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Decent Macro lens?

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Decent Macro lens?

  • markst33
    Participant

    Hi there, can anyone recommend a good macro lens for a Nikon D200 that does not break the bank.

    Piotr M
    Member

    How many:
    a) money,
    b) mm’s.
    The cheapest to get is sigma 105/2.8. It is sturdy and quite a decent lens. 2nd hand it can be found for <300€.

    markst33
    Participant

    Someone mentioned the Tamron 90mm. Have tamron lenses taken a bit of a dive quality-wise over recent years ? You don’t hear them mentioned much these days. I was hoping to spend less than €200 for a 2nd hand

    Piotr M
    Member

    <200€? No much choice. Tamron 90/2.8 is a very good lens. Very sharp, but the AF version is more expensive than 200€.
    For 200€ you could get 2nd hand sigma 50/2.8 or an old gear without AF.
    The most reasonable is sigma 105/2.8. 105mm is a focal lenght that allows comfortable work (working distance). You could try to look for tokina 100/2.8, tamron 90/2.8 and nikkor 60/2.8 (afd).
    You may try to find a bargain, but it is going to be difficult. 200€ is a half price sale.
    Good luck!

    PS. Tamron is not very popular. Optics is decent to excellent, but manufacturing is cheap. Plastic fantastic… I don’t know about tamron’s service on the islands (IRL+UK), but on the continent it is not good.

    jimbo78a
    Participant

    I have the Sigma 60mm f2.8 Macro, takes great pictures, build quality good, on the D200 it is considered to be the equivalent on 90mm, also have used it for taking portraits, with good results.

    Goodluck with your choice.

    markst33
    Participant

    Whats the minimum focusing distance on that Sigma 60mm ?

    Piotr M
    Member

    First time I read about sigma 60mm macro lens. Maybe you meant 50mm?
    Working distance for this lens is 4cm only for 1:1 reproduction.

    jimbo78a
    Participant

    Sorry…my mistake I should have said 70mm f2.8 EX DG…senior moment on my part. Check the following link for a review.

    http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Sigma-70mm-f28-EX-DG-Macro-4029&#8243; onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;

    Jim

    Sheldon
    Participant

    Tokina 100mm 2.8

    CianMcLiam
    Participant

    Second the Tokina 100mm 2.8, exceptionally sharp lens with very nice bokeh too for portraits (what I use it for mostly) and is built as well, if not better, than my Nikon pro lenses. Was considering selling mine but looking for a better return on my investment :) Not sure what kind of lens you’ll get for €200 but another option is the highly regarded Canon 250D or 500D close-up lenses. If your only doing occasional macro work or just looking to complete your lens line-up then it’s a serious option. http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/closeup2.htm&#8221; onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;

    markst33
    Participant

    Whats the minimum focusing distance on the Tokina ? Thanks for all the responses by the way Folks.

    Sheldon
    Participant

    markst33 wrote:

    Whats the minimum focusing distance on the Tokina ? Thanks for all the responses by the way Folks.

    1:1 30cm but you can get really close. https://www.photographyireland.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=31704&p=205047&hilit=poplar#p205047

    Piotr M
    Member

    Sheldon wrote:

    markst33 wrote:

    Whats the minimum focusing distance on the Tokina ? Thanks for all the responses by the way Folks.

    1:1 30cm but you can get really close. https://www.photographyireland.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=31704&p=205047&hilit=poplar#p205047

    30cm is from the sensor to the photographed object.
    Minimum working distance (from an object to the front of the lens) is ca. 8-9cm only. This parameter is more important, because macro lenses tend to extend A LOT during focusing at short distance (macro shots).
    Tokina is a very good, sharp and sturdy piece of macro equipment.

    aoluain
    Participant

    you could go for an oldie like the Mamiya 645 80mm Macro f4.0 !

    With an adapter you could get out under €200 !

    E-Bay item # 230516676202 [lens] & 360294522848 [adapter]

    Just a suggestion

    This may help (as recently discussed in another thread) depending on what you have in mind: https://www.photographyireland.net/macro-lens-t40667.html See my last comment there.

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