New Camera Macro Lens recommendation
JapanJohn
Posts: 2,030 ✭
While I was on my latest US trip a Nikon D200 managed to fall into my hands. What's the best or favorite macro lens that you guys and gals are using for coin work?
John
John
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Macros around 60mm -- Super sharp but too short to be really effective for coins. The most affordable macros will be this length. An example is the Nikon 60mm f/2.8 Micro which can be found for around $400. Another example is the Nikon 85 PC (tilt & shift) -- a neat but expensive lens.
Macros around 100mm -- A good tradeoff between shorter lenses and longer lenses. A few examples are the Nikon 105, Tamron 90, and Sigma 105. For the budget minded, the best of the lot is probably the Tamron 90 -- which is priced close to the 60mm Nikon lens but has the bonus of more working distance because of its length. The new Nikon 105 VR is $800 ($650 w/o VR) and the Tamron is $450.
Macros 150mm and above -- The added length/distance provided by this lens will give you the most flexibility in lighting. Many of the better photographers on this forum use 150mm and above macro lenses. Two popular macros of this length are the Sigma 150 and the Nikon 200. The Nikon is the better lens and costs about $1350, but the Sigma can be found for less than half that ($600).
Zoom Macros -- I am aware of only one dedicated zoom macro, the Nikon 70-180. Not quite as sharp as its prime cousins, the flexibility of a zoom can be useful for coin photograhpy. This is an expensive lens, and I don't believe they are even made any more so you'd have to find one used and even then it will cost in excess of $1000.
Add extension tubes to a normal or zoom lens -- If you already have a very good non-macro prime lens, like the Nikon 85 or 180mm, or a high-end zoom like the Nikon 70-200, simply adding extension tubes will enable macro photography for relatively cheap, but one drawback is extension tubes require additional light, generally in the form of decreased aperature or increased exposure -- both of which can cause sharpness challenges. Another drawback is extension tubes shorten the working length which reduces your flexibility in lighting. The Kenko extension tube set that allows AF for Nikon lenses can be had for about $150, or cheaper if you only wantneed only one.
Add a close-up filter to a normal or zoom lens -- Again, kind of a work-around to get a normal lens to focus close-up. Unlike the extension tubes above, no change in exposure is needed, but the lenses often introduce some distortion although the more expensive ones keep this to a minimum. Hoya and Nikon both make very good close-up filters, but the best of the bunch is the Canon 500D. If you already have one of these lenses, this is a good alternative which is far cheaper than buying a dedicated macro (the Canon 500D is around $140).
Here's a good website from a well-respect photograher that reviews all of Nikon's macro lenses: Bjorn Rorslett's Website
Personally, I use a non-macro zoom with a close-up filter -- the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 AFS VR with a Canon 500D closeup lens -- because I already had the (expensive) 70-200 VR. If I could own any macro lens, I would buy the Nikon 200mm Micro. If I were on a tighter budget, I would conisder the Sigma 150 and Tamron 90.
Hope this helps...Mike
p.s. You're going to like the D200. I'm envious.