Advice re Macro lens?

[Nogbad]

Hi all need some advice. I have a Nikon D70 and want to buy a macro lesns. Have some funds about £200-250 and had been looking at the Sigma 50mm F2.8 EX DG Macro.

Having looked at lenses in general there is a liitle confusion as to what magnification there is. I keep seeing comments re 1:1 ratio and 1:2 or 1:39. I assume the 1:1 is the best as this will be lifesize?

However Iwas wanting to get in close and see more details i.e more magnification!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Nogbad

[kennygee]

Nogbad

You may find this thread I started some time ago useful.

http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...hread.php?t=94

[Nogbad]

Thanks Ken, it was very helpful and answered my questions. I will start trawling the web for the best prices.

Cheers

Nogbad

[Subzero]

Hi NOGBAD,
If you want big magnification get a microscope and camera adaptor.
If that's too big ,get a bellows as suggested in the other thread.
If you want to take normal things like bugs etc ,then indeed you will need a macro type lens.The shorter the focal lenght of the lens the closer you have to get to your subject.For example at it's NEAREST focus distance, the 60/2.8 NIKKOR is about 75mm from the front edge of the lens to the subject.The Sigma 105/2.8 is about 125mm from the front edge of the lens to the subject.
The reason I say this is because the closer you have get to your subject the more you are likely to frighten your "bug", and block out the light with your body/camera.
At the "shorter " end of the focal lengths, you can consider the 50mm Sigma, 60mm Nikkor,90mm Tamron, 105mm Nikkor and Sigma.If you can get a shop/store before you buy, try some and you will see what I mean.
Some of these lenses, new (may be outside of your budget) but can be found S/H within the price you have set as your target.
If you already knew all this then sorry, for wasting your time.
regards Subzero.

[Nogbad]

Thanks Subzero, no I did'nt know that and it is useful. I have decided on the
Nikon 60mm macro as I want to take pictures of flowers and creepy crawlies which wont be too skittish. I am interested in moths and butterflies as well which I know I can get fairly close to.

Hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow and get to grips with it with some everyday things. The reason I went for the Nikon is, after searching on the web for reviews of all the lenses suggested there was'nt much between them. I got the impression the Nikon is optically better and I wish to make enlargements and put them in competitions at my photographic club and feel the image quality may be that little bit better.

Thanks to all for their comments, suggestions and advice. It has been really helpful.

Cheers

Nogbad

[ruchai]

Get the MacroNikkor 60mm. I got one recently and am very happy with it. Just the right focal lenght and weight. Superb picture quality. I use it nearly every night taking insect pictures of our garden. See here, the fly is about the size of a house fly. http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/...cat/500/page/1

[robski]

Nogbad

This site is very useful for gauging the quality of lens

http://www.photozone.de/active/survey/querylens.jsp

It is one list that contains most lens.

It only takes a few seconds to gauge if a lens is poor, average or good quality.
Then you know what you are getting instead of being surprised pleasantly or not.

It's not Rocket Science

You will see the Nikkor 60mm scores much higher than the Sigma 50mm

[ruchai]

The MicroNikkor 60mm is an old lens. I does not have Nikkor new auto-focus-S. But it surprised me for sharpness. My only other macro lens is an 40 plus years old PentaxMacro 50mm. The auto-focus of the Nikkor 60mm really help.
I gave up comparing lenses from charts for a long long time. I am too old and prefer to spend my time photographing. Reviews from many experts in the net are more easy. I did not regret when I bought two Nikkors last year, the 80-400VR and the micro-nikkor 60mm. I do not think I shall need any other lens in a foreseeable future. The 80-400 for birds in the morning and evening and the micro-nikkor 60mm for insects at night.

[GavinM]

I've got the 60mm f2.8 too and I would recommend it. You can use it for other things too.

[nirofo]

I would recommend the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro, it's a proven, versatile performer which is universally well esteemed. I would say it is the equal if not better than the Nikon or Canon macro lenses, (certainly a lot cheeper). I had the Nikkor 105mm Macro which I couldn't get on with, so I traded it in for a Tamron 90, I've never looked back, great lens, does all I wan't. The bonus is it becomes a 135mm Macro on a Nikon D70.

nirofo.