I am getting a Macro lens!

Howe Creative Photography

What would you suggest??
I was looking doing some bugs, plants, flowers....

Thinking about the Nikon 60mm, Sigma 105mm, Tamron 90mm

Lord Vetinari

Howe Creative Photography wrote:

What would you suggest??
I was looking doing some bugs, plants, flowers....

Thinking about the Nikon 60mm, Sigma 105mm, Tamron 90mm

I'd go for the Tamron or the sigma 105- Ideal working distance for a hand holdable macro lens. Both do have extending barrels which some people dislike. I'm still happily using my sigma 105mm.
Brian V.

Howe Creative Photography

Thank you so much! I think those are the two I am trying to decide between!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/330643-USA/Tamron_AF272NII_700_SP_90mm_f_2_8_Di.html
or
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/341922-USA/Sigma_257306_105mm_f_2_8_EX_Macro.html

paddler4

Bridget,

I don't use Nikon, so I can't advise you about the specific lenses, but I can tell you something about lengths.

I think your camera is a crop sensor body. If so, 60mm is a nice length for flowers, but it is pretty short for bugs. I shoot with a Canon 50D , which is also a crop sensor camera, and a 60mm macro lens, and getting close enough to bugs is tough. If I had my druthers, I would have two: 60mm and 90 or 100mm, the latter for bugs. If you plan to do a lot of bugs and only buy one lens, I think I would probably go with 90 or 100 (at the cost of having a much bigger, heavier lens).

If you want really extreme closeups, you'll have to add extension tubes or crop quite a bit. So far, I do the latter.

Have good time.

Dan

Howe Creative Photography

Thanks for your advice Dan! I think I will go with either the 90 or 105...just not sure yet.

PeterD-2009

Howe Creative Photography wrote:

Thanks for your advice Dan! I think I will go with either the 90 or 105...just not sure yet.

Bridget
I replied to your earlier posts when you were looking at the merits of screw-on lenses and then I saw this which indicates you are going for a true Macro lens. My advice on this would be to go for the the longer focal length lenses. I use the Sigma 150 DG HSM. I am not sure if they do a Nikon fit. The longer focal lengths are far more useful as you are able to gain good Macro results without having to get too close.

Chrissiebeez_NL

I recently purchased the tamron 90 mm, and im happy with the image quality i get out of it (still learning to use it so still making focus mistakes ) The only 2 things i dont like about the lens are;

the focusssing distance (you have to be pretty close to get maximum magnification, an extention tube might fix that)

and the slow AF (only really a problem when using it for non-macro stuff, it makes a great portrait lens but the AF sometimes hunts like mad).

other than that, great stuff. here are some shots with the tamron on one of my first go's. http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=128916
if the price is the same, you might be better off with the sigma..

PeterD-2009

Chrissiebeez_NL wrote:

I recently purchased the tamron 90 mm, and im happy with the image quality i get out of it (still learning to use it so still making focus mistakes ) The only 2 things i dont like about the lens are;

the focusssing distance (you have to be pretty close to get maximum magnification, an extention tube might fix that)

and the slow AF (only really a problem when using it for non-macro stuff, it makes a great portrait lens but the AF sometimes hunts like mad).

other than that, great stuff. here are some shots with the tamron on one of my first go's. http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=128916
if the price is the same, you might be better off with the sigma..

I have the Sigma 150 Macro and I do a manual focus first to get a rough lock on the target then half press the shutter for af to snap in. It works with my combination and overcomes the characteristic slow focus of a macro lens. The camera and lens always stay switched in AF mode.

The experiments I carried out with a 70-300 + Achromatic screw-on lens told me that the longer focal length Macro lenses would be better for this type of work. Also, a internal focus system is better as there are no moving parts to disturb the subject.

IPClark

I have the Sigma 105 and can say it's a cracking lens. I've also seen it, with the assistance of some of our Macro mentors here, produce some amazing images. It's a very capable lens and certainly up to the job.