I have Nikon D500, which is kind a old camera. I am not in a situation to update my camera right now. However, I want to try a new lens. I tried to do reverse lens technique with 50 mm and extension tube but I realized it's very hard to master it. So, I came to a conclusion to buy a macro lens. Nikon 105mm is expensive, so I was looking for an alternative and came across Tokina 100mm:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tokina-100mm-Macro-Digital-Cameras/dp/B000CMNL52/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401505571&sr=1-13&keywords=nikon+macro+lens

 

I would like to get some word of advice from you guys.

 

Thanks a bunch !

Hi Shishir

 

My only experience with non manufacturer lenses is with Sigma, specifically the 150 and 180 macro. My wife and I used them, rather than the name brand, lighter and feel sharper.

 

They do have their own converter and when selling will take a beating. Best to buy a used lens so it has been depreciated already. If your thinking in doing bugs would go for the longer focal length.

 

Recently we came back to shooting Nikon DSLR and have not bought the macro, will most likely go with the 200 Micro, a very old design and heavy but good performer.

 

al

Hi Shishir,

 

Welcome to the macro forum. Alfred has given you some good advice concerning the Sigma lenses. They are exceptional but are more expensive than the Tokina, even used.

 

Optically, the Tokina is up there with other lens in the 100mm focal length class. The main difference is that the lens is an older design. The newer designs incorporate internal focus, image stabilization, and typically better autofocus. Image stabiliztion and autofocus aren't critical features for macro photography. Internal focusing is a nice feature but telescopic focus is certainly doable and with some practice becomes second nature.

 

Is the Tokina optically good (most critical factor in macro photography), yes it is. Will it take some effort and practice on your end to tame the lens, yes it will. Is it good value, yes it is.

Thanks a lot William and Alfred.

 

I will some more research and invest on a good lens. Now I am thinking abut sigma or nikon. Nikon is still about $200 more than sigma and I am if it's worth it or not. Anyway I am not planning to go professional. So, I am leaning towards sigma.

You are most welcome Shishir. Sigma is a fine lens. I recently purchased a 105mm for Canon and I am impressed with it so far. I did a preliminary field test with example shots and wrote a review for another 1X member. You can find it here:

 

http://1x.com/member/apeer/blog

 

I use the 100mm Tokina and I must say, optical it's a top lens but like William said autofocus is extremely slow and telescopic :). Offcourse in macrophotography most of the time you will use manual focus.

 

For the price there is no better lens and imagequality is the same as the expensive brands.

Hi Shishir,

 

I went to your profile page to learn more about the kinds of photos you take, but could not find any information about you.

 

It would help to know what you are planing to shoot with the micro/macro lens?

 

I have the Nikon 60mm micro and the Nikon 105 micro.....

I am not thrilled with the 105mm - it is heavy and hard to focus. I love the 60mm..it is my favorite lens. However, I am taking photos of flowers so I do not need or want t longer lens..In your case it might be quite different..

 

So what will you shoot?

 

Phyllis

Another alternative could be the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di ?

 

Here´s what bythom.com has to say about it, at the end of his review of the Nikon 105mm :

 

"....I've also been using a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di, the "classic" moderate macro lens for those on a limited budget. I'll cut to the chase: if you can give up the VR and AF-S and need to save money, the Tamron is the lens to get. I've tried pretty much everything in this range, and though the Tamron isn't a fast focusing lens, it is optically superb....."

 

So, can you give up VR and AF-S ?

Would be interesting to hear some opinions on how useful VR or OS is in the macro situation.

 

 

" ...The closer you focus, the less VR has an impact on the final image. At 1:1 (the closest focus distance), it may not impart any benefit (it didn't seem to in the testing conditions I could create). So do you turn VR off when working in macro? If you're pressed up towards the limits of focus, I'd say yes--you're wasting battery life and potentially making it more difficult to hit a focus point. But if you're focused out beyond two or three feet (~.7m+), it probably makes sense to leave it on, as you'll get some benefit (though not the four stops Nikon claims for the system unless you're focusing far further out into the scene)..."

 

Hi Martin

 

The Af is not very useful for bugs, normally I keep it off all the time.

 

There is a technique for focusing that works well, set the camera to beep when in focus, focus and past the point then come back and press the shutter at the beeping sound. I keep the sound off for bugs, afraid of spooking, so another technique is acquiring focus and rocking back and forth for fine tuning. Can even do with a tripod.

 

The VR is important if you are hand holding, more often than not the camera is mounted on a tripod, you are woking with small apertures, not much light and want good detail. High ISO is not the best solution, unless there is movement.

 

Just to throw something wild at you ..... have you consider one of the small sensor cameras like the Panasonic DMZ ? I bought a used one sometime back, think it was a 50. Any way, they are small, do have VR, the zoom goes to some ridiculous magnification like 420 and they take filters. Can get a step up filter to use a Nikon 5T or any other + filter. Can get some amazing magnifications and easy to crawl around the ground. Can stabilize yourself on anything close by and results are excellent. Your main limitation is the low ISO needed. When you get past 100, there is definite quality compromise. Just a thought, they are cheap and fun. One good point about the small sensor is the tremendous depth of field, don't need to stop down much. Every type of equipment has its place.

 

al

Hi Al

Decision is made, I have ordered a used (excellent condition) Tokina AT-X PRO D 100mm F/2.8 on eBay.

I read reviews that praise both ergonomics and optics, and combined with the relative low price, I hope it´s a good purchase

 

I will remember your idea on using small sensor camera, must be a great advantage to handle a small camera when crawling around!

But as my situation is now, I hardly have enough time to use the cameras I already own, so it has to be an option for the future:)

 

Martin

 

Hi Martin

 

Glad you hear and I think you made the right choice !! Looking forward to seeing some mighty fine images !!!

 

al

I use the AF-S Micro 105mm VR. It is the sharpest lens I have for my D700, sharper than 16-35mm VR, 24-70mm or 70-200mm VR. This is noticable when used for portraits or other non-macro work. For macro, the AF is often hunting when other than the center AF-points are used, but for macro I usually focus manually. VR is of more help than I initially thought for handheld macro and for normal shooting als well for shutter speeds below 1/250. With shorter shutters, the picture gets sharper when VR is off.

Very interesting...

 

I will just add that AF is very useful if your style is whithout tripod and you dont want to sit in front of a flower for hours untill a bug comes on it !

I hunt my insects hand held and take a lot of shots. With moving insects you don't have the time to manually focus, especially the flying ones. Of course I am nearly always at more than 1/250...

Thanks all for very useful suggestions. I have Tokina and Sigma in my amazon shopping cart right now. I will make a decision soon and get one. I still leaning towards tokina right now.

 

Phyllis: I really don't have any specific subject in my mind for macro. I think I will mostly shoot flowers and bugs (if I find one )

 

Hi Shishir...

If I Have understood this is or a DX sensor?

 

The best lens I have is my Nikon 60mm Micro You can shoot from 8 nches away. And the focus is superb. I mean exceptional. And it is not very expensive AND you might be able to get it used from a reliable place like B and H. Though it is hard because people do not really part with this lens. Good for flowers and so so so many other things. Takes fantastic portraits also. It is very sharp, and fast.

 

I have the 105mmNikon also...the first VR version - there is now a newer one. That was expensive and you can shoot from 12 inches away.. This is good for bugs as it has a silent motor...but the auto focus is terrible and all must be shot on Manual...It is heavy.......

 

These two lenses have gotten great reviews.

 

Now before the VR model they had an older 105mm Nikon Micro..which as I understand it took even better pictures than the newer model but doe snot have VR.

 

I personally would forget the bugs..lol and go for the 60mm. You will love it. And you can put extensions on it....

Very few lenses will beat the sharpness of these two lenses especially the 60mm..

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/66987-GREY/Nikon_1987_AF_Micro_Nikkor_60mm_f_2_8D.html

 

and right now they have 2 used ones...for as low as $329. That is a good deal because the place is reliable.

 

Good luck to you.

Phyllis