Camera Labs

Hello,

After i bought my D90, i have now decided to buy some new Lenses. I was thinking of one of these:

Nikon Macro-Nikkor 105 mm - f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR

Nikon Macro-Nikkor 85 mm - f/3.5 G ED AF-S DX VR

Which would you recommend and will the 105 mm FX go with my D90 and is it worth the extra ~250$ ?

I have checked out a few reviews, but I still cannot decide.

This can wait though, since i am going to get the Nikon Zoom-Nikkor 10 mm - 24 mm - f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX first.


Replies appreciated

_________________
Nikon D90, 18-105mm kit Lens
Nikon 10 mm - 24 mm - f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX
Nikon macro 105 mm - f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G
Manfrotto Tripod + Ballring
B+W Pol Filter 67mm & B+W Käsemann MRC Pollfilter 77mm, Step up rings

I wouldnt touch the 85.

Ive had both the 60mm and the 105mm recently, and both are fantastic lenses. I ended up settling with the 60 as I preferred the focal length.

Here's a thought though. If you want to do serious macro work and get beyond 1:1, you will need to get a non-G lens like the 200mm or older 60 or 105mm lenses. Then you will be able to use the cheap extension tubes to get diaphragm coupling. I believe the latest Kenko tubes will couple with gelded (G) lenses though but I may be wrong here.

_________________
Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

I heard it's hard to manual focus in Macro, as a friend told me.

But hold on i'll just do some research on those tubes...

_________________
Nikon D90, 18-105mm kit Lens
Nikon 10 mm - 24 mm - f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX
Nikon macro 105 mm - f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G
Manfrotto Tripod + Ballring
B+W Pol Filter 67mm & B+W Käsemann MRC Pollfilter 77mm, Step up rings

It is easy to manual focus (in most cases I assume better than AF), just something you need to practice, and most of all, use of a tripod is recommended.
If you are serious about macro I would go for either the 105 or 60mm Nikkors depending what you will shoot. And yes FX lenses work on DX bodies and v.v., but DX lenses on FX bodies use the same size of the sensor as a DX sensor.

_________________
- Wout -
Nikon D80 with 18-70 DX, 70-300 VR, 35 1.8 DX
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod with 488RC0 midi ballhead
Lowepro CompuRover AW and Nova 200 AW

Well i looked at those Kenko tubes and well they seem at a resonable price.

However a 200mm Lens isn't cheap. It's more than the Macro 105 mm Lens.

Or would it be better to just buy the Kenko tubes and use my Kit Lens and lose some feutures the Macro Lens brings along?

I guess i could buy a Macro Lens and the Kenko tubes and fit them both togeather to get a huge Macro, right?
And one of my goals is to take a close up picture of a snow flake and possibly work on that for a while, want to experiment.

Edit: Oh and Yes i already have a very good Tripod by Manfrotto. Infact, it's the same as yours

_________________
Nikon D90, 18-105mm kit Lens
Nikon 10 mm - 24 mm - f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX
Nikon macro 105 mm - f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G
Manfrotto Tripod + Ballring
B+W Pol Filter 67mm & B+W Käsemann MRC Pollfilter 77mm, Step up rings

But Jeremy, one thing i do not unterstand is, why the 60mm Lens when the 105mm Lens has more focal length. Don't you want to be as far away from a objekt as possible? Like if it's a Bee, it would fly away getting too close.

Explain to me why you bought the 60mm Lens.

_________________
Nikon D90, 18-105mm kit Lens
Nikon 10 mm - 24 mm - f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX
Nikon macro 105 mm - f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G
Manfrotto Tripod + Ballring
B+W Pol Filter 67mm & B+W Käsemann MRC Pollfilter 77mm, Step up rings

Macro is more than just insects, for example- you can also take pictures of flowers, and flowers don't fly/run away

_________________
- Wout -
Nikon D80 with 18-70 DX, 70-300 VR, 35 1.8 DX
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod with 488RC0 midi ballhead
Lowepro CompuRover AW and Nova 200 AW

Don't forget the third-party lenses:

tamron 90mm F/2.8
tokina 100mm F/2.8
sigma 105mm F/2.8

All are about equal, with the sigma apparently focusing the fastest, and the tokina having the highest build quality.

I have been looking at macro lenses, and if I buy one, it will most likely be the Tokina (I value build quality a lot for my shooting style).

_________________
I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".

When is the new Sigma 150mm on sale?
Also, @ around £1000 will it be worth the money?

_________________

Nikon D700 & D7100 bodies + Nikkor 300mm F2.8 VR11, 1.7TC, 50mm F1.4G, 16-35mm f/4G VR, 105 F2.8 VR macro, 70-300mm lenses. A couple of filters, Giotto tripod & ballhead. Lowepro Slingshot 302 AW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcarlos/

If I am right Thomas likes the "old" non OS version of the lens a lot, so if the quality is similar or better it should be a great lens.

_________________
- Wout -
Nikon D80 with 18-70 DX, 70-300 VR, 35 1.8 DX
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod with 488RC0 midi ballhead
Lowepro CompuRover AW and Nova 200 AW

Okay, this is getting hard now

I have looked at some reviews of the lenses listed below and compared prices.
They're amazingly 300$ Cheaper.

tokina 100mm F/2.8
sigma 105mm F/2.8


Thanks for the comments, I think i will need to give this some thought now.

_________________
Nikon D90, 18-105mm kit Lens
Nikon 10 mm - 24 mm - f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX
Nikon macro 105 mm - f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G
Manfrotto Tripod + Ballring
B+W Pol Filter 67mm & B+W Käsemann MRC Pollfilter 77mm, Step up rings

I have the old 60mm nikkor macro and it is amazing, I really like the 60mm focal length. Focusing speed shouldn't be a concern as im sure you will discover manual focus is the best way to go.
I think the focal length really depends on what you are going to be shooting most, 100-150mm would be better for insects and other moving subjects, with non moving subjects, focal length is not so important.

Also remember that with the longer focal length macros, you will probably need image stabilization (or not if always using a tripod)

Hope this helps out.

_________________
Nikon D300s / 50mm f1.8D / 18-200mm VR / 70-300mm VR / micro Nikkor 60mm 2.8 / Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 / sb25 / Phottix cleon II

My Flickr

I personally think that it would be best to look at long focal length, not only will you not scare the subject away (If you're photographing subjects such as insects or arachnids) but it won't cast a shadow on the subject either. Frankly, I'd want to have the longest macro focal length possible, although that would also be the highest cost possible! Fortunately, macro lenses generally have VR, so less effect from camera shake.

I'd go for the 105mm, and it's also worth noting that as it's an FX lens, your FoV will be even larger as the D90 is a DX body, which is a bonus! However it's your call, all the Nikon Micro lenses are fine choices.

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

VR OS or IS, it all doesnt matter in Macro distances. You just need a tripod as the stabilizations are not up to the task to give you more than 1 stop advantage

_________________
- Wout -
Nikon D80 with 18-70 DX, 70-300 VR, 35 1.8 DX
Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod with 488RC0 midi ballhead
Lowepro CompuRover AW and Nova 200 AW

True, although they still help if you don't have a tri-pod handy.

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams