lens won’t make a small bud look any different than a non-macro lens.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Bobspez wrote:

So what's the point of using a macro lens instead of a non-macro lens?

Macro lenses are flat field designs and focus very close. Regular lenses will have less resolution towards the edges and cannot focus as close. True macro lenses are similar to enlarger lenses which are sharp from corner to corner....

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

It is strange to me to see all the posts saying that this [major brand macro] is the way to go. The differences in image quality between a Nikon macro and, say, a Tamron of similar focal length will be so slight that I doubt you would see the difference. But you will see a difference in the pocket book. The point is, it is hard to go wrong with these lenses.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Mark Sturtevant wrote:

It is strange to me to see all the posts saying that this [major brand macro] is the way to go. The differences in image quality between a Nikon macro and, say, a Tamron of similar focal length will be so slight that I doubt you would see the difference. But you will see a difference in the pocket book. The point is, it is hard to go wrong with these lenses.

Optically, the differences are negligible. Where they come in are in added features, build quality & resale value.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Exactly. It's the ability to focus closely that magnifies the image larger than life. For example here's a pic of a cactus flower taken with a 55mm macro lens. The flower is actually 2 to 3 inches in length but gives a whole different view when "blown up".

Screamin Scott wrote:

Macro lenses are flat field designs and focus very close. Regular lenses will have less resolution towards the edges and cannot focus as close. True macro lenses are similar to enlarger lenses which are sharp from corner to corner....

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torchman310 Loc: Santa Clarita, Ca.

Deanie1113 wrote:

I would like to start taking close up pictures of flowers. I mean super-close up. I have a Nikon D5500 and would like suggestions on what lens to purchase. I think I need VR and do not want to use a tripod. Manual focusing is fine. I'm thinking of purchasing the Nikon 100mm or the 90 mm Tamron with VC. Anyone have any good recommendations? Thank you!

I have the Nikkor Micro 105MM F 2.8 and absolutely love it !

Deanie1113

allenfr wrote:

I would borrow or rent a couple of the options BEFORE buying. Macro is wonderful stuff, I live with my Canon MPE-65 and 100, but each has its own usage depending on the subject.

Excellent suggestion -- I was thinking of doing so. Thank you.