Please recommend a macro/micro lens for my Nikon SLR

BTMarcais said:
I'll go with Raid on this one- I've had my Tamron 90mm F/2.5 for years, and absolutely love it.
(It only goes to 1:2 with out a tube, but if you pick up the Flat-Field 2x converter they made for it, you get a 180mm that goes from infinity to 1:1.)

Tamron has always seemed to make good macro lenses.

-Brian
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An alternative to the 90/2.5 is the Tamron 90/2.8 which goes to 1:1 without accessories. It's easily the sharpest lens I've got.

There's only one thing I don't understand about Tamron.. why didn't they ever make a 50ish macro?
 
The Micro-Nikkor 105 f4 AI is a wonderful lens, and quite inexpensive today.
I've had mine for about thirty years, and in addition to using it for Macro work find it to be an excellent portrait lens as well.
Some of my favorites shot with this lens, all manual focus and on colour slide:

Pasta_Explosion.jpg


Onion_Slice_Macro.jpg


Through_the_Atmosphere.jpg


Japanese_Fan_Macro.jpg


Graphic_in_Grey-Cruise_2004.jpg


Hot_Rod_Graphic-800.jpg


Corvette_abstract-800.jpg
 
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For your garden you might also consider owning -- for a host of additional reasons too -- the AiS 28mm f/2.8 which focuses down to 0.2m which is about eight inches from the film plane or 2 inches or so from the front of the lens. maybe three inches, okay. the image quality at this distance is just breathtaking -- Bjorn Rorslett says it's far superior to the lens' performance at distances but I've found my sample to be outstanding at distance as well. And it gives you a lot of width obviously to take in more either as gorgeous bokeh at f/2.8 or detailed beauty at f/11 and up.
 
Do some research on this however -- you need to make sure you get the AiS version that goes to 0.2m and NOT the Ai version which goes to 0.3, and which by all reports is a totally different and inferior lens in every way.
 
The Nikkor 105/2.8 Macro lens is fantastic. I have both versions of the 55mm and also the 60mm AF. They are all great lenses. However the 105mm give you a lot more distance from the subject for the same magnification. This really helps on lighting (either artificial or flash) among other advantages.
 
Here are some photos I took fooling around last night with the 28mm f/2.8 AiS on the D300:

some stuff on my desk:
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cropped to 100 percent:

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then across the room

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and then a 100 crop of that:

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So it works both ways. That desk shot is not by a ways the closest focus by the way.

Vince P
 
leica M2 fan said:
Juan so good to see you back here again. Hadn't seen you for several months. AS you see not too many changes.
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Hi! Thanks a lot for the kind welcome!

I was traveling a bit for these last months (visiting my twins and street shooting in Colombia, and visiting my father -second wife and new boy and girl- in Venezuela) and yet I can't believe I took seven cameras with me (each with a lens, Leica IIIF, Bessas, Nikons and XA) but the only one I used was the XA! For security, shooting speed and unobtrusiveness (no metering, no focusing: f/8 at 8 feet always, Tri-X at 800) the tiny thing is indeed enormous... Mr. Maitani designed a true marvel... And how accurate is its metering system! 36 perfect frames always! It doesn't get fooled easily... And that +1.5 switch is great, fast and easy for richer shadows when the subject is in the darker zones of the image... Now I have 20 rolls to develop... It's great to return to RFF... I have been to several audio forums for the past two months asking, talking, deciding on amps and speakers, and I really really missed every time the warmth there's here... You people are fantastic here on RFF, it's like a huge home full of loving and intelligent company!

rbsinto, wonderful composition and color! Congratulations! Great impact!

Cheers,

Juan
 
What an interesting thread to run across. As if I needed to add any more glass to my "Nikkors I need to save for" list ... :eek:

But none-the-less, I see that the 55/3.5 non-ai is silly cheap at KEH. It could be fun to play with the whole idea of looking in close at little things & flowers. Possibly details of gagets too.

The question I have for the Nikon experts is about ratios. If I want to get 1:1 with it, I need an extension tube. However there seems to be about three gazillion different ones for Nikon and I have no clue what one I'd want.

So, with the above lens & my F2, is there an extension tube that will get me the distance I need for 1:1 and is meter/diaphragm coupled? If so, which one?

Thanks!

Williaam
 
You know, I read that page right before posting to this thread and didn't see it then... :bang:

Thanks,

WIlliam
 
William- your camera is NOT AI. The M2 extension tube came with the 55/3.5 Micro-Nikkor-P when it was new.
 
Ah, there is a catch :) Thank you Brian. Glancing at KEH to see if they have an M2 (they do - $10 EX+) but I note they say the PK-3 is Non-AI as well. Would that work with mine and still allow for metering?
 
The PK-3 will allow meter coupling on the Non-AI camera. So it should work with the DP-1, DP-2, and DP-3 meter heads on the F2.
 
Ok, I'll add that one to my "to get sooner or later" list :D

Thanks the help, it's appreciated as always.

William
 
Another vote for the Vivitar Series 1 90 f2.5. The lens has just about it all -- extremely sharp, creamy bokeh, and outstanding build quality. Only weakness is that it can flare when direct light hits the front element -- but nothing that a long lens hood can't take care of.
 
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