Recommend me a macro lens.

mex

mex

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I have a holiday booked for 2021 going to Costa Rica, part of the holiday is a few nights in the rain forest with a night walk on one of them. I want some advice on getting ( or hiring) a macro lens for the insects, frogs and snakes. A friend went to the same lodge we are going to and advised that there are plenty of snakes to be seen there, given that some of them will be venomous I don't want to be getting too close, any ideas?
 
Macro lenses are sometimes not the fastest to focus and you don't want to be getting too close to those snakes so maybe a longer focal length relatively close focusing lens could be an option rather than a macro?
 
woof woof said:
Macro lenses are sometimes not the fastest to focus and you don't want to be getting too close to those snakes so maybe a longer focal length relatively close focusing lens could be an option rather than a macro?
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I should have said in my 1st post, I'll be using a Nikon D7500 body. I have been looking at a Sigma 70-200 2.8, my thinking being, f2.8 because I'm not expecting it to be too light in there and the 200mm end should give me some distance between me and the subject. I am a complete macro novice, never really tried it much in the past.
 
What system are you running? Most macro lenses are tack sharp, they are specifically designed with close up photography in mind so they are usually corrected and refined for this purpose. I'd agree with woof here, on the snakes, better to use a tele lens that has good magnification reproduction. Depends on the system you use though, I know that some 100-400 lenses can reproduce at 1:4 which is very decent and you can do so from a safe distance. For more detailed up close macro at greater magnification, even cheap old vintage macro lenses can do the trick, and you can get very cheap adapters to mount and use them on most camera, they work especially well on mirrorless, but we don't know what you're shooting with?
 
mex said:
I should have said in my 1st post, I'll be using a Nikon D7500 body. I have been looking at a Sigma 70-200 2.8, my thinking being, f2.8 because I'm not expecting it to be too light in there and the 200mm end should give me some distance between me and the subject. I am a complete macro novice, never really tried it much in the past.
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Ah, you got that in as I was typing my post :) I use the old Nikon 60mm 2.8D macro lens, I'm adapting it to a Fuji body and it works out pretty good. It's the second time I've owned this lens, first time out when I shot with Nikon, used it on a D90 at the time so I did have AF - it is a cracking lens, extremely sharp and useful even at wide open for portraits and general photography. Can be had used for about £200 or even less. For more working distance I'd look to the Nikon 105 VR. I also owned this and it is excellent. But, again, for snakes ... I'd be looking for something longer, there's more pricey options like the Nikon 200mm F4 macro, a stunning lens by all accounts, but expensive.
 
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Cagey75 said:
Ah, you got that in as I was typing my post :) I use the old Nikon 60mm 2.8D macro lens, I'm adapting it to a Fuji body and it works out pretty good. It's the second time I've owned this lens, first time out when I shot with Nikon, used it on a D90 at the time so I did have AF - it is a cracking lens, extremely sharp and useful even at wide open for portraits and general photography. Can be had used for about £200 or even less. For more working distance I'd look to the Nikon 105 VR. I also owned this and it is excellent. But, again, for snakes ... I'd be looking for something longer, there's more pricey options like the Nikon 200mm F4 macro, a stunning lens by all accounts, but expensive.
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OOF! I just looked at the price of a 200mm macro, a bit too steep for me sadly!
 
Maybe check the spec to see what the close focus distance / magnification is for any non macro lens potentially making it onto the shortlist.

I used to love my Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro but it was big and heavy and slow to focus but the slow focus didn't worry me too much as macro / close up is often manual focus anyway. The big and heavy aspects I suppose come with 150mm and f2.8 and being a good lens.

I like my macro/close up pictures but it's worth thinking about the camera to subject distance and framing you could be going for. Long macro lenses are lovely things if you have the time and space to position yourself to get the framing and shot you want and this is where a close focusing zoom could have an advantage as you wont be going for anything like 1:1 with a subject like a snake (surely?) and the flexibility of going from for example 70 to 200mm could be more desirable than being stuck at (for example) 150mm and able to focus really closely as with a macro.

Just a thought. Maybe your mate who's already done this can give you some pointers? Even if he's not a photographer maybe questioning him about conditions will give you some clues?
 
If the subject could be dangerous then my first thought would be remote shutter?
 
I'd get a lens that is telephoto with a relatively close focus distance like the Nikon 300mm pf. I've taken some great insect images with it whilst keeping good distance from the subject.
 
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gman said:
If the subject could be dangerous then my first thought would be remote shutter?
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I had considered that, but I would still need to get relatively close to set the camera up,which in it's self could take a bit of time.

wilt said:
I'd get a lens that is telephoto with a relatively close focus distance like the Nikon 300mm pf. I've taken some great insect images with it whilst keeping good distance from the subject.
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Indeed an option , but like the 200mm f4 macro,it's wee bit steep for lens I may not use that often.
 
I have gone for a Tamron SP 70-200 2.8, after reading some reviews it comes highly recommended and at a very reasonable price, thanks for the advice ppl.
 
That makes sense and at least it'll give you more framing options than a fixed focal length prime.

Good luck with it :D
 
The sigma 70-200mm, macro version is getting on a bit now, still a great lens but minimum focusing distance is 1 meter, not really a macro but add a set of extension rings and you can cut back that minimum focus distance a bit.

Have a look at the Sigma 105mm for true 1:1
 
Karl.t1965 said:
The sigma 70-200mm, macro version is getting on a bit now, still a great lens but minimum focusing distance is 1 meter, not really a macro but add a set of extension rings and you can cut back that minimum focus distance a bit.

Have a look at the Sigma 105mm for true 1:1
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If it's 1m at 200mm that's very good news :D
 
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