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Author Topic: Macro lenses for D810?  (Read 15242 times)

Michael Erlewine

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #20 on: August 14, 2014, 05:39:05 am »

No. If you have the newish Zeis 135mm APO, you are all set. However, you may have trouble focusing small stuff because you have to be pretty far back with the Zeiss 135mm, but that lens is painfully sharp. You are all set and don't need the 60mm Micro-Nikkor, although it is useful.
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Quentin

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #21 on: September 14, 2014, 05:32:52 pm »

Nikkor 105mm VR vwith D810 (right click, open in new tab for a slightly larger version)

« Last Edit: September 14, 2014, 05:35:25 pm by Quentin »
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John Koerner

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #22 on: September 14, 2014, 06:09:31 pm »

What subject do you shoot, at what magnification, under what conditions? Is your subject live, easily spooked, or is it a coin or a bit of jewelry in your studio?

There is no "best" macro lens. There may be a "best" macro set-up for your subject. Working distance is the single most important issue, it governs what lighting you are able to use.

I have one lens (60mm) for predominantly 1:5 to 1:1 work on a lighted copy stand, and another 180mm  lens with nice long working distance for outdoors natural light live insects, herps, and plant/mushroom macro. I am a Canonista, so these are two Canon lenses. There are lots of excellent macro lenses out there, Nikon has several in the current lineup, Zeiss has two, Sigma has several 1:1 macros including a 180mm, Tamron has some.... The close-up (1:5 to 1:2) photographer has even more options, including tilt-shift lenses (in the Canon world, the TSE 90mm with/without extension tube is a popular product photography lens).


Best advice here.

I shoot macro almost exclusively, and in order to answer the question of, "Which lens is best?", the OP needs to first make clear what it is he wants to shoot.

I personally would have zero use for a 60mm, no matter how sharp, because the focus distance and background/bokeh would never equal what I can do with my 180mm.

But if I were shooting inanimate jewelry, the 60mm would be just fine.

Jack
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John Koerner

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #23 on: September 14, 2014, 06:12:07 pm »

The problem with the Nikon 200mm Macro is the f/4. It is just too dark for early-morning or evening shooting IMO. I need light in the viewfinder to see to manually focus. IMO the best, walk-around macro for the least money is the Nikkor 105mm VR macro. It is sharp on the DXOmark rating as well.


Maybe if you're hand-holding, but I always shoot f/4.5-f/8, and just drop my shutter lower for more light, but can do that because I use a tripod.

Jack
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John Koerner

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #24 on: September 14, 2014, 07:29:03 pm »

Michael; thanks much for your comments. On this trip, I'll have the Zeiss APO 135mm F2 with me. It does not go to 1:1 for macro. Would the Micro-Nikkor 60mm still be needed if I have the Zeiss APO 135mm F2 with me? I'm not dead set on 1:1 reproduction...This will primarily be for alpine flower shots in the field.


Your 135mm should be fine; I agree, you won't need to go 1:1 for flowers in the field (1:2) at most.

The longer lens would produce a nicer Bokeh too.

A 60mm is not the choice for optimal background background bokeh ...

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Ellis Vener

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #25 on: September 14, 2014, 09:09:17 pm »

At about 1:4 (full frame view is of an area about 4 (H) x 6 (W) inches)  with the current 105mm f/2.8G Micro-Nikkor. The feather was not flat and the 100% resolution view is of the area where I focused using live view.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2014, 09:10:53 pm by Ellis Vener »
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wolfnowl

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #26 on: September 15, 2014, 06:51:42 pm »

One comment that nobody else has mentioned (although NancyP thought to ask)... While you've said you're mostly interested in capturing flowers, do your interests extend to insects as well? While a 60mm lens and a 120mm lens might both give you 1:1, the 120mm lens will do so from roughly double the subject distance. A flower may not be able to change its location if you point the camera 6" away, but a dragonfly certainly will. Also, if you're going to be shooting alpine flowers, you're going to likely be a) in the open and b) in wind. To that end you should look at some sort of light tent or barrier/ reflector that you can use to tame the wind. OTOH, blurry flowers are pretty too.

Mike.
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NancyP

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #27 on: September 15, 2014, 08:58:29 pm »

I highly recommend a long focal length macro, perhaps with teleconverter, when shooting close-ups and macros of snakes, particularly poisonous snakes.  ;D

For real! I am planning my fall trip to "Snake Road", a local attraction (Shawnee National Forest in S. Illinois, 3 mile segment of forest road closed for snake migration for 2 months in spring and 2 months in fall - see http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5106391.pdf) . There's a certain security in knowing that the cottonmouth or other rattlesnake on the other side of the lens is relaxed and not interested in you. My 180mm f/3.5 plus 1.4x teleconverter seems to do the trick - haven't had open-mouth or other significant threat displays.
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muntanela

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #28 on: September 16, 2014, 10:40:59 am »

Michael; thanks much for your comments. On this trip, I'll have the Zeiss APO 135mm F2 with me. It does not go to 1:1 for macro. Would the Micro-Nikkor 60mm still be needed if I have the Zeiss APO 135mm F2 with me? I'm not dead set on 1:1 reproduction...This will primarily be for alpine flower shots in the field.


Alpine flowers make you often want a lens that goes 1:1. This summer I photographed alpine flowers with a Leitz apo macro Elmarit R 100 (D800E) and more than once I've looked on the web for a not too expensive elpro 1:2-1:1...

(Euphrasia minima, Galium anysophyllon, Soldanella pusilla, many saxifragaceae, etc. etc.  grrr  >:( )
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Ajoy Roy

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Re: Macro lenses for D810?
« Reply #29 on: September 18, 2014, 09:47:44 am »

Here are some shots of spiders and flowers with my kit 18-55 on D3300
These are cropped to 1:1 (800x800 pixels). The d3300 has a pixel pitch of 1/250 mm






The flowers are small around 6mm across
« Last Edit: September 18, 2014, 09:49:27 am by Ajoy Roy »
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