A Nikon (AF) close-up lens for DSLR?

Question

Can someone recommand me a good close-up lens (AF) for Nikon D40x or D80?

Any sample photos I can see?

Thanks a bunch!

Answer 1

There are three major options for you.

If you want to go on the cheap you can get close up lenses. These look like filters and screw on the front of the lens like a filter. There are usually three in a set a +1, +2 and +3 which can be used individually or together in combinations.

The nice thing about then is that they don't cost you any light. The not so nice thing about them is that they will not usually give you a truly sharp picture. But many people seem to feel that is acceptable.

Next in cost is a set of extension tubes. These are hollow tubes that fit between the lens and the camera. The further the lens is extended from the camera body the greater the magnification and the closer you can get to your subject. This solution produces crisp sharp results but it can cost you a lot of light, sometimes two to four stops depending on the distance of the lens from the camera.

The final choice is the macro lens. I would stay away from lenses that clame macro capability. What they do is simply allow you to go closer to your subject but the best they provide is half life size. For a good sized flower that's no problem but for a tiny bug that is a big issue since the bug will be even smaller when you take the picture.

What you really need to consider is a dedicated macro lens. They are designed to go life size, so the tiny bug will be exactly the same size on the sensor as it is on real life. That is usually the best, albeit also the most expensive, way to do macro.

I would also stay away from short macros. Nicon has some short ones as do many other makers. The problem with a short macro is that you have to go too close to your subject to get a proper exposure and in doing so you will most likely cast a shadow on the subject. Being too close also prevents you from using your flash.

The one I love and am using is the f2.8 105mm macro from Nikon. It's a very fast lens which is nice, it has a focal length that allows me to be at least a foot from my subject, it stops down to f32 which gives me a good depth of field and it has their latest image stabilizor built into it which means I rarely ever use a tripod for my macro work. Overall this represents the best compromise.

Nikon has a longer macro lens too but it doesn't go to life size and its weight would require a tripod. It's also a lot more expensive.

My recommendation is the 105mm Nikon macro.

Oh yes, and if you want to see a sample of what it can do, go to the link in my profile, many of the images there were done with that macro.

I hope that helps a little.

Answer 2

I am a canon user, so I cant say which Nikon lens but all lenses have certain characteristics so you may find some of this useful. If you are photographing people, portrait style, you generally use something in the line of 70-200mm. The reason for this is that wider lenses produce distortion and can pull faces out of shape. While there may be times this looks great, as a general rule all is does is make noses, ears and other parts of the body look larger or smaller than what they are. Not very flattering:) The longer lenses have the benefit of producing none of this distortion. The effect of a longer lens is compression of the image producing a lovely soft back ground that makes the subject stand out. This will be effected by the camera settings though I wont go into this here. If you are doing more scenic shots of the family the the 35-50mm range will be good as it is more in line with a landscape that simply has people in it! Have a look at the link provided to get an idea of what longer and shorter lenses can do, see if you can spot the differences between them. The choice is going to depend on what you think will be used most or what you enjoy most. I hope this has helped:)

Answer 3

Check shutterbug.com for reviews of macro lenses for Nikon. Of course you can always buy the Nikon macro lens. The Nikon website probably has examples of photos taken with their various lenses.

Answer 4

what is your price range --sigma do a 70-300mm with macro for about £100.it is a good `jack of all trades lense ,i use one most days,i also use a 2x converter(£140)with it which doubles the magnification to 140-600mm +gives a 2 to 1 ratio for macro.my dedicated macro cost £360 its a tamron 90mm a very good lense,hope this helps.

Answer 5

Here are samples of the Nikkor 60 2.8 micro
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikkor/pool/tags/60mmf28dmicro/

Nikkor 105 2.8 micro
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikkor/pool/tags/105mmf28dmicro/

Nikkor 200 f4 micro
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikkor/pool/tags/200mmf4dmicro/

Here are some more but I'm too damn lazy to put all the links up
http://flickr.com/groups/nikkor/discuss/72157600054416623