It has been ages since I posted here, work has kept me so busy it is has not left much room for photography. I got a mint condition 105mm f/2.8 AIS Nikkor for about $200. It is a steal, it looks and feels brand new. Like all older AIS Micro Nikkors, it requires extension tubes to get to 1:1 but I have plenty of Nikon PK's to fit the bill if necessary. I put it on the D300 so I had an effective 157mm f/2.8 Micro lens. I shot this amazingly gorgeos 3/4" little arachnid just outside my front door with a tripod, macro focusing rail, D300, lens and my 40 year old Vivitar ring flash. The background was white so the web does not really show up very well, nothing I could do about that. I am already in love with this lens! It gives me double the subject to focal plane distance over 55mm f/2.8 Micro which is a definite advantage when shooting shy little critters!