Macro Lens Recommendation

[dEARlEADER]

I'm a little tapped out after buying D60 18-200 and all the other swag that goes with it...

but I really wanna do some macro stuff...

can anyone recommend a decent lens old or new that will work with my D60?

i really don't care if it doesn't have autofocus... and if i had to.... i could live without metering....

thanks...

 

[N'Kolor]

Since you are Nikon shooter, I wouldn't worry about getting a Macro lens...you should look into a Micro lens.

 

[dEARlEADER]

okay whatever..... can someone please recommend a MICRO lens??

 

[Samriel]

The Tokina 100mm Macro is very good lens for the money ($350) if you don't mind shooting RAW (can have some CA problems which are easily solved in PP). I really like the good build quality.
More or less in the same class ($400~$450) are the Tamron and Sigma ~100mm Macros, just without the CA problems, but with a slightly worse build quality.
You could find the older Nikkor 60mm Macro, it should also cost around $350-$400. All of these lenses will not AF on the D60. If you want AF, the cheapest thing might just be the new Nikkor 60mm model, with "cheapest" being around $600~$650.

 

[dEARlEADER]

Would this be the f2.8 Pro at-x?

 

[Coldow91]

I have heard the 55mm micro is really good (http://www.flickr.com/groups/d40slr/discuss/72157603691418603/?search=55mm+micro)

 

[Samriel]

Would this be the f2.8 Pro at-x?

Yep, that's the one.

Photozone Review

 

[Garbz]

I use a MicroNikkor AF 105mm f/2.8 D. Great lens can be found for a bargain second hand. If you want autofocus you'll need the MicroNikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8 G which is no where near as much a bargain!

Shorter focal lengths than 105mm require you to get very close to the subject, closer than 35cm anyway. There's a consideration if your subject has eyes and is likely to fly away.

 

[dEARlEADER]

thanks garbz

is this the one

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Nikon-NIKKOR-105...ryZ48556QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Stranger]

i hear the 60mm 2.8 af-s is a decent lens...

about $550 new

 

[Garbz]

Nope MicroNikkor AF 105mm f/2.8 D what you linked to is a Nikkor AI 105mm f/2.8

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photograph...ces/AFNikkor/AFDMicroNikkor105mmf28/index.htm

 

[JerryPH]

The Sigma 105mm F/2.8 macro is an excellent lens, and being a prime VERY sharp.

I will tell you that the greater the focal length is, the further away you will be from what you want to take a macro off. This comes in VERY important when you want to shoot live subjects.

I have a lens that at 50mm just to get a 3:1 macro shot, you have to be about a 1/2" away from it, but the 105mm lets you step back about 12 inches to get a higher magnification of a 1:1 macro.

Today if I was still looking, I would get something like a 150mm macro.

Make sure that whatever lens you get, it does a 1:1 macro.

 

[dEARlEADER]

The Sigma 105mm F/2.8 macro is an excellent lens, and being a prime VERY sharp.

I will tell you that the greater the focal length is, the further away you will be from what you want to take a macro off. This comes in VERY important when you want to shoot live subjects.

I have a lens that at 50mm just to get a 3:1 macro shot, you have to be about a 1/2" away from it, but the 105mm lets you step back about 12 inches to get a higher magnification of a 1:1 macro.

Today if I was still looking, I would get something like a 150mm macro.

Make sure that whatever lens you get, it does a 1:1 macro.

Jerry... a 150mm macro would allow you to be aprox 18inchs for 1:1? I haven't done any macro... is there a lot of missed shots @ 12 inches to get 1:1's? ..... do 1:1's get me whiskers on the chin of a fly? or do they have to be cropped?

Garbz - thanks for the correction... unless I am doing something wrong.. I am not finding many used lenses on ebay for this range....

Also - has anyone macro'd their eyeball and do they have a link?