Closeup lens

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talbot

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Hi all,

I'm new so please bear with me.
I'm using a Nikon D5200 and wish to shoot some tabletop closeups of small objects such as watches and pens etc.
I don't want macro but do want a well filled frame of the objects.

Options available to me are:
Nikkor 85mm F1.8 G
Nikkor 85mm micro f/3.5 VR lens
Which of the above would meet my requirements?
Any advice/ help here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
talbot
 
I'm not familiar with Nikon lenses, but my first question is what lenses do you already own?
(in case you can avoid the expense of a new purchase)

If you do need anew lens, I'd look up the specifications of the two lenses you list and compare the maximum magnification and the minimum focussing distance.
 
I have the kit lens 18-55mm and a recently purchased 35mm f1.8 Nikkor.
The 35mm gives me close to what I'm after but I want to be able to fill the frame from 2-3 feet feet away.
What I don't know is:
Would an 85mm lens allow me to do this? If so, would I need the micro Nikkor or go for the better quality? 85mm 1.8G.
talbot
 
talbot said:
The 35mm gives me close to what I'm after but I want to be able to fill the frame from 2-3 feet feet away.
Click to expand...

That's very easy to test in a shop, you know exactly what you want to be able to do and as most people wear a watch it's a 5 minute job to set-up on the counter and take a couple of test shots. Ignore the lighting, and if you have to push the ISO up to the maximum it won't matter. As long as you can fill the frame and focus at the distance you want, then you're sorted.
 
You've said not macro... but then say you want to fill the screen.

Cheapest option : extension tubes (without contacts) for a tenner. Attached to your kit lens, might give you something to play with. Also can be used with any lens - although the longer the better. Note the lens is easier to use if it has manual focuse and aperture too.

There is a nikkor macro 60mm that might be more like what you want, but my preference is the 105mm (see link in the siggy).
Around this range there is also :
- 90mm tamron
-105mm sigma
-150mm sigma

If it's only a normal lens, there is a samyang 85mm that is manual, but very sharp.

Some of these lenses may be available in a shop, so you could go test, take pics and check them at home after. Or see a (local?) used camera store to see what lenses they have, try them all.
The camera should hold the mm of the lens in the exif... or note the picture number and the lens used... compare on the computer at home and make the selection smaller. Also you get to try handling, weight, minimum focus distance etc...

Vince
 
The Nikkor 85mm micro f/3.5 VR is a macro lens. Nikon have being using "Micro" to designate their macro lenses for decades. It should work fine. If you access to one, just try it?
 
MartynK said:
The Nikkor 85mm micro f/3.5 VR is a macro lens. Nikon have being using "Micro" to designate their macro lenses for decades. It should work fine. If you access to one, just try it?
Click to expand...

Thanks all so far your replies.
When I say my options are the 85mm F1.8G or the 85mm micro f/3.5 VR, I mean that I can choose either one,(cost not being a factor here) but don't know if I need the macro facility to give me full frame close ups of table/desk top objects.
talbot
 
talbot said:
Thanks all so far your replies.
When I say my options are the 85mm F1.8G or the 85mm micro f/3.5 VR, I mean that I can choose either one,(cost not being a factor here) but don't know if I need the macro facility to give me full frame close ups of table/desk top objects.
talbot
Click to expand...

OK. I haven't used these lenses, so I'm guessing a bit, but perhaps someone else can come in here. The 85 mm Micro lens is capable of 1:1 reproduction, so you should be able to fill the frame with a wristwatch or something similar. I don't know about the other 85mm, it'll depend on the close focussing distance. Cropping could also be an option.
 
Last edited:
talbot said:
I'm using a Nikon D5200 and wish to shoot some tabletop closeups of small objects such as watches and pens etc.
I don't want macro but do want a well filled frame of the objects.
Click to expand...

You should be able to make a very good guess by checking the minimum focus distance of the lenses you are interested in and whilst you probably don't actually need a 1:1 macro/micro lens one of those will almost certainly do the job... but they're quite expensive... but as you'll probably want to focus manually maybe you could think about getting an old manual focus macro lens? A 50mm would do.

I have an old Sigma 50mm f2.8 macro lens and I think it's very good. Mine is Minolta fit but I've just checked on ebay and Nikon fit ones are available, for example...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sigma-Mac...ers_Lenses&hash=item58ac5be29e#ht_2360wt_1092

I'm not familiar with Nikon mounts so I don't know if that particular lens will fit your camera but if not there are bound to be others. Another option could be to buy a macro lens in another mount, like (Olympus OM?) and buy an adapter to use it on your camera. You could probably pick up a manual focus macro lens and an adapter for under £100. As this sort of photography is normally manual focus this may be worth thinking about and will almost certainly be cheaper than buying an AF lens. Having said that, tubes will be cheaper still :D
 
Another possibility is a reversing ring, to mount the standard lens backwards. I haven't done this for donkey's years, but I remember that it worked well.
 
Thanks for the added replies everyone.
I have both lenses available to me and I must choose one of them.
It sound as if a 100mm lens will give the frame fill I'm looking for without the need for macro and I believe the 85mm F1.8 is the better lens so I'll probably opt for that one.
Just hope I'm picking the right one?
talbot
 
Focal length won't determine how much of the frame you can fill - it will only determine you're working distance and the perspective.

You need to be looking at the magnification.
  • The face of a woman's watch is about the same size as a camera sensor. If you wanted to fill the frame with just that, you'd need 1:1 (or x1, it's the same thing) magnification and you'd need a true macro lens.
  • A gentleman's watch including the strap is substantially larger than your camera sensor and 1:2 (x0.5), 1:3 (x0.33) or 1:4 (x0.25) might be sufficient. As long as you don't also want to fill the frame with details of the watch face.
It's all down to the relative size of your subject and the size it will be reproduced on the sensor of your camera.

A true macro (1:1) lens will give you the most options for this type of work.
 
talbot said:
I believe the 85mm F1.8 is the better lens so I'll probably opt for that one.
Just hope I'm picking the right one?
talbot
Click to expand...

The 85/1.8 doesn't focus particularly close. It might not fill the frame any better than what you already have because you'll have top be further away to get focus. Compare it's minimum focus distance with that of your 35mm f1.8 - 0.8m as opposed to 0.3m.

http://www.europe-nikon.com/en_GB/p...x/single-focal-length/af-s-nikkor-85mm-f-1-8g

http://www.europe-nikon.com/en_GB/p...ingle-focal-length/af-s-dx-nikkor-35mm-f-1-8g


The 85 micro might be what you are looking for.
 
Thanks you all once more.
It looks like the 85 micro is the one to go for then.
Please excuse my ignorance on this matter.
talbot
 
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