It depends on what kind of macro work you're going to do. If you want to do live insects, you'll want a lens that you can get farther away from them and still get a macro pic. Especially for wasps, you might want a 300mm with macro. Tamron has a 70-300 with macro. The Nikon 105mm might work for that too. I wanted the Nikon 105 mm macro, but couldn't afford it, so I got the Tamron 90mm macro. I think it has a $50 rebate right now too. I like it, but wish it had VC on it. Got mine at Amazon for under $500.
Macro Lens!!
- Thread starter T.Behuniak
- Start date
emoxley, actually that was my initial thought when I wanted to start with macro. I read most macro lens require you to go very near to the subject and how on earth you can take a picture of it without making them fly away!
After 1 1/2 years down the road, I realised you need to go near to get a good picture and it can be done even for wasps (maybe not snake). For macro, I think mostly we are looking at those tiny insect and they generally are not harmful if you don't touch them.
I am no expert but to shoot them, you need to go near and in fact very near the subject.
But, the longer the lens, the farther away you can be, and still get a macro shot. I've tried a couple of macro shots of live insects, with my 90mm macro lens. Even the ones that won't hurt you don't sit still long enough, for me anyway. At least they haven't so far. Maybe one day I'll get one. No way I'll get close enough to a wasp for a macro shot, with a 40mm or 60mm macro. But insects isn't really my main macro interests. See my thread "Playing with my macro lens......", for the type macro shots I'm doing. But I'm trying all kinds of stuff. If you get real close to wasps, you're braver than I am. 
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I don't have the technical answer but I think the assumption is something like that. If you shoot a bird 300 mm away using a telephoto lens, and compare it against shoot the same bird cloer using 85 mm lens. The nearer to the subject, you are likely to get a clearly details of the subject.
Of course in some situations, you got no choice but to use a zoom lens and that is better than nothing. Hope I am correct.
Of course in some situations, you got no choice but to use a zoom lens and that is better than nothing. Hope I am correct.
Again, you are right..........to a point. It's hard to explain because so many things come into play. Now days, telephoto lenses are better than they used to be, so that helps. But, the number of megapixels your camera is capable of, can play a part too. If you use a good telephoto lens on a D800 camera (36mp), and a good 85mm lens on a 12mp camera, you'll get more detail from the telephoto lens on the D800. That's my understanding of it anyway...............
Sorry, but I don't mean to argue with you. Just trying to make sure I understand it correctly, and if so, try to explain some minor differences and the impact they make.
If someone else knows better, tell us so we'll know who's right, and which path to follow. Thanks.
No worries, the whole idea of forum is to discuss and share info. What is the point if everyone just kept quiet and not participate if you have something to share or opinion.
With techonolgy advancement, one day what is not possible will be a norm! There are already cameras that don't require you to focus but do it later using software.
With techonolgy advancement, one day what is not possible will be a norm! There are already cameras that don't require you to focus but do it later using software.
Yeah, I saw something about those. If you decide that something in the background should have been the subject in focus, you change it to that. Technology is going crazy. What used to be science fiction, is now science fact.