macro lenses

[hayley.price]

I'm looking for a new macro lens prefferably not majorly expencive and doesn't have to be a zoom lens as I'm good at getting close so fixed focal would be fine any idears

It's for the NIKON d5100 but doesn't have to be NIKON can be tamron or sigma or others

 

[ecniv]

Nikon/Nikkor:
60mm
105mm d (older but nice - see links in my sig) or vr

Sigma:
105mm
150mm
180mm

Tamron:
90mm

Depends what you are shooting as to focal length.
Working distance is small/smaller with the lower mm so if its insects that may be skittish, look to 105mm or 150mm/180mm

I think I read that the 180 is a heavy build, but the 150 looks good.


Also consider some tubes, either the tenner manual ones (in which case the lens needs an aperture ring as well) or some kenko tubes. Raynox 150/250 is anther addition to the lens that may assist if you have a longer mm lens atm (its only 40ukp ish)

They are all fairly pricey looking around 300-600ukp, so might be worth hiring one or two of them or seeing if someone near you has them so you can play before spending.

You also may need a flash/ring/csi macro/off camera arm/trigger too.. but that can always be bought later

 

[modchild]

The Tamron 90mm and the Sigma 105mm seem to be the main macro lenses used apart from Nikon or Canons macro lenses. I've got a Canon 100 2.8 L and it really does give some excellent IQ. I've not seen much taken on Nikon's macro lenses but the Tamron and Sigma seem to be on a par with the Canon.

 

[heidfirst]

Nikon/Nikkor:
60mm
105mm d (older but nice - see links in my sig) or vr

Sigma:
105mm
150mm
180mm

Tamron:
90mm

if we are talking new then Sigma don't do the 180 in Nikon mount (the old is discontinued & the new OS one announced yesterday only seems to mention SA mount so far). They also do a 70mm macro.
Tamron also do a 180 Macro & 60mm Macro.
Tokina do a well regarded 100mm macro.

 

[Strangways]

The Sigma 70mm macro is a great lens, really sharp. Good for portraits too.

 

[eccles]

You should be aware that any zoom that says it's a macro, isn't. Such lenses usually have some means or other of getting moderately close at the maximum focal length which gives you a magnification ratio of between 1:4 and 1:2. This means on your crop sensor a subject 25mm long will fill between 1/4 and 1/2 of your field of view depending on the lens used.

For many, this is quite sufficient for shooting butterflies and dragonflies with a bit of the environment included in the picture, and most current sensors have enough pixels to crop a little.

The definition of 'macro' is an ability to magnify to 1:1, i.e. a 25mm long subject will fill your field of view. Such lenses are without exception of fixed focal length. They are usually expensive, and almost always, very sharp. Getting close means fighting narrow depth of field, light limitations and camera shake. The closer you get the harder it gets, and shooting macro can take a lot of skill and patience. The rewards can be high but many people simply decide that the trouble taken outweighs the benefits.

Unless you've already dipped your toe in the water with less expensive solutions, it might be worth trying one of the pseudo-macro zooms first. If you don't like it, at least you'll have a telezoom for other uses.