The ideal macro lens?
That depends on how much you really need 1:1. Which is really all you get, whether on a digital or film camera. The only difference is the sensor vs film size. With a 1:1 macro lens, the image at minimum focus is only 1:1. On the smaller chip digital cameras a subject 12mm long is still only 12mm on the sensor. It fills a larger proportion of the sensor image, but that images has to be magnified more times to make the subject exactly the same size on the final print or printed magazine page.
The ideal macro lens? I would vote for Nikon's 70-180 Micro-Nikkor. It can only focus down to a .75x, but has a 2.5:1 zoom ratio that gives you an image shooting capability that exceeds that of either the 60mm or 105mm lens. And it still focuses close enough to be used behind a small 5-6" dome and give still another subject capability range,
