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Best value macro lens for Nikon D40 (1 Viewer)

G

Ghostly Vision

Well-known member
Hi all

Can anyone advise please?

Although I have a 70-300mm macro lens for my camera, I really want to be able to get really REALLY close to very small flowers to get the real detail.

I am also looking to be able to take detail pictures of even smaller sections of individual flowers. This could mean parts that are only a couple of mm across.

Am I right in thinking I need a 1:1 macro?

What would be the best value lens to get for this purpose?

All offers of advice welcome

Sean
 
If your intended subject are flowers then you're not too worried about minimul working distance. I would recommend looking at the 60mm Nikon, pin sharp.
 
Have you considered extn tubes? def the cheapest way to go, I have a set of Kenko ones and works fine on my lenses.
I dont have a real macro so cant help, although if you peruse BF I'm sure that the Sigma 105mm has a good following
 
Perhaps worth re-posting in the macro thread

If you've got any fixed length prime lenses eg. 35mm f1.4 AF-S try adding the Kenko extension tubes. Otherwise the Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 SP Di macro is excellent value for static subjects at circa £260. If you're also hoping to use the lens on insects or anything a bit more mobile the Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 EX DG APO macro offers the best value at circa £450.
 
A cheaper option would be the Raynox DCR 250, as you want to do extreme close ups of flower parts that shouldnt be a problem. Type that in on the Flickr website to have a look at its capabilities.
 
I agree a general 60mm macro will be fine for detailed flower work - however if you are after shots of things only a few mm across you might find the even a 1:1 macro lens is not enough. For an idea here is a test I did on a 2p coin - mainly for showing sharpness differences at different apertures and how they change as magnification increases - but it also shows you what you can expect at each magnifaction factor
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24534478@N04/sets/72157623350445656/


If you do feel you need the greater than 1:1 you have two options

1) Sell up and come to canon and our wonder macro lens the MPE65mm :)

2) have a look at John Hallmen's work
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnhallmen/
he does a lot of work in highmagnification and does not use the canon MPE65mm macro for his work. Infact in a recent test he did against the MPE65mm macro he beat the image quality using a diopter, lens and bellows setup:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnhallmen/4320502042/

I belive in that thread he also speaks highly of the nikon 105mm and other uses of getting to greater than 1:1 using that lens.

Certainly don't start at the deep end - 1:1 macro work is tricky enough to master, let alone the higher magnifications which will be much harder. In addition a good regular macro lens is a solid bit of gear in the bag - even the MPE65mm has its limits and it and many other high magnification shots can't do low magnification work - and if you want to show the whole flower first you will need a regular macro (or a good lens in general) to capture the shot.
 
Thanks all

Being such a novice, I am now confused!!!

I notice on the specs of the macro lenses that the minimum focusing distance seems to be around 19-29cm. Is that normally a problem?

What do extension tubes do? I currently have three zoom lenses, the kit lens with my D40 (18-55), a 55-200mm one, and a manual focus 70-300 macro/zoom.

Will extension tubes be usable with these?

Sorry to be so thick!

Sean
 
you might also watch the bay for a pre owned belows unit,, I found a very nice for Nikon and it will surprise ya for what you can capture with jsut a norrmal 50mm 1.8 lens,,

Derry
 
With the D40, manual focus AIS Nikkors will work well, except that the viewfinder is a bit of a challenge for manual focus. I would recommend the Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 AIS, or the Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 AI, which is favored by many. The 2.8 is known for acquiring oil on the aperture blades, so make sure you can either examine before purchase, or use a vendor with a good return policy. You can test the aperture for cleanliness by taking the lens off the camera, and manipulating the little tab on the lens mount, which should work the aperture freely. (Set the lens to f/32 or so before trying this test)

Yes, the working distance is very short, but manageable, particularly for flowers where you may be at a little less magnification. (Note that these manual focus 55's only go to 1:2, whereas 1:1 is more the norm these days).

The nice thing about these lenses is that they are fine for day-to-day use at all distances, not just macro. Also, they are flat field lenses, so they are excellent for copy work, such as documents, etc.

Jim
 
Thanks again all.

I do have a manual focus 70-300mm macro and find it extremely difficult to get perfectly sharp pics through the viewfinder. It's not always easy to see if they are in proper focus on the camera screen, either - especially in bright sunlight.

As such, I think an AF is going to be prerequisite for me.

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'm still a little unsure I have to admit, and am not sure whether to go for the 60mm Nikon or the Sigma 105mm, and will probably get a set of cheap extensionrings to experiment with (yes,I know, back to manual focus again!).

Thanks again

Sean
 
why? my extn rings AF and meter okay, suggest you by some that allow you to do the same
 
jascha777 said:
Steve,
I use a 70-300vr and fancy trying ext ring but have absolutely
no idea what to get! any ideas?
Thanks
Mark
Click to expand...

Not Steve, but:

The Kenko extension tube set should work fine for you. They should autofocus, but autofocus performance will be compromised by the loss of light. At true macro distances, I adjust focus by setting the magnification with the focus ring, and then moving the camera forward and backward to focus. It's a lot easier with a focusing rack, but you can do OK by just nudging your tripod legs back and forth. This is why I suggested the manual focus lens above-- it's a little dicey relying on AF at macro distances.

The advantage of having the set of 3 tubes is that you can get a variety of magnifications by using one tube, or more tubes in combination.

Jim
 
The problem with AF extension rings is the price! A cheap set for me to experiment with are about £5, but an AF ring is over £100.

Or are you suggesting just buying the Extn rings instead of a new lens?

Cheers

Sean
 
Ghostly Vision said:
The problem with AF extension rings is the price! A cheap set for me to experiment with are about £5, but an AF ring is over £100.

Or are you suggesting just buying the Extn rings instead of a new lens?

Cheers

Sean
Click to expand...

I started off with a £5 set off ebay. Although the manual focus was relatively easy to cope with what really worried me was the way the rings relied upon a screw thread to attach to a really weak lens mount. After a couple of weeks the lens mount become worn and loose. Rather than risk a lens crashing to the floor I bought a set of the Kenko AF rings via a well known Hong Kong based ebay dealer. Far better quality and the lens mount can be trusted. AF works surprisngly well however you do need to be within a fairly narrow focus range to get accurate focus.

Ian
 
I managed to pick up a Micro Nikkor 60mm F2.8G ED for my D60 and it works perfectly for minute bugs and flies, and it cost me £275 from Ffordes. Apart from the macro facility it's also f2.8 making it a faster lens than any of your present lenses.

Good quality lens as well.

Si
 
ikw101 said:
I started off with a £5 set off ebay. Although the manual focus was relatively easy to cope with what really worried me was the way the rings relied upon a screw thread to attach to a really weak lens mount. After a couple of weeks the lens mount become worn and loose. Rather than risk a lens crashing to the floor I bought a set of the Kenko AF rings via a well known Hong Kong based ebay dealer. Far better quality and the lens mount can be trusted. AF works surprisngly well however you do need to be within a fairly narrow focus range to get accurate focus.

Ian
Click to expand...

Better to MF on Macro anyway, that way you can determine where you want the dof start and end.
Where AF extn rings were a boon is on a big lens when photographing dragonflies in flight etc.
 
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