New member from PA

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clickertim
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:47 pm

New member from PA

Post by clickertim »

Hello to all,
My name is Tim. I just purchased a Nikon D300 with the 18-200mm lens. I'm very interested in close up photography. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good macro lens for the Nikon? Thanks for your help.
..... FOCUS on family, especially your children .....
Tim

nto
Posts: 181
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:56 pm
Location: Italy

Post by nto »

Hi!! Tim,
excuse for my English, heard good of nikkor 105 vr, choose always IF (internal focus),because they are better and last longer in year :wink:
Antonio

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Hello Tim and welcome aboard. I am a Canon shooter so, sorry I cannot be of help but Antonio has some good advice there and I am sure some of our other Nikon users will have as well. :wink:

doktorstamp
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 3:18 am
Location: Horsham, West Sussex

Post by doktorstamp »

Hi Tim and welcome here.

The advice to use a lens with internal focus, particularly zooms is good. But like Ken I too use Canon.

That aside Nikon will like Canon produce a small range of lenses dedicated to macro and close up work. Macro lenses; The 50mm lenses generally have to be held very close to the subject, appropriate for some things, flowers etc., but not so good for anything that can move, not everything likes having a large lens poked in its face. 100mm Macro lenses are better, often held a little further away from the subject, Canon produce a 180mm dedicated lens, and I would surmise Nikon produce similar too. Nearly all macro lenses can be used for normal photography as well, buy the best glass you can afford, also consider the use of extension tubes and screw-in diopters for close up work. Extension tubes contain no glass so can have no impact on image quality. with the diopters it is best, if you intend to use these to go for one of the brands such as Hoya, in-house diopters, although cheaper, have a tendency to degrade image quality as well as creating colour casts on the picture be it shot with film or digitally.

Bellows and reversing rings can be looked at and acquired at a later stage if you wish.

kind regards

Nigel

clickertim
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:47 pm

Post by clickertim »

Thank you for the advice. After researching this and other sites, I've decided to go with the Nikon 105mm. It sounds like what I am looking for. If not, as i get more experience, I'll be diving into another one....Hopefully I can get a shot or two worthy enough to post..... :D
..... FOCUS on family, especially your children .....
Tim

puzzledpaul
Posts: 414
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2006 4:15 am
Location: UK
Contact:

Post by puzzledpaul »

Another Canon user here and unfamiliar with current (Nikon) 105 macro options - other than the fact I'm aware that a VR one is available.

Might be worth bearing in mind that you'll invariably use manual focus for macro work - so any extra cost for a VR model is worthy of (extra) consideration - if not already done?

Have you ruled out makes other than Nikon?

I've seen excellent pics taken with '3rd party' lenses (often Sigma / Tamron) both here and elsewhere.

(although I use an old (non-usm) Canon 100mm, I bought a Tamron 180mm a few months ago and am satisfied with results)

Welcome aboard, btw - and good hunting :)

pp
Boxes, bottlebottoms, bits, bobs.

Jbailey
Posts: 520
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:45 am
Location: Wisconsin, USA

Macro Lens

Post by Jbailey »

Hi Tim:

I'm new to this group, also. For my Nikon D70 I use a Sigma 105mm macro lens. It's f/2.8 and very rugged. It's heavy, too, but quite serviceable. I like photographing insects, fungi, wildflowers and frogs. Photomicrography is also an activity.

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Jbailey, welcome aboard. :D Your in the right place if you enjoy both macro and micro. Plenty to be seen and tons of information to be had on both subjects. :D

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