Macro Photography.

[RKRAMOS]

I posted a thread earlier today about me getting into Macro photography and put up three pictures (They aren't amazing) from me just messing around. I also asked what kind of lens I should get, because I want to get more involved with Macro photos. I have a Nikon D5100 and currently I'm using the Macro attachment on my Opteka .45x HD II Wide Angle Lens (52mm). I want a lens that is amazing for Macro photography but also one that isn't going to cost a fortune. What's a good lens that a starter photographer should have for Macro shots?

Thank you
- Rick.

 

[Overread]

Honestly any of the current macro prime lenses on the market is a good choice; each one offers you top quality optics and the differences between them are mostly marginal optically speaking. The kinds of thing that you notice only in side by side unedited test shots. The best way is to consider :

1) Budget - what fits your costs

2) Features - AF, teleconverter compatibility, internal focusing etc... - consider the specific bonuses that each offers you

3) Focal length - longer focal lengths give more working distance to work with; 90mm is the shortest most advise you start with if considering insects; otherwise any range will work (shorter just requires a bit more work for insects sometimes). Furthermore note that longer focal lengths render background areas more blurred than shorter ones, though its an extremes point (ie 50mm compared to 180mm)

4) What comes in the box (canon 100mm comes without lens hood or tripod collar for example).

For Nikon at the budget end you could consider some of the following:
Nikon 60mm micro
Sigma 50mm, 70mm, 105mm
Tokina 90mm
Tamron 60mm, 105mm


Note:
Nikon all their macro lenses micro - it means the same thing so far as the lens labels are concerned, however micro in the literature can carry a different meaning

Focal length: when starting you can use any focal length 50mm or longer; however if you are planning to work with insects the typical advice is to start with 90mm or longer. The longer focal lengths give you more distance between lens and subject and this make things easier with more skittish insects. In addition a bit of extra focal length can make lighting an easier approach when starting out - shorter lenses can have shadowing problems that need to be worked around.

Macro zooms - some companies put the term "macro" onto their zooms (70-300mm macro are common) and this is not a true macro lens. The macro term here is simply marketing saying that the lens can focus close and normally means that they'll get to around 1:2 (true macro lenses do 1:1) which is enough for a flower ,but not enough for a bee or insect.

 

[RKRAMOS]

Thanks, I've taken this into consideration and I think I might have found a lens, AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D