60mm vs 105mm

Hey all,

I'm in the process of upgrading from PnS (Canon IXUS 400... very basic!!) to DSLR: I got a little over excited and got a D200 but am now wondering which is best choice of macro lens to be starting out with. Can someone give me a quick pros/cons of 60mm vs 105mm?

Cheers,

Kit

The magnification is the same but to shoot a 1 inch animal and fill the frame you have to get closer with the 60. The 105 is used to shoot more skittish animals from a distance (because you cant get closer without them darting off) thus putting more water between the camera and the subject. The 60 is generally better for fish pictures and focuses fairly fast. The 105 allows you to get those fishes that you can't shoot with a 60 because you need to get closer to compose properly. It's a hard choice but I'd personally go with the 60mm as my starter lens then move to a 105.

Good luck

I believe this issue has been discussed in the forum in the past, but here goes anyway:

The 60mm is a more versatile lens, as you can both shoot macro and fish portrait, but you must get extremely close to tiny subjects to get a good reproduction ratio, which makes lighting a bit tricky.

The 105mm is superior to the 60mm when the subjects are shy, as it offers the same reproduction ratio as the 60mm at a greater working distance. On the other hand, it's harder to get a shot of anything sizeable because of the longer distance required to the subject.

Others will probably add to this (e.g. DOF issues), but these are the fundamental differences.

Thanks for the input!

I guess eventually I'll end up with both , but for now I'll look to the 60mm.

Kit

"Can someone give me a quick pros/cons of 60mm vs 105mm?"

 

1) on a D200 the 60 becomes an effective 90...and as such finds more use underwater than either the 60 or 105 did on film or on 35mm sized sensors

 

2) the 105 becomes an effective 157, and as such becomes even more limited in use, unless one loves shooting small critters **all the time**.

 

Both lenses go 1:1, both are crisp, but the 60 has greater dof...that's greater in relative terms

 

The 105 used to be nice for shooting certain fish and head shots, but no more because of the extended reach on a DX sensor.

 

The extra reach of the 60 on DX sensor is, in my view, better than the reach it had on film or 35mm sensors. I just seem to be able to use it for so much more than I could before the DX sensor.

 

Keep in mind that as you become proficient with the 60 (if that's the way you go) you can enhance that lens significantly for certain photo opps by adding a wet diopter. I use the Seacam, but there are two others out there that please many many people...the Woody's Diopter and the MacroMate. I've used neither so cannot offer any advice or recommendation.

I have both...started with the 105 and found it a little difficult to use. Lots of hunting and slow to focus..maybe it was the operator , but a friend loaned me his 60 and I loved it! Then I added the Macromate and the combination gets me REALLY close to the tiny stuff! It's perfect for both fish shots and then getting in VERY close to the little things! For me, a perfect solution!

I use both, for all the reasons mentioned above. I should mention the new 105 AF-S micro. It's a very fast and sharp lens. It's AF makes the 60 seem like a dinosaur. Still for many uses the 60 is best. And I second adding the macro-mate flip lens. It's even better with the 105 than the 60.

So the new 105 improves on the ease of use, but still limits you in what you can take photos of, especially with a D200 (or any cropped sensor camera)?

General consensus does seem to be get both... starting to see why this is such an expensive hobby!

I just faced the same dillemma, and went with the 60mm. I am very happy with the choice. Perhaps the 105 would have captured a closer image of the pygmy sea horse, but I am not confident that I could have held it steady enough, or been able to focus.

I started with a 60mm and loved it. But a trip to Lembeh Straits lead me to buying a 105mm. Harder to use than the 60mm, but it can produce spectacular results and is now a firm favourite. Much shorter DOF and not so good for the fish portraits though. So just not as flexible a lens.