First macro lens ideas

photographybykateco

photographybykateco

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Kate Edmonds
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Hi!

I got a nikon d3500 around 10 years ago and have always only had the same 1 lens that came with the camera. It is just a standard lens for all. I would be interested in purchasing a lower end beginner macro lens if anyone knows where I should begin? Hope you can help!
Kate
 
I know it's a different type of camera body, but my boy uses my old Yashica 50mm lens on his A6000 for close up, shallow DOF images as he likes the ease of manual focusing with it. I've just bought him a new adapter with a helicoid built in which allows him to focus on a postage stamp at its extreme end. Granted, he doesn't photograph spider eyes etc but for more 'close up' macro it's perfect.

I don't know if you can do anything similar with your DSLR though....?
 
As 'Nick says, "What do you want to photograph"?

Take a look at a 'Raynox DCR150' attachment, which you can use with your existing lens (it simply clips on to the end of your lens), and produces good quality 'macro' images.

This was taken with a 'Raynox' fitted to my standard 18-55 'kit' lens.

DSC_5514_00002 (5) by Glynn Hobbs, on Flickr
 
I have a D3200 and wanted to experiment with some close-up or macro pictures so bought a used Nikon 85mm f3.5 G ED AF-S VR DX micro for £200 as it very good reviews. Be careful though I have since added a Ring Flash and Tripod... once you start it gets you !
PS It also gives good results with portraits
8 spider 2-1.jpg
 
If you are very unsure about macro being your bag, and assuming your kit lens is an 18 to 70mm or similar, you could take a look at a 70 to 200mm zoom with macro capability. Then you would also be getting telephoto capabilities and you'd have a more versatile lens than a prime macro. For example Tokina do an inexpensive one, although I have no experience with it. Or you could look for a second hand Nikkor or some such.

If a love of macro really takes hold, then you could upgrade to a prime at a later date and you'd still have a useful zoom lens.

Personally I'd avoid like the plague anything that screws to the front of an existing lens.
 
My macro lens is for sale in Nikon sale section. Feel free to have a look.
 
Stegosaurus said:
If you are very unsure about macro being your bag, and assuming your kit lens is an 18 to 70mm or similar, you could take a look at a 70 to 200mm zoom with macro capability. Then you would also be getting telephoto capabilities and you'd have a more versatile lens than a prime macro. For example Tokina do an inexpensive one, although I have no experience with it. Or you could look for a second hand Nikkor or some such.

If a love of macro really takes hold, then you could upgrade to a prime at a later date and you'd still have a useful zoom lens.

Personally I'd avoid like the plague anything that screws to the front of an existing lens.
Click to expand...

It seems to me that one of the advantages of your suggestion of a 70-200 or similar is that it would make a better base for a close-up lens than an 18 -70 or similar. It is a type of setup I used a lot for over a decade, for example on Canon APS-C with an EF-S 55-250 (small, light, inexpensive and sharp) and also with 1/2.3" bridge cameras and m43 with 45-175, producing images which were often well received. This makes me curious to know the reason for your extremely strong aversion to such setups.
 
This is what "anything that screws to an existing lens" can produce.

Also has the advantage of being able to swap it from one lens to another very quickly (it clips straight on to either my 18-55, or 70-200), or simply unclipped, to revert to standard lens, in less than a second!

OK, it's not a dedicated 'macro' lens, but a 'Raynox, is only £50.00

DSC_5981 by Glynn Hobbs, on Flickr

DSC_3516_00009 (3) by Glynn Hobbs, on Flickr
 
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Actually, adding to the telephoto zoom thing.... If you don't want true macro and close up is good enough, it's not a bad idea. I have a Contax Carl Zeiss 80-200mm and at 200mm it'll focus at 1m which is plenty enough for tree detail, flowers, fungi, mushrooms, etc
 
LeeRatters said:
Actually, adding to the telephoto zoom thing.... If you don't want true macro and close up is good enough, it's not a bad idea. I have a Contax Carl Zeiss 80-200mm and at 200mm it'll focus at 1m which is plenty enough for tree detail, flowers, fungi, mushrooms, etc
Click to expand...

Good point. I used a 55-250 on APS-C and a 45-175 on m43 for flowers etc for some years, using the bare lens a lot of the time and then adding a mild close-up lens when I wanted to go in a bit closer. One nice thing about that is that you can take the close-up lens on and off without having to expose the sensor to dust etc while changing lenses. Also, to go smaller you can simply use a more powerful close-up lens. I found the Raynox 150 particularly useful for invertebrates, with a Raynox 250 or 202 when I wanted more magnification. This sort of thing.

#1

1834 Close-up lens example 1 05 1081 04 G5 1024 55 2015_08_07-8 P1040070_DxO RAW01a100 SP7a LR6 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#2

1834 Close-up lens example 2 3 P1490474 SP10_PLab3NoNR LR 1300h-DNAIcLoLo by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#3

1834 Close-up lens example 3 08 1319 016 15 P1710921_DxO 0100RAW01cP SP7 LR6 1300h DNAI21 0 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#4

1834 Close-up lens example 4 7 IMG_3579_DxO SP7 LR7 1300h 2018_02_10 PP DNAI21 0 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#5

1834 Close-up lens example 5 P1030109 SP10_PLab3 LR 1300h DNAIcAuto by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#6

1834 Close-up lens example 6 1121 070 2015_08_6-7 P1030614_DxO 0100RAW01cP SP7 LR6 1300h-2 DNAI21 0 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#7

1834 Close-up lens example 7 1027 52 2015_09_08 P1100914_DxO RAW01a100 SP7a LR6 DNAI21 0 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr

#8

1834 Close-up lens example 8 0775 29 P1080062 LR DNAI21 0 by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
 
Vintage Racer said:
This is what "anything that screws to an existing lens" can produce.

Also has the advantage of being able to swap it from one lens to another very quickly (it clips staright on to either my 18-55, or 70-200), or simply unclipped, to revert to standard lens, in less than a second!

OK, it's not a dedicated 'macro' lens, but a 'Raynox, is only £50.00

by Glynn Hobbs, on Flickr

by Glynn Hobbs, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Although the quality is surprisingly good where the image is in focus, its the wafer thin depth of field that I couldn't live with. But then I have other lenses at my disposal so I'm spoilt.
 
Stegosaurus said:
Although the quality is surprisingly good where the image is in focus, its the wafer thin depth of field that I couldn't live with. But then I have other lenses at my disposal so I'm spoilt.
Click to expand...

You can of course get more depth of field with a macro lens (or extension tubes, teleconverters, bellows or reversed lenses) than with a close-up lens. However, you need to use an effective aperture smaller than the f/45 or so full frame equivalent that many close-up lens setups can achieve, and many people would not want to do that because of the loss of detail from diffraction softening with small apertures. Also, personally I wouldn't describe the f/45 full frame equivalent that many close-up lens setups can achieve as "wafer thin"; this sort of thing.


1836 01 1628 06 P1710051_PLab3 DCP-1 SP9-Edit LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


1836 02 1250 16 2017_09 processing P1830278_DxO 0100RAW01cP SP7 LR6 1300h-DNAI by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


1836 03 1628 05 P1280922_PLab3 DCP SP9-Edit LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


1836 04 1376 02 1374 13 2018_09_01 P1530201_DxO RAW SP7 LR7 1400h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


1836 05 1628 02 P1130491_PLab3 DCP SP9-Edit LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


1836 06 1250 26 2017_09 processing P1940044_DxO 0100RAW01cP SP7 LR6 1300h-DNAI by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


1836 07 1166 04 1163 16 2017_04_30 P1220890_DxO 0100RAW01cP SP7 LR6 1300h-DNAI by gardenersassistant, on Flickr


1836 08 1610 12 reprocessed 2020-02-13 G5 P1230295_PLab3 SP9 LR 1300h-DNAI by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
 
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