Which macro lens to go for(Im undecided again)

Messiah Khan · 22 May 2007 at 23:39

Right, well I was set on getting the Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 Micro VR IF ED, but now im having second doubts. The other one in the running is the
SIGMA 150mm f/2.8 f2.8 Macro EX DG HSM. I know both of the will be great ,but which one should I go for? I like the 105mm, due to its length being ideal for portrait work as well, and it has VR which is always usefull. The 150mm however is probably a better length for insect macro shots, and is a bit cheaper(£420 as opposed to £450, although can be had for quite a lot cheaper if I get it from Hong Kong). Any comments on either of these lenses?

yak.h'cir · 23 May 2007 at 00:56

Afraid I don't know anything about the Nikon lens but I've always heard great things about the sigma macro lenses. 150mm would also be very handy for a lot of macro shots

olv · 23 May 2007 at 04:49

you could just get some tubes with the 105?

yak.h'cir · 23 May 2007 at 05:10

Double post.

yak.h'cir · 23 May 2007 at 05:12

The 105 and tubes is a great macro combo, but tubes give increased magnification by sacraficing focusing distance. So if you want to take macro shots of insects then the extra focal length of the 150 would be very handy.

Tubes on a 100mm ish lens gives a very small working distance, which can be tricky when photographing the living but it depends what you prefer really. I use a 65mm most of the time for macro, but i miss being able to sit several inchs away to take the picture, now i'm about 1 inch away!

Messiah Khan · 23 May 2007 at 08:58

Thanks for the comments. *Holds back jealousy of yak.h'cir's 6:1 Macro lens*

Yeah, I see what you mean about the working distance with extension tubes. Any idea what the formula is for lost working distance in relation to extension lenght? I think because I can get the Sigma a fair bit cheaper than the Nikkor, I might be able to get the Kenko extension tube set at the same time. Any idea if the Kenko tubes support AF-S/HSM lenses? Im pretty sure they won't AF, but I suppose thas not a huge issue when doing macro work. But do they support full auto metering etc? Or are there any tubes out threre that support AF on AF-S/HSM lenses?

Messiah Khan · 23 May 2007 at 15:38

Nice suprise.. I get paid earlier than expected. Im getting paid this Friday(Due to it being half term next week).. which means... new lens time!

Im pretty sure im going to go with the Sigma 150 now. Also because i can get it for £320, I might get an extension tube set at the same time. Im well happy, as hopefully it means that I can use the lns while im off next week. All I need now is for the good weather to keep going.

Neggy · 23 May 2007 at 17:39

I've got the 105 VR and it's a very nice lens, built like a tank. I'm not convinced how useful the VR stuff is for macro, as I find I have to use a tripod for the best results.

As a portrait lens it can produce cracking images, but I have found that once you have the 1.5x conversion factor so you're looking at about 160mm the working distance from the subject for portraits is quite far away.

If I was buying again, I'd consider the Tamron 90mm and pocket the difference. I know that wouldn't autofocus for you, but I've hardly used AF for macro.

I' picked up a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 yesterday and it is so much for usable for portrait stuff.

yak.h'cir · 23 May 2007 at 17:52

It's actually only a 5:1 macro lens.

I can't remember if the tubes let you keep the auto focus or not, I find with macro you stick with manual focus all the time so i've never tried... I'd get the tubes, they're lots of fun because if you use all of them you can get a 2:1 magnification which really shows up a lot of detail.

magnification = focal length/extension is a handy formula for working out what magnifications you'll be getting, but for more detailed info check out this webpage:

http://ca.geocities.com/lokejul/jlcalc.htm

Messiah Khan · 25 May 2007 at 09:17

Ive now ordered the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 f2.8 Macro EX DG HSM, Kenko 300 pro 2X Teleconverter, and a 72mm UV filter.

Bring on the world of the tiny.

Edit; My thinking behind it being;

150mm = Good macro lens for insects 1:1, ~30cm working distance.
150mm+TCx2 = Decent macro setup for 2:1 ~30cm working distance.
150mm+TCx2 = Decent 300mm setup for casual wildlife shots.
Then ecentually get a nifty fifty
50mm = Good general lens, especially for dark conditions
50mm+TCx2 = 100mm lens, which would be good for portraits
150mm+50mm = Cheap setup for extreme macro shots
150mm+50mm+TCx2 = Yeah well...