Nikon Macro Lens Advice Needed - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

06/02/2010 12:10:44 AM · #1

I'm looking for a good macro lens that will give me some good working distance. I was thinking about getting a Sigma 150mm F2.8 or Nikon 180 F2.8, I don't know if they are any good? If you guys know any better lens please comment. Thanks for any advice!!!

VitaminB

Nikon D800

06/02/2010 12:12:35 AM · #2

I use the Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8 and it is easily my favourite lens. Excellent value for the price you pay for it.

06/02/2010 12:15:38 AM · #3

NIkon 105mm f/2.8 VR.... the VR makes a world of difference...

06/02/2010 12:23:30 AM · #4

sample I took hand-held (no flash) with the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR macro lens... (you see how nice VR is to have...)

.

Message edited by author 2010-06-02 00:24:22.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

06/02/2010 12:24:19 AM · #5

I'm in the same shopping mode.

From my research, the Sigma 150 is a great lens, but no VR when you are using it as a regular 150.

The Nikon 105mm VR is also a great lens, but less working distance for bugs, and VERY expensive.

I'm thinking about the Nikon 85mm VR F3.5. Also highly rated, lighter, VR, and only $489 right now at Amazon anyway. Leaves some money for another lens. Someone said it's got about the same working distance as the 105... (but not for full frame cameras).

ETA: It's worth it to note that VR doesn't work when you are at Macro distances--only for general lens use.

Message edited by author 2010-06-02 00:24:55.

06/02/2010 12:25:18 AM · #6

Originally posted by nshapiro:

.

do NOT get the NIkon 85mm macro lens!!!! is a DX lens.. you will kick yourself in the future when you switch to FX... =)

Citadel

Nikon D7500

06/02/2010 12:25:52 AM · #7

Originally posted by VitaminB:

I use the Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8 and it is easily my favourite lens. Excellent value for the price you pay for it.

great lens but you have to be pretty close to your subject to get true macro. I have that lens too and I love it but sometimes I wish I had gone with a 105 mm or longer.

eta: then again

IreneM has nooo problem with it. Darn her anyways! :)

Message edited by author 2010-06-02 00:27:03.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

06/02/2010 12:57:05 AM · #8

Originally posted by Shutter-For-Hire:

Originally posted by nshapiro:
I'm in the same shopping mode.

From my research, the Sigma 150 is a great lens, but no VR when you are using it as a regular 150.

The Nikon 105mm VR is also a great lens, but less working distance for bugs, and VERY expensive.

I'm thinking about the Nikon 85mm VR F3.5. Also highly rated, lighter, VR, and only $489 right now at Amazon anyway. Leaves some money for another lens. Someone said it's got about the same working distance as the 105... (but not for full frame cameras).

.

do NOT get the NIkon 85mm macro lens!!!! is a DX lens.. you will kick yourself in the future when you switch to FX... =)

Although I'd love to have a D700, it would mean giving up my beloved 18-200 DX, which I will never do! Best general purpose lens ever. I've had a number of people ask what lens I was using for a particular portrait they liked...and they were shocked to find it was the 18-200. Maybe not perfect edge to edge, but very sharp and quite flexible!

And then of course, I already bought a 10.5 DX Fisheye. And the Sigma 10-20.

Not that it really corals me anyway--heck, two and a half years ago, I switched from Canon. (Actually, still need to sell some of my stuff, but the transition was pretty painless.)

Message edited by author 2010-06-02 00:58:02.

06/02/2010 01:05:52 AM · #9

Originally posted by nshapiro:

Originally posted by Shutter-For-Hire:

Originally posted by nshapiro:
I'm in the same shopping mode.

From my research, the Sigma 150 is a great lens, but no VR when you are using it as a regular 150.

The Nikon 105mm VR is also a great lens, but less working distance for bugs, and VERY expensive.

I'm thinking about the Nikon 85mm VR F3.5. Also highly rated, lighter, VR, and only $489 right now at Amazon anyway. Leaves some money for another lens. Someone said it's got about the same working distance as the 105... (but not for full frame cameras).

.

do NOT get the NIkon 85mm macro lens!!!! is a DX lens.. you will kick yourself in the future when you switch to FX... =)

Although I'd love to have a D700, it would mean giving up my beloved 18-200 DX, which I will never do! Best general purpose lens ever. I've had a number of people ask what lens I was using for a particular portrait they liked...and they were shocked to find it was the 18-200. Maybe not perfect edge to edge, but very sharp and quite flexible!

And then of course, I already bought a 10.5 DX Fisheye. And the Sigma 10-20.

Not that it really corals me anyway--heck, two and a half years ago, I switched from Canon. (Actually, still need to sell some of my stuff, but the transition was pretty painless.)

.
yea... but as you may have noticed....

here are the lenses I had two months ago:

Nikon 10.5mm fisheye
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S (dx)
Nikon 18-200mm VR
Tokina 12-24mm
Nikon 18-55mm
Nikon 18-70mm
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8

and here are the lenses I have now:

Sigma 12-24mm (Full frame lens)
Nikon 24-85mm
Nikon 35mm f/2D (fx)
Nikon 28-200mm ED

...

there comes a time when we all much make the switch =)

Message edited by author 2010-06-02 01:08:59.

06/02/2010 01:24:27 AM · #10

I already have the Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D and I was thinking about getting the Nikon 105mm VR but just don't know about the working distance. I want to zoom in on a butterfly head from 20 feet away kinda deal.

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

06/02/2010 01:30:33 AM · #11

Originally posted by MegaColor:

you need a 180mm macro lens (sigma or tamron)

LevT

OM System OM-1

06/02/2010 01:40:45 AM · #12

Originally posted by nshapiro:

Neil, I had this dilemma myself, but eventually I got a Tamron 28-300 VC, and I am pretty happy with it as a general purpose lens. I don't feel it much worse than the Nikon 18-200. Same focal range with crop-factor taken into account, good image stabilization, sharp, and pretty contrasty. Maybe a tad slower/noisier in focusing than Nikon but not by much...

Covert_Oddity

Nikon D700

06/02/2010 01:57:13 AM · #13

The Nikon 105mm VR is a great macro lens, which I also use for pretty much all my "set up" shots.

It's not true 2.8 as when you focus close it only opens up to 3.5 or something, and if you want to do really small subjects it's probably not the best, but apart from that I love it.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

06/02/2010 02:20:25 AM · #14

Originally posted by MegaColor:

I use a manual 180 2.8 Nikkor and 11mm extension ring for that. Sometimes I use the 300 4.5 Ai too. It works great for butterflies out to about 10 ft. The advantage of the macro lens is that you can get right in close, or still focus to infinity without changing hardware. The ext ring shortens the minimum focus distance and limits the maximum focus distance. When you use a telephoto for macro at a distance, you still have to deal with the shake problems, the same as you would shooting straight telephoto at infinity.
I also use a M Nikkor 105 f2.8 Ai and love that lens for bugs and flowers.

06/02/2010 12:24:34 PM · #15

I think I'm going to get the Sigma150mm macro lens. Thanks for all the replys you guys been great!!!

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

06/02/2010 12:42:46 PM · #16

@Lev--that's good to know, and a good thought about the Tamron. But also the main reason I want the 700 is for the low noise at high ISO, and maybe the next generation of Nikon's D90 or D300 may offer something there too, keeping my cost down and my beloved 18-200 (and my other lenses for that matter).

@Covert_Oddity: Yes, I knew that about the Nikon 105 and many of the 2.8 macro lenses--but I wonder then if the 85mm is 3.5 in macro or if it also loses something in the translation. If not, they are the same other than focal length (and image circle size).

spiritualspatula

06/02/2010 05:12:43 PM · #17

ETA:

Originally posted by MegaColor:

You won't be able to do that with any lens. I don't want your hopes to be too high. You'll be needing something beyond 600mm that focuses at 1:1. You'll still have to get up pretty close.

Message edited by author 2010-06-02 17:22:25.

06/02/2010 11:53:07 PM · #18

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

I just picked up the Sigma 150, and really like it so far. Very sharp. AF hunts sometimes, but really... I can't say that's a knock against the lens since that isn't unusual for macro lenses generally.
Build is very good.
Here's a 100% crop straight. More details on photo comments.

ETA:

Originally posted by MegaColor:
I already have the Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D and I was thinking about getting the Nikon 105mm VR but just don't know about the working distance. I want to zoom in on a butterfly head from 20 feet away kinda deal.

You won't be able to do that with any lens. I don't want your hopes to be too high. You'll be needing something beyond 600mm that focuses at 1:1. You'll still have to get up pretty close.

Can you hand held the 150mm or do u need to put it on a tripod? Thanks dude!!!

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS

06/02/2010 11:54:14 PM · #19

Originally posted by Shutter-For-Hire:

sample I took hand-held (no flash) with the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR macro lens... (you see how nice VR is to have...)

.

.

great shots my man!!!

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

06/03/2010 12:20:02 AM · #20

Originally posted by MegaColor:

spiritualspatula
"You won't be able to do that with any lens. I don't want your hopes to be too high. You'll be needing something beyond 600mm that focuses at 1:1. You'll still have to get up pretty close."

MM=
Here's an example shot with a 400mm and 11mm ext ring from a distance of about 12 or 14 ft, to give you some idea about how the size of the subject capture area is with the 400mm. The bug is about 3 inches long.

Message edited by author 2010-06-03 00:22:28.

GiorgioBaruffi

Apple iPhone 5s

06/03/2010 03:29:49 AM · #21

if you do not spend so much for the 200mm micro nikkor, i can tell you to buy the 180 macro sigma, i'm a owner of tis lens (most of my shots here, macro shots, are made with this lens)... is a fantastic lens, really sharp... you have to use it with a good tripod (and a remote shutter release and the mirror up), but the results could be really interesting...

you can ask me everything you want about this lens...

(sorry for my bad english)...

Message edited by author 2010-06-03 03:31:32.

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100