Macro lens: My dear fellow UHH members, I'm on the hunt for a macro lens. I shoot a D850 and have a number of Nikkor lenses; however, I don't have a macro lens and would like to...

A. T.

My dear fellow UHH members,

I'm on the hunt for a macro lens. I shoot a D850 and have a number of Nikkor lenses; however, I don't have a macro lens and would like to enhance my skills with some macro photography. I prefer Nikon glass but am willing to look at other brands. Your help and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

If you prefer Nikon, go with the 105mm f2.8 macro. If you want to save some money, and still get a quality macro lens, go for the Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro. Both have 1:1 magnification. I have borrowed the Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro from a friend, but for portraits, not macro. All are full frame formatted lenses. The Tokina sells Brand New for $350. The new Tamron has a higher price tag. Between the Nikon and Tokina. Good luck.

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

A. T. wrote:

My dear fellow UHH members,

I'm on the hunt for a macro lens. I shoot a D850 and have a number of Nikkor lenses; however, I don't have a macro lens and would like to enhance my skills with some macro photography. I prefer Nikon glass but am willing to look at other brands. Your help and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

I have a few MACROs, and one of my favorites is a Pentax 100mm MACRO. I have a sneaky suspicion that it is made for pentax by Tokina. I might be wrong, but none the less,the Tokina is reputed to be fantastic,....as is my ?PENTAX? 100mm MACRO. Myself and many OTHERS on the Hogg would/do highly recommend the TOKINA 100. Feel safe!!! RJM

A. T.

Thanks, I will take a look.

A. T.

Okay, thanks, you are the second UHH member who has recommended that lens.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

A. T. wrote:

My dear fellow UHH members,

I'm on the hunt for a macro lens. I shoot a D850 and have a number of Nikkor lenses; however, I don't have a macro lens and would like to enhance my skills with some macro photography. I prefer Nikon glass but am willing to look at other brands. Your help and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Nikkor 105mm f2.8G Micro lens that I have used for the last 12 years or so. I've used it with excellent results on both DX & FX cameras. It also does great as a general purpose short telephoto lens as well.

A year or so ago, I bought a 60mm f2.8 Micro for use with a slide and negative duplication kit. It works great for that as well as photographing flat subjects like documents and photographs. It's extremely flat plane of focus allows it to do a great job on that, and working distance is closer than with the longer lens, which is a benefit when copying.

My preference for general macro work is the 105mm lens, because it allows a much more convenient working distance for small subjects. The 60mm lens is more convenient for copy work. It also does a nice job as a portrait lens on a DX camera.

mcmama

I love my Tokina 100 2.8.

CO

Take a look at the newest (model F017) Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 VC lens. It has vibration compensation, a metal lens barrel, and is fully weather sealed. I have the 45mm SP f/1.8 VC lens in the same lineup. It's a very impressive lens.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

mas24 wrote:

If you prefer Nikon, go with the 105mm f2.8 macro. If you want to save some money, and still get a quality macro lens, go for the Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro. Both have 1:1 magnification. I have borrowed the Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro from a friend, but for portraits, not macro. All are full frame formatted lenses. The Tokina sells Brand New for $350. The new Tamron has a higher price tag. Between the Nikon and Tokina. Good luck.

I use a 105 Nikon Micro Nikkor and a 200MM Micro Nikkor depending upon my comfort level distance to my subject.Both are super sharp quality glass.

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

A. T. wrote:

My dear fellow UHH members,

I'm on the hunt for a macro lens. I shoot a D850 and have a number of Nikkor lenses; however, I don't have a macro lens and would like to enhance my skills with some macro photography. I prefer Nikon glass but am willing to look at other brands. Your help and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

The Sigma 180mm f2.8 OS macro is simply stunning. I owned one when I owned a Nikon D500 and although a bit on the heavy side, produced stunning results. One of the advantages of this lens is the ability ot shoot 1:1 at 49cm. Nikkor does produce a 200mm macro but it is not stabilized. That's OK if you only use a tripod, but if you handhold a lot of shots I feel stabilized is better. Sigma also produces a 150mm version, which I believe is a fine lens. Both are readily available on the secondhand market.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

PixelStan77 wrote:

I use a 105 Nikon Micro Nikkor and a 200MM Micro Nikkor depending upon my comfort level distance to my subject.Both are super sharp quality glass.

I forgot that Nikon calls their macro lenses micro. But, I'm glad you like you like each of your lenses.

SteveG Loc: Norh Carolina

Why not try a legacy lens? I have a Canon 100mm f4 with an adapter and since you'll most likely be using manual focus it will save you a bundle. I've attached 3 examples. Ignore the second. It's a photo of a photo.

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

A. T. wrote:

My dear fellow UHH members,

I'm on the hunt for a macro lens. I shoot a D850 and have a number of Nikkor lenses; however, I don't have a macro lens and would like to enhance my skills with some macro photography. I prefer Nikon glass but am willing to look at other brands. Your help and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

I am in the same boat but I have a D750. But I also have a Fujifilm X-T2 and am thinking about getting the 80mm macro for it instead of the Nikon only because the XT2 is smaller and lighter even though it is a crop sensor camera; however it is 24MP.
I cannot get both a macro for the Nikon and for the Fiji XT2 so I am in a slight dilemma.

spraguead Loc: Boston, MA

A. T. wrote:

My dear fellow UHH members,

I'm on the hunt for a macro lens. I shoot a D850 and have a number of Nikkor lenses; however, I don't have a macro lens and would like to enhance my skills with some macro photography. I prefer Nikon glass but am willing to look at other brands. Your help and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

I have used both the Nikon and the Tokina. Pleased with results on both.

Right now Nikon has the 105 on sale for about $800 at the Nikon store. The Tokina was $350 at Adorama last time I looked.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

If your on a Macro hunt an live in theSouth Eastern Michigan Area Mike Moats is giving a one day Seminar on Saturday Nov 16 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Burgh Historical Church, Civic Center, Southfield, MI for $39.00 (usually $99.00) Lunch on you own. Also asa you go to class they haver a company com in and do Lens Cleaning for $30.00.
I got this thru my club.. To register go to: http://www.tineylandscapes.com
WE had it at our club a few months ago (he is a member of our club) and it was a fund raiser. He's doing this time for the Photography Guild. They came home Canada and Wisconsin to ours.