Am I looking for a closeup or a macro lens?

[JimMcClain]

I recently had the opportunity to make some pictures of plants in a cramped garden. I think they turned out pretty good, but the better looking plants were situated closer to me and I was unable to back up to get a shot. I thought the lens I was using would work at that distance because the stated minimum focus distance was 1.3' and I was just a little over that, I think. But the camera couldn't focus and would not fire the shutter.

There will probably be more times that this will be an issue - it already happened again trying to get a closeup of part of my new PC build. Maybe I should consider adding another lens to my kit that is capable of getting those close quarters shots. This is what I have now: NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED VR and a Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR IF-ED Both of these have excellent reviews and I'm very satisfied with them, but I'm still quite new with this type of equipment. I primarily shoot landscapes, but I like other subjects as well. The new lens may not be suitable for landscape photography, but it may help me branch out into other areas.

What lens would you recommend for my needs? I've browsed the Nikon site and looked at a lot of lenses, including primes and zooms. My camera is a D5300, but I hope to upgrade to a full-frame Nikon at some point, so the lens should be able to take advantage of that format.

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Jim

 

[jaomul]

Hi Jim,

you could buy a macro lens of course and there are loads to pick. You could also add a close up filter (very chaep)to the front of either of your existing lenses. This allows for closer focussing than your lens does now. There is a small hit on image quality but to be fair you wouls probably only notice this in 100% crops.

Another option is macro tubes (if you do this I suggest you get ones that talk electrically to your camera rather tha 10 dollar plastic ones). These go between your camera and lens and allow very close focus, but they have to be taken off again when you want to use the lens in the normal way. Good luck

 

[greybeard]

I am happy with my Nikon AF-S 105 f2.8 micro Nikkor (macro). It is a FX lens so it will work with full frame too. It has the AF motor in the lens so it will auto focus with your D5300. It also has VR which makes hand holding a bit easier but, most Macro work is done with a tripod. I also like the fact that it is 105mm which makes for a comfortable working distance between you and your subject. This comes in handy when you are trying to sneak up on a bug for a hand held shot. (jmho)

 

[JimMcClain]

Not sure I like bugs enough to make pictures of them. A 105mm lens might be a bit too long to get a picture of a plant or grouping or flowers at about 1' away. I wonder if a 60mm might be better?

Thanks for your reply,

Jim

 

[pthrift]

I'd say try the extension tubes first. Kenko makes a set of autofocus tubes that mount between your body and lens that from what I understand work very well, and are much less expensive than any lens, not to mention they will work with most any lens, but they are more effective with some lenses than others...
here's a link for them on amazon. I'm ready to pull the trigger to try them myself.
Amazon.com : Kenko Auto Extension Tube Set DG 12mm, 20mm, and 36mm Tubes for Nikon AF Digital and Film Cameras - AEXRUBEDGN : Camera Lens Extension Tubes : Electronics

 

[petrochemist]

Jaomul mentioned close up filters, for occasional use these are ideal (as long as you get quality ones - cheap ones can give TERRIBLE chromatic aberation) since they take up little space in your kit & are quick to add/remove.


A similar option that will cost next to nothing is using your wider angle lens reversed as a close up filter. To do this properly you want a suitably sized coupling ring - but hand holding it can work. You will have to get VERY close to your subject though (typically just under 2")
Using the 16-85 towards the long end & the 70-300 towards the short end will give around life size images, zooming either will give you more magnification. (Magfication is ~ the reversed lens's focal length divided by the other lens's focal length)
I've only used this technique with a reversed prime which has given some great results (and some utter rubbish).
Some combinations of lenses/zoom might have problems with Vignetting but it won't cost anything to give it a go.

If you want to get a new lens a fast 50mm would probably work well with either of your zooms giving you a wider range of magnifications, as well as giving you something for trying low light photography without costing a great deal.

A dedicated macro lens is certainly the easiest option if your after macro images. I'd agree with greybeard about the focal length - extra working distance is a benefit in macro even if your not chasing bugs - as it let more light on the subject. A 100mm macro will be fine for photographing flowers from 1' or even 20' yet usually lets you fill your image with just the stamen if you wish.

 

[goodguy]

For Nacro Nikon is offering currently 2 lenses the 105mm and 60mm (you have other but they are DX lenses).
I own the 60mm 2.8G, wonderful lens, when in macro it produces wonderfully sharp images, it is also an excellent walk around lens and even does portraits with great results but you do need to gt a bit closer to subject you want to shoot compared to the 105mm, this is only an issue if you are shooting bugs a lot.
I shot plenty of bugs with my 60mm with no problem but if bugs were my main thing to shoot I might have voted for the 105mm
The benefit of the 60mm over the 105mm is that its cheaper and is more of a flexible focal length as the 105mm is not a very good walk around range.

 

[Derrel]

Most macro lenses lose effective focal length as they are focused closer. My Tamron 90mm AF-SP f/2.8 Macro is actually 73mm at 1:1, as I recall. This is a VERY common thing, loss of focal length as the lens is focused closer and closer, so a "105mm" macro is probably a bit less than 105mm at close ranges. Anyway, the 60mm macro lenses from Nikon, the G- and the AF-D models of the last decade are pretty nice lenses, and are actually quite okay for things like plants, where one wants to have some angular view, but also be able to be close-up.

As far as the D5300 goes: it CAN USE, without modification, OLD Nikon macro lenses, like say the 55mm f/3.5 "pre-Ai" era Micro~NIKKOR [sic, Micro~NIKKOR], which in rough shape sells for like $32 FROM KEH.com. I have a pair of these old lenses; they were built rock-solidly, and even when beat-up on the outside, they can still maintain a quality image, and a silky-smooth focusing action. Yes, there is no autofocus, and no, there is not automated metering, buuuut...we're talking a good, flat-field close-up lens for under $35. Goes to HALF life-sized without its matched extension tube, but it does it very,very well, and a HUGE benefit is the very complete distance and magnification scale.

The distance/magnification scale is VERY handy to figure out your exact, precise flash power needed with a flash that offers fractional power output settings. If the flash is located in one place, like say the shoe, or on a bracket, it's easy to use that precise scale to make a cheat-sheet that helps you set the flash power output exactly right, with no guesswork. ANd when a flash is very close to a subject, the exposure changes very,very rapidly with even minor distance shifts. This is ANOTHER reason to favor a loooooonger lens; the flash is kept more distant, and the rate of light fall-off is not nearly so critical as it is when working in very close.

The GOOD plus-diopter lenses,the two-element, more expensive model like the Canon 500D, or the Raynox equivalent, the screw in "filter" type dealios...those are actually appropriate for a 70-300 zoom, and the quality is surprisingly good.I own a 500D and the Nikon 6T, both top-notch items in their field.

 

[JimMcClain]

Another option is macro tubes (if you do this I suggest you get ones that talk electrically to your camera rather tha 10 dollar plastic ones). These go between your camera and lens and allow very close focus, but they have to be taken off again when you want to use the lens in the normal way. Good luck

I'd say try the extension tubes first. Kenko makes a set of autofocus tubes that mount between your body and lens...

This seems like a very good option I hadn't thought of. Thanks guys.

Jim

 

[digital flower]

60mm Nikon FTW!

 

[JTPhotography]

Longer is better when it comes to macro. I went from a 100 to a 180 and it is a world of difference. More DOF because the subject is compressed and you don't have to get as close to fill the frame. That is critical in certain situations, butterflys for example.

The sigma 180 3.5 is the sharpest lens I have ever used. It does good with portraits too.