Help me choose my future "pro gear"

[Derrel]

I want a new Tamron 70-200/2.8 VC....

 

[MarshallG]

Are you sure you want a 105mm macro? 105mm means fairly long camera-to-subject distance. Unusable in many I door scenarios, such as with a copy stand.

Not saying the lens is unusable or you shouldn't buy it, just try to make sure you want a focal range like that.

Your lighting equipment is inadequate, in my opinion. Sounds like you have very little knowledge and experience with lighting to have such a barebones lighting selection.

 

[D-B-J]

Are you sure you want a 105mm macro? 105mm means fairly long camera-to-subject distance. Unusable in many I door scenarios, such as with a copy stand.

Not saying the lens is unusable or you shouldn't buy it, just try to make sure you want a focal range like that.

Your lighting equipment is inadequate, in my opinion. Sounds like you have very little knowledge and experience with lighting to have such a barebones lighting selection.

Can't use a 105mm macro in doors? I used to use one on a crop sensor in my room all the time on my fish... I think 105 on full frame is even more useable indoors. But maybe that's just me.


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[Sid51]

Are you sure you want a 105mm macro? 105mm means fairly long camera-to-subject distance. Unusable in many I door scenarios, such as with a copy stand.

Not saying the lens is unusable or you shouldn't buy it, just try to make sure you want a focal range like that.

Your lighting equipment is inadequate, in my opinion. Sounds like you have very little knowledge and experience with lighting to have such a barebones lighting selection.

I didnt decid what macro lens i will get yet, but you have a good point, since my dad will use the lens mostly, and he has a crop-sensor camera, i maybe look into a different focus length.

About the light, you are 100% right. I have no experience with lightning. One person told me to switch the flash out to the newer Phottix Mitro+, since it system works way better than nikon's in a off-camera situation with lot of sunlight. He recommended me that kit: Phottix Scott Kelby Mitros+ TTL Flash and Odin TCU TTL PH80378, which costs less than the sb-910 itself. What would you recommend?

 

[Braineack]

I wonder why they even make short-focal-length macro lenses.

 

[D-B-J]

I wonder why they even make short-focal-length macro lenses.

Artsy wide angle shallow DOF photos? Although I'd rather a 24mm 1.4 or something like that. But really, I don't know why they do either. I want the distance between me and my subject, so I'm less likely to scare them. And the compression concept, as well. I think a 105mm is a minimum, and sometimes wonder how I'd like a 150 or 180mm macro.

Jake

 

[ruifo]

I wonder why they even make short-focal-length macro lenses.

Me too.
The 105mm is perfect in my croped D5200. Indoors and outdoors as well.
90mm should be the minimum to go with, for any decent macro work.

 

[MarshallG]

I wonder why they even make short-focal-length macro lenses.

Try shooting something like artwork from a copy stand with a 100mm macro and let me know how it goes. You'd need to put the camera five to seven feet above the subject.

 

[D-B-J]

I wonder why they even make short-focal-length macro lenses.

Try shooting anything from a copy stand with a 100mm macro and let me know how it goes.

I'm confused as to why you NEED to use a copy stand.. can't you rotate your objects? And on my D800 I used and 85mm 1.8 with extension tubes for a macro from directly above with ease..

 

[MarshallG]

Are you sure you want a 105mm macro? 105mm means fairly long camera-to-subject distance. Unusable in many I door scenarios, such as with a copy stand.

Not saying the lens is unusable or you shouldn't buy it, just try to make sure you want a focal range like that.

Your lighting equipment is inadequate, in my opinion. Sounds like you have very little knowledge and experience with lighting to have such a barebones lighting selection.

I didnt decid what macro lens i will get yet, but you have a good point, since my dad will use the lens mostly, and he has a crop-sensor camera, i maybe look into a different focus length.

About the light, you are 100% right. I have no experience with lightning. One person told me to switch the flash out to the newer Phottix Mitro+, since it system works way better than nikon's in a off-camera situation with lot of sunlight. He recommended me that kit: Phottix Scott Kelby Mitros+ TTL Flash and Odin TCU TTL PH80378, which costs less than the sb-910 itself. What would you recommend?

You need to decide what kind of flash photography you want to do. For professional quality results, you basically cannot fire the flash directly straight-on to the subject, except as fill flash in bright sunlight.

If you want to do studio portrait photography, then you should look for three studio flashes with big stands and diffusers. If you want to do wedding photography, you need more portable equipment. If you do event photography, such as weddings and business functions of people indoors, then you want an on-camera flash that's very powerful, (maybe an external power source) as well as a diffuser of some type.

So, unfortunately, it really depends and it takes work with the equipment to decide what you want. Another really popular piece of gear are "radio poppers," which remotely trigger your flashes using radio transmitter/receivers. One excellent book I recommend is Syl Arena's Speedlighter's Handbook. He is Canon-based, but everything he does can be done with Nikon. Another resource, which is more budget minded, is www.strobist.com. Although he recommends very low-cost equipment, the techniques can be used with any kind of equipment. The Strobist-recommended equipment isn't very durable, which you'll learn the first time yuk use an umbrella and flash on a lightstand outdoors. As soon as a gust of wind blows, your equipment will fall over and break.

 

[MarshallG]

I wonder why they even make short-focal-length macro lenses.

Try shooting anything from a copy stand with a 100mm macro and let me know how it goes.

I'm confused as to why you NEED to use a copy stand.. can't you rotate your objects? And on my D800 I used and 85mm 1.8 with extension tubes for a macro from directly above with ease..

How about a flat object, 2x3 feet in size? And your goal is perfect sharpness, absolutely flat field and precise light control.

 

[D-B-J]

Try shooting anything from a copy stand with a 100mm macro and let me know how it goes.

I'm confused as to why you NEED to use a copy stand.. can't you rotate your objects? And on my D800 I used and 85mm 1.8 with extension tubes for a macro from directly above with ease..

How about a flat object, 2x3 feet in size? And your goal is perfect sharpness, absolutely flat field and precise light control.

Put some double stick tape on that bad-boy and tape it to a vertical background. Boom!

 

[D-B-J]

Try shooting anything from a copy stand with a 100mm macro and let me know how it goes.

I'm confused as to why you NEED to use a copy stand.. can't you rotate your objects? And on my D800 I used and 85mm 1.8 with extension tubes for a macro from directly above with ease..

How about a flat object, 2x3 feet in size? And your goal is perfect sharpness, absolutely flat field and precise light control.

And 2x3feet? Why would you be using a macro anyway..? Other than to focus in on a small detail, which could be done from above with a 105?

 

[MarshallG]

I'm confused as to why you NEED to use a copy stand.. can't you rotate your objects? And on my D800 I used and 85mm 1.8 with extension tubes for a macro from directly above with ease..

How about a flat object, 2x3 feet in size? And your goal is perfect sharpness, absolutely flat field and precise light control.

And 2x3feet? Why would you be using a macro anyway..? Other than to focus in on a small detail, which could be done from above with a 105?

Reproduction of artwork for reprints. Or photographing circuit boards in which you want to be able to zoom in and read the value on each resistor.

 

[ruifo]

Reproduction of artwork for reprints. Or photographing circuit boards in which you want to be able to zoom in and read the value on each resistor.

For that, you'd be better using a 36 MPix full frame camera, or a medium format instead.