Macro lens for Nikon?

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shutterbug08

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Hi all - first post here :wave:

I am upgrading my nikon to a D90 which I pre-ordered and should arrive in a couple of days. What I want is to get a macro lens for it. Can anybody reccommend a good one? I dont want to spend loads really.

Thanks
sb

(look forward to getting to know you all!)
 
You won't go far wrong with any macro lens tbh..all are very sharp and produce great results..for a good mid range macro I recommend the tamron 90mm I own one and cannot fault it..Sigma also do a wide range of macro lenses with the 150mm being held in high esteem..I also had this one and it is a super lens..comes down to what you will be shooting tbh..longer focal lengths will be an advantage for bugs etc but beware 150-180mm macros are quite heavy..
 
Welcome to the forum SB. I've got the Sigma 150mm 2.8 and can second what StuartH said, it's a cracking lens.
 
Another vote for the Tamron 90mm. I've also used a Sigma 105mm f/2.8 and would recommend that too. Neither is exactly cheap but they do turn up from time to time in dealers who keep 2nd hand stocks. Try Ffordes and Mifsuds - see what they've got in stock.
 
StuartH said:
150-180mm macros are quite heavy..
Click to expand...

Harder to hold still too... usually a touch softer, not that you'd notice... it seems its hard to choose a 'bad' macro lens so whatever you'll get you'll be happy with. I'd choose based on focal length requirements if I were you.

EDIT - I have the tamron 90mm and am always amazed by it whenever I stick it on, so another +1 from me.
 
Also, it would help if you have an idea of what you'd like to shoot, primarily?

For things like bugs, bees, butterfly, etc. the Sigma 150 or Sigma 180 would be great. Mind you, the 180 would need a tripod in most situations.

If you're looking for flowers, plants, and such objects .. which aren't easy to scare off, then anything else would be just fine.

For buying, look at OneStopDigital .. they are Hong Kong based, but are very well recommended by a number of members here. Also, you may want to ask Kerso (search for a thread on him) and he could give you a quote .. may be a lot better than any other source.

In the end, as has already been said .. you can't go wrong with any of the macros .. all you need to do is decide on what you're promarily going to shoot.
 
MPE-65 would cost a lot more, need a Canon SLR and isn't really a good starting experience into macro photography although it is delicious :)

I can confirm that you can get about as close with a Tamron 90mm macro lens (£230) coupled with a Raynox MSN-202 (£47) though.

You'd need to think of decent lighting, ring flash etc and would be focusing at about 5cm or so when paired up.

Just a thought :)
 
The Medical Nikkor 120mm if you can find one, they start at as little as £200 on ebay.

Probably the best macro-photography lens in the world, although also one of the most complex too.
 
Don't forget to multiply the lens focallength by 1.5 for whatever you buy.

So the 60mm micro is actually going to work like a 90mm. The 120 medical Nikkor (fabulous lens) will act like a 180mm - so anything longer is going to be awkward in use.

I would suggest you go for the best makers lens you can - so if you shoot Canon, get a canon lens, if you shoot Nikon, get the Nikkor. Buy a used lens to get a better quality lens for your budget.
 
I bought a 90mm Tamron f/2.8 Macro SP AF lens on ebay a few years ago for a fraction less than 25% of what the new 90mm Tamron f/2.8 Macro SP "Di" AF lenses now cost. The SP AF lens is the model previous to the present SP Di AF lens which is "supposed" to be optimized for digital photography. However, I don't know how much better the Di version could be over my lens. My macro equals my 24-70L, my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and my 70-200mm f/4L IS quality. Here is a review from a German website regarding several varieties of macro lenses:

http://orchideen-kartierung.de/Macro100E.html

here are some reviews of the Tamron SP Di model:

http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikk...-sp-macro-nikon-mount-lab-test-report--review

here is a comparison between the Canon 100mm macro and the Tamron 90mm:

http://photo.net/equipment/canon/can-tam-macro/

Here is a review of the 90mm Tamron macro from Ninonians;

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/non-nikon_articles/tamron/90_macro/index.html

I use my Tamron on Canon bodies but, there is no reason to expect any less quality when shooting with a Tamron which has a Nikon mount. I absolutely love my lens...
 
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