Like everyone else I recommend a macro lens rather than extension tubes.
Although tubes can work well on a prime, they are a right royal pain, as you end up continually having to change tubes to get the desired magnification. And of course you also expose the mirror chamber to dust when changing the tubes.
An alternative is to use a 2 element diopter on a lens. These even work well on zoom lenses which is not always the case with ext. tubes. I tried a Nikon 3T on a 75-150mm zoom and the results were very good indeed, at least when well stopped down (F8 - F16). If you want to shoot wide open, at F4 say, then a diopter is not really the best choice, as the image quality may well be degraded more than is desirable, especially towards the edges. Both Nikon and Canon produce good 2 element ones, but don't even think about using a 1 element lens.
To be honest in your position a Tamron 90mm macro, or a Nikon 105mm macro, would be best. I'm not convinced it is worth buying a Nikon 105mm macro lens as the Tamron is supposed to be as good if not better optically.
|