Lens Help

[qwik]

I am looking to purchase a macro/micro lens . My camera is a Nikon D80 . I would like a good quality lens at a price that wont kill me. I know this is a lot to ask for ,if I have to pay more for a highly recomended lens I would be willing .
I would like to say thanks in advance and if its possible can you please post a picture taken from recomended lens . If its a recomendation and you dont own it I would still really apreciate the advice , Thanks Paul

 

[PrettyBoy]

Ill try and search for a the link but I buy a lot of my lenses on ebay. I use Tamron lenses my macro lense was a pretty fair price. Of course its not going to be great for a high end magazine shoot, but I have had numerous pictures blown up pretty big and they are super clear for a high res image. Just my 2 cents

 

[Phyl]

I've seen nice work with some Sigma lenses (the 105 & 150), but personally own, use and like the Nikon 105 VR. If you're only going to use it for tank macros then you don't need the auto-focus or the VR since you'll be using it on a tripod. That's a big savings off of the VR AF version.

I don't recommend the AF VR version of the lens for fast moving anything (children, pets, fish) because it is on the slow to focus side. I don't know how the Sigma or Tameron compare in the autofocus speed department because I've never used either lens with enough regularity to know.

 

[concept3]

Hey Paul, I've owned the 105VR and as Phyllis mentioned, it's a little slow to the shutter coz of the adjustments the VR is trying to make. I prefer the 60mm macro myself, but it's a different ballgame altogether. The 105 is great for the extended depth shots, and the 60mm macro is great for the really really closeup shots, as close as 4 inches in my case~

Here's a fish shot with the 105 (he was ll the way at the back of the tank which is 20 inches deep.

and here's a coral under actinics with the 60 mm macro about 7 inches away.

 

[steve68]

i use a sigma 100mm for my D80 bought it used on ebay.
old shot's croped.

 

[Edwardw771]

Hey I figured I would post here vs creating a new thread. Can you guys post a link to a good macro lens for a D60. My sister in law just got one.

 

[BobCReef]

Merv the 60mm is great for those up close shots but how does it handle shot of the back of the tank?

 

[concept3]

Merv the 60mm is great for those up close shots but how does it handle shot of the back of the tank?

It takes pics like normal, but it's a fixed lens. I use it to take food shots like this too-


This is stepping above a stool about 5 feet away

.....and this is about a foot away.

sorry, didn't have a fish reference








Ed, the Nikon 60mm is about 500 new

 

[Olivier]

I have tamron 180mm macro. it is a slow lens. it hunt alot on macro or even with normal picture taking. It is super sharp. I used it with nikon F5 before and working distance is great. recently i switch to nikon D300 and the working distance is quite too far for my taste. If i buy macro lens for digital camera such as nikon or canon, 1.5 and 1.6 crop, I would buy sigma 150 and 105mm macro. off course, if you can afford nikon 105 AF VR F2.8 ect. don't hesitate to go that route. 105mm, 150mm lens are all good lens for portrait as well beside macro.
Olivier

 

[Phyl]

...105mm, 150mm lens are all good lens for portrait as well beside macro.

On a DX (or canon crop equivelent) camera system