Macro lens advice\suggestions

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Shawn_B

Senior Member
Good Day,

I m looking for a budget (<US$350) macro lens.

mostly for insects and nature shots (flowers, sea shells etc)

am getting the following used lens:

Nikon AF-S 40mm f2.8 ($230)
Tokina AT-X 100mm f2.8 PRO D ($315)
Tamon AF 60mm f2.0 SP Di II ($317)
Sigma 50mm f2.8 EX DG ($225)

Suggestions and Recommenations ?
 
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Deleted

Senior Member
Hang on with those lenses. If you get the Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S VR DX IF-ED Micro it could be used as a regular prime lens too & replace a couple from your list.

Is that list a shopping list, or lenses that you already have?
 
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Felisek

Senior Member
The 40 mm is too short for bugs. With this lens you need to get very close to the subject, and you can spook them this way. I think 85 or 100/105 mm is a better option.
 
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J-see

Senior Member
I'd advise nothing too short when you want to shoot insects. You'd be too close and scare most off. For anything else, it matters less.

Out of that list and without any knowledge about the individual quality of all, I'd pick the 100mm for the range.

Compare the quality, be certain whatever lens you buy is truly 1:1 and then pick the longest according your budget.
 
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Shawn_B

Senior Member
Gorf said:
If you get the Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S VR DX IF-ED Micro it could be used as a regular prime lens too & replace a couple from your list.

Is that list a shopping list, or lenses that you already have?
Click to expand...

the Nikon 85mm is a great lens, but even used, is outta my budget ($429)

those lens that I have listed are my options that I can select only 1
 
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Deleted

Senior Member
I have lenses in my shopping list too & can't afford any of them!

Just save up a little longer & get the right lens, don't make do with 2nd best. Otherwise you'll plan to replace it with what you should have bought anyway. :)
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
Autofocus is all but useless in macro work. You have such a shallow depth of field, that just breathing changes the focal point and the camera will continually "hunt" for focus.
You could get a set of cheap extension rings until you can afford a lens. They are like $14 on eBay so no biggie if you only use them for a short time. ;) or there are macro filters you can get. I can't comment on them not having ever used them but extension tubes work OK as an interim.
 
J

J-see

Senior Member
Vixen said:
Autofocus is all but useless in macro work. You have such a shallow depth of field, that just breathing changes the focal point and the camera will continually "hunt" for focus.
You could get a set of cheap extension rings until you can afford a lens. They are like $14 on eBay so no biggie if you only use them for a short time. ;) or there are macro filters you can get. I can't comment on them not having ever used them but extension tubes work OK as an interim.
Click to expand...

In macro it is useless indeed. My first was a 1:2 with AF and it drove me crazy when trying to do close up. I always manually focus in macro but when you use the other end, in my case as a 200mm, you do miss the auto-focus function... a lot. If you can pick with or without, with is always better. You can switch the one off but can't switch the other on.
 
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Shawn_B

Senior Member
Vixen said:
;) or there are macro filters you can get. I can't comment on them not having ever used them but extension tubes work OK as an interim.
Click to expand...

I have bought the Raynox-250 to use with my VR70-300mm and I hate it

you have to lean in and out till you get the focus u want, unlike the focus on the lens that is much easier
 
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Shawn_B

Senior Member
Update - I got the Tokina 100mm f2.8 used off Amazon.com, in mint condition, complete with caps and lens hood.

so far I am liking it
 
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