p.1 #1 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
Hey,
I've recently acquired a Nikon D850. The only macro lens I own is the Nikon 60mm F2.8D (which I was surprised to see is rated as significantly sharper than the 60mm F2.8G on DXOMark). However I need a more telephoto macro lens.
I do not like the current Nikon 105mm macro and therein lies my problem as if I was satisfied with that lens I would buy it and be set.
So until Nikon upgrades that lens I would like to buy a manual focus macro lens (anywhere between 90-150mm should be fine) to hold me over. I would grab the Voigtlander Macro Apo-Lanthar 125mm F2.5 SL if it wasn't out of my budget.
Can any recommend a good macro lens that can out-resolve the D850 but is more affordable than the aforementioned Voigtlander?
p.1 #2 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
Can I ask why you aren't satisfied with the 105/2.8 VR? It's one of the sharpest lenses I own, and it easily holds up on my D810/D850.
Nobody really makes a bad macro lens, they are all extremely sharp with little to no distortion. The biggest differences are found in price and features.
I've owned or used most of the 100mm range macros. I would personally rank them like this: Nikon 105 > Tamron 90 > Sigma 105 > Tokina 100. But they are all very close. The Sigma ($569), Tamron ($649), and Tokina ($349) are all very affordable. For me, stabilization is a must-have for macro lenses but if it's always on a tripod it doesn't matter nearly as much.
Sigma's 150mm OS Macro and 180mm OS Macro are outstanding, those would be the obvious choices if you needed longer than 105mm in my opinion. I'd probably have gone with one of them myself if they weren't so big and heavy.
The Zeiss 100/2 Makro Planar is probably the very best, but it only goes to 1:2 and has no AF which are deal breakers for some people. The Voigtlander 125 APO-Macro is also one of the very best but out of reach for most people.
If you're looking Sub-$1000, you're looking at the Sigma 105, Tamron 90, Tokina 100, and Nikon 105. They are all very similar optically, you would probably need lab equipment to tell them apart aside from sample variation. The Sigma 150 OS is $1099 so that could be close enough for you too.
p.1 #3 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
Mark, thanks for the reply! I see you are in Alberta too.
I really need a high degree of lens correction as I do a lot of focus stacking. I find that while Nikon's 105mm macro can be made passable on a D800/810/850 it's one step down from what I know an exceptional macro lens can do.
Jim Kasson tested the Nikon against the Sony 90mm, a 100mm Leica and Zeiss, and a 60mm Jenoptik and found it to be the inferior lens (but of course can still hold its own in the right hands).
p.1 #5 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
Matthew C wrote:
Mark, thanks for the reply! I see you are in Alberta too.
I really need a high degree of lens correction as I do a lot of focus stacking. I find that while Nikon's 105mm macro can be made passable on a D800/810/850 it's one step down from what I know an exceptional macro lens can do.
Jim Kasson tested the Nikon against the Sony 90mm, a 100mm Leica and Zeiss, and a 60mm Jenoptik and found it to be the inferior lens (but of course can still hold its own in the right hands).
Are you going to use the auto bracketing on the D850? If so then something with auto-focus will be a must-have.
Maybe take a closer look at the Sigma 150. It'll give you a nice bump in working distance and the optics are exceptional - probably the best of the modern third party lenses. It has reasonably fast AF and OS as well so it's quite versatile.
The problem with most lens reviews (and I recognize also an issue with my own testing) is that most people don't have multiple samples of each lens to test. The second problem is that macro lenses in particular can be difficult to test objectively because some of them dramatically improve the closer you get to macro distances (the Nikon 105 is like this). So, depending on how the testing is done, an exceptional macro lens can be made to look average, or vise versa. This is why I like Lens Rentals' tests the best, they have access to multiple copies of each lens, but I can't find too many articles on macro lenses. I did find these:
It's interesting to note that the 105 VR goes from average to "truly spectacular" (Roger's words) at macro distances, only slightly behind the Zeiss 100/2 Makro Planar. All the lenses are really close though, except for the Coastal 60mm which is ridiculous.
p.1 #9 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
You mentioned focus stacking. That pretty much takes a lot of what you're complaining about out of the equation, especially if you are doing high frame count stacks.
You shouldn't feel under lensed with the Nikon 105 or any of the others in that range as others have posted.
p.1 #10 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Nikon 70-180 macro zoom
2. Zeiss Milvus 100 macro (old Planar combo but now weather-sealed)
3.Mamiya 80 macro (convert using Foto or other)
I've found the Nikon 70-180 to be "overlooked" in recent years; it's ability to adjust while on a tripod offers many, many options as you create images. The Zeiss Milvus is the sharpest lens I own, but as others have mentioned, it only goes to 1:2. Lastly, the Mamiya gives an "abstract" look either in the field or studio; it can portray water drops, small insects, leaves in a different way.
Having said that, it is a screw-drive autofocus and won't work with the D850's built-in focus shift feature. So you'd be using it with software like Helicon focus, or with a manual macro rail (which is what I do), or by manually shifting the focus (which the lens is very good at - lots of throw in focus ring).
p.1 #12 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
Matthew C wrote:
Thanks for those links. Maybe I've been too hard on the Nikon lens. I'll have to re-evaluate.
Have you used it much at macro distances on your D850? You like the results?
The auto-focus stacking is a nice feature but not necessary for my work. I believe, but could be wrong, that it only works with AF-S lenses.
I've used it a lot more on the D810 than the D850 as my D850 is fairly new but I am happy with the results. I use it mostly at macro distance, where it performs a lot better than it does as a general lens. It also works well for portraits.
The automatic focus bracketing actually does not stack the images for you, a third party piece of software (Photoshop, Helicon, or something else of your choice) is required, but it works extremely well and puts the images in a separate folder on the memory card for you for easy access. The 105 VR is an AF-S lens so it definitely works with the auto focus bracketing.
All the 90,100,105 lenses are really quite excellent, I think you would need lab equipment to tell a difference in image quality barring any major sample variation. My preference for the Nikon 105 is mostly due to how good the AF and VR are at macro distances, I often don't need a tripod if light is sufficient for easier subjects. It also is compatible with Nikon's macro accessories like the R1C1 ring light. If you remove all the features and look only at image quality, I think manufacturer sample variation is greater than the optical differences between any of these lenses, especially stopped down to macro apertures. If you just want a bare bones macro lens, you could save a good chunk of money by going with something like the Tokina 100 which is $349 USD (still $100 cheaper than locally after FX).
p.1 #13 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
I love the Nikon 200mm f/4 lens and since buying it I have stopped using my 60mm and 105mm macro lenses entirely. B&H is currently selling a new open box one for $1,399 and this is a steal.
With a macro lens I would have no concerns buying a used copy from someone posting on the Buy Sell forum.
p.1 #14 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
I am picking a mint used 105/f2.8 VR this morning for less than 400 USD for product shots and advertising. I have not tried this lens but at this pricing I am very happy to have this lens for the D750/D850.
p.1 #16 · Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
CanadaMark wrote:
I've used it a lot more on the D810 than the D850 as my D850 is fairly new but I am happy with the results. I use it mostly at macro distance, where it performs a lot better than it does as a general lens. It also works well for portraits.
The automatic focus bracketing actually does not stack the images for you, a third party piece of software (Photoshop, Helicon, or something else of your choice) is required, but it works extremely well and puts the images in a separate folder on the memory card for you for easy access. The 105 VR is an AF-S lens so it definitely works with the auto focus bracketing.
All the 90,100,105 lenses are really quite excellent, I think you would need lab equipment to tell a difference in image quality barring any major sample variation. My preference for the Nikon 105 is mostly due to how good the AF and VR are at macro distances, I often don't need a tripod if light is sufficient for easier subjects. It also is compatible with Nikon's macro accessories like the R1C1 ring light. If you remove all the features and look only at image quality, I think manufacturer sample variation is greater than the optical differences between any of these lenses, especially stopped down to macro apertures. If you just want a bare bones macro lens, you could save a good chunk of money by going with something like the Tokina 100 which is $349 USD (still $100 cheaper than locally after FX)....Show more →
Thanks Mark for your thoughts I have had the chance to play the 105 f2.8 this afternoon and I am very impressed.
I have had the chance to play the 105 f2.8 this afternoon and I am very impressed.