I have a 90mm macro lens that I use a lot for capturing details with my wedding photography. With spring approaching (please...), I'm thinking about shooting bugs again. I've noticed there are longer macro lenses, one at 180mm. Is it more ideal to shoot macro with a 180mm or is the 90mm perfectly fine? Seems like having the 180 allows you not to be so close to the bugs, some of which can be quite skittish.
Another question... I have a D4 and D700, which have full frame sensors, obviously. I also have a D200, which provides a 1.5x magnification. When shooting bugs, am I better off use the D4 and going full frame, or using the D200 and acquiring a bit of magnification?
Hello my friend Ron. Opinions on this will vary but personally I like the Sigma 150mm, Sigma 180mm, or Tamron 180mm. Your absolutely right about the additional mm providing you with some buffer space so your not right on top of the bugs. All these lens were available in non-vr and are superb. New copies are VR with the exception of the Tamron and that is helpful but not a necessary miracle and cost about twice what the non-vr's will cost. As to the reach I shot bugs mostly with my crop bodies and plants with my full frame but the incredibly talented guys and gals here on this forum will mix it up. All personal choice. I also have a copy of the macro marvel Canon MP-E 65 which I use on my Canon bodies for extreme macro world. Pick one and shot away, they all make macro life a bit better IMO although your 90mm is a fine lens.
Thanks for your help here, Dave. Wow, 5:1 magnification on that MP-E 65, sweet! I'm trying to see if Nikon offers a lens with magnification anywhere close to that, definitely not holding my breath...
Yep, no such lenses for Nikon beyond the 1:1. I wonder if it'd be worth it to get one of those Canon-to-Nikon rings and mount the Canon lens to my Nikon camera?
friscoron wrote:
Yep, no such lenses for Nikon beyond the 1:1. I wonder if it'd be worth it to get one of those Canon-to-Nikon rings and mount the Canon lens to my Nikon camera?
You would have no way of controlling aperture !
I know several nikon macro shooters that have just bought a cheaper canon body (you don't need good AF ) just to use the MPE-65.
It's a completely different beast to the longer focal length lenses you mentioned before with a min to max focus distance in front of the lens of 1.5 to 4 inches.
Brian v.
Bigger bugs plus skill with natural light can yield some awesome results. Same goes for full flash on smaller subjects with the mpe 65. I prefer the latter but if you can afford it, pursue both routes!
