lenses lenses lenses....

[DaveBennett]

Hi all, This is my first thread on bream master so here goes.

I got the missus a rather flash Nikon D3200 a while ago and she has been begging me for a macro lens. Anyway i am wondering what all you folk think of macro lenses and their uses in fishy photography?

she is currently using a 18mm-55mm for everything and she is looking at 105mm macro.

Any help would be great.

cheers, Dave

[Nick Cuccovia]

If taking close up photos is what your after macro is the way to go! Very good for portrait photography in my opinion.

Just be aware that the sensor in the D3200 is an APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) and has a crop factor of 1.5 so the 105mm lens will in effect be a 157mm lens.

[Green Hornet]

I am a Canon man and have a 100 IS macro that I use on a 7D (cropped sensor) and a 5D MkIII (full frame sensor).
In my opinion the 105mm is the perfect size macro lens to start with.
They are small enough to get a decent image hand held and if you get into photographing bugs, butterflies etc you don't have to get the lens so close that you scare them off.
It will also perform better in low light than your 18-55mm having a wider aperture.

[crusty]

Originally Posted by DaveBennett

Hi all, This is my first thread on bream master so here goes.

I got the missus a rather flash Nikon D3200 a while ago and she has been begging me for a macro lens. Anyway i am wondering what all you folk think of macro lenses and their uses in fishy photography?

she is currently using a 18mm-55mm for everything and she is looking at 105mm macro.

Any help would be great.

cheers, Dave

Flies, lures, insects, details on fish.

The world of macro can be fascinating.
Watch out for the crop factor. Saw a guy with a good quality 100mm Canon macro lens on a eos5d. Fabulous photos, he did some good portraits with that lens. But it was a full frame camera

There was a guy on here a while back doing macro with manual extension tubes and a 50mm lens, cheap and easy - but lose auto focus and control of the aperture through the camera. He also had a neat filter ring that meant you mount the lens on the camera back to front, which makes any lens into a macro. Once again no autofocus or macro control. He had some neat stuff, but a specialist lens will be easier.

Crusty

[purple5ive]

does the D3200 come with a built in autofocus motor, somethign to be aware of if buying cheaper lenses that dont have the motor built into them.
the 18-55 is actaully quite a good KIT lense. i would suggest a lense with a fixed apperture (usually f2.8) with macro capabilities, that way you have best of both worlds.
cheers

[tchoklat]

Check this link. Ken is the go to man for lenses. He recommends the 105 and 200mm macro lens. Both available from 'grey' importers in Australia. The 105 for around $800.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/best...nses.htm#nikon

[phil jagger]

The Sigma 105 2.8 gets rad reviews and is cheaper than most.

[DaveBennett]

Thanks for all of the replies guys, sounds like the 105 is the way to go and she is rather happy with this decision. although my bank account may not be.....

the exact model i am looking at getting is the "AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED" so yes purple5ive it does have auto focus as far as i am aware and it is also a fixed aperture of f/2.8

regards, Dave

[Dowelly]

Your missus is a very lucky girl getting all these things off you Dave!
I loved my macro lence on my 500D until one of the guys on my boat sunk it and wouldnt pay me back!

[purple5ive]

THATS A GREAT LENSE..
also worth looking is the versatile nikkor 18-200
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200.htm#index
not a dedictaed macro lense as such but will benefit in other areas too.

ps - a constant apperture lense is more usefull in a lense that has variable zoom, rather than a fixed focal length, hence why its called CONSTANT apperture

also dont be shy to try out the tokina (nikkor lese are made by them), sigma and tamron versions as well, they do make some very good glass and are considerably cheaper than nikkor.
have a look at camera paradise they had the best prices for some stuff when i was shopping around

cheers

[DaveBennett]

I am trying my very hardest to understand all of this Purple5ive. it is by far straight over my head, altho as we speak she is gracefully reading over my shoulder, and on that note she is trying to explain to me what this all means you are right tho, it is a fixed zoom not fixed aperture

That she is Dowelly, that she is...
it is a shame to hear that you did not get payed back, i had the same sort of thing happen but with a rod/reel

[mocdoof]

hey mate, Definitely be worth getting thats for sure... then we will actually be able to see the tiny fish you catch !!!!

[gtxrally]

Hey Dave,
I shoot with a D300 and have a 60mm AF macro 2.8 nikkor and it super sharp and gives a great depth of field, i went for the 60mm over the 105 because of the 1.5 x crop makes for a perfect portrait lens as well.
here are a couple of samples.

[DaveBennett]

THOSE ARE THE EXACT SORT OF PHOTOS I WANT/NEED HER TO TAKE!!!

i will run it by the other half and see what she thinks of having a bit of both worlds from her new lens, one of the ones the already has is the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (3.0x) and i think that is what she is using happily for portraits and the like.

Mocdoof, i already have Go,Go Gadget arms

[purple5ive]

I could be wrong but I think you have macro and BOKEH mixed up.
Macro = extreme close up of object (usually insects, small flowers, figurines etc) which usually fills the whole screen (to get the best out of this though you need to use dedicated ring flashes, not necessary though but if you want pics like you see on pro websites, specially the insects ones that’s how its done)

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=m...iw=841&bih=454

Bokeh = extreme to very good subject isolation with everything else in the frame blurred out (the picture will draw you to what the photographer wants you to look at, usually portraits, but not limited to anything, pets, flora, fauna, vehicles, statues, sporting goods etc etc)
They are both similar in many ways, but how the photographer goes about taking the pics will depend on the outcome

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=b...raphy&tbm=isch

If macro is what you want then the above mentioned 60mm is a good choice on a crop sensor camera (which is what your lady has)
If you want bokeh, then you need something like a 35mm or 50mm 1.8, (fixed focal length) or any zoom lense with a constant aperture (usually a f2.8, or f4)
This can also be done on any zoom lense by zooming to the full extent of the lense and using the smallest f number your lense can go to. and then get as close as you can to the subject before the lense doesn’t focus anymore (this is where the macro lense will shine as it will get very very close)
If this is all getting too complicated send me a PM and I will try to explain a bit better

ps - the above photos can also be taken with a 35 or 50mm f1.8 lense which will cost $300 at the most, the 50mm f1.8d will cot you $200 but doesnt have an autofocus motor built into the lense, so unless your camera body has it then it wont autofocus and you will have to manually do it
cheers