macro lens

I have a Nikon D80 and love to take macro shots.

I already have a Sigma 50 mm macro lens, but i would like to have something stronger , hahahahaha.

Tamron 90 mm

sigma 105 mm

nikon 105 mm vr ?

witch one is best for taking macro shots in bad conditions. Dutch and Belgium waters......

thanks for the help

Best greetings

Fotoduiker

Gery

Hi Gery,

If you want the 'best' lens, get the nikon. AFS, VR, internal focusing, a 9 blade aperture diaphram (smooth out-of-focus areas) and nikon glass make it the best option by far.

If money is more important, the nikon 105mm VR is quite a bit more $$. I'd look for a used non-vr nikon 105mm, and i'm sure there are plenty available (at the same $$ or less then the sigma or tamron) from people upgrading to the new 105mm VR.

Personally I am snotty about my nikon lenses vs 3rd party. Others love their sigmas, tokinas etc. Every time i try a 3rd party the optical differences are immediately visible.

I think the reason to by a sigma or tamron is either because money is a major issue or if they offer a truely unique lens (like the tokina 10-17mm FE or the sigma 15mm with super close focus.)

Always check your housing manufacturer to see what you need to house each one first. The 105mm VR is fat and i'm not sure if all housings can take it.

hope this helps. Cheers,

Chris

I have to agree that the 105VR is a sweet lens. Some housings makers may not have focus gears for some 3rd party lenses, where just about every housing now has a 105VR gear available. This may play heavily into your decision about what lens to get.

Subal, Sea and Sea, Aquatica and a few others have ports and gears for the 105VR.

Jim

Don't know what you mean by stronger. Both the Sigma 50 and the Nikon 105 will give you 1:1 "strength". This means that your maximum magnification will be the same with either lens but the 105 will allow you to shoot from further away (although in green water whether this is important or not might be a question). If you want to go "stronger" that is take pictures of smaller things, look at the thread that is pinned on going beyond 1:1.

Bill

bill makes a good point. to shoot the same subject, you will need to be further away with a 105mm vs a 50mm. In clear water this isn't so bad, but in poor vis, that extra distance means more particles between the camera and subject.

However, shooting at 1:1 with a 50mm lens requires practially focusing on the front of the port, which will often scare critters away and be very difficult to light properly.

If you're looking to shoot stuff close to 1:1, a 105mm lens gives a reasonable working distance. plus you can add a diopter to easily go beyond 1:1, which isn't feasible with a 50mm.

Chris

Chris and Bill's comments are spot on. I use a 50mm Sigma and a 100mm Canon on my 5D system and I mainly dive the North Sea - as you obviously do. In my experience, you need some settled weather and really good viz (for the N. Sea that is) for the longer lens to deliver good results. If there is the usual plankton and muck suspended in the water, the 100mm just concentrates this and degrades the image. When it is clear enough, any of those lenses you have in mind will deliver quality.

You can read a review of the 105mm VR in comparison to the older Nikon 105mm here on Wetpixel:

http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/nikon-105mm-vr-review/

Alex

p.s. I tried the Sigma 28mm macro lens this week. Very cool.

Nice review ,

Intresting , I will go for the 105 vr , soon or late .....

Most of the time for traveling , with bad vissibility I think I prefer the 50 mm sigma.

But I like macro a lot, so , it will be a nice lense to work with.

greetings

Gery

You also can add a TC to your Sigma 50 mm. A 1.4x will give 1.4:1 and a 2x will give 2:1 at the expence of respectively 1 and 2 stops. 2:1 will probably not work with the 50 mm since the subject most likely will have to be inside the lens.... I use a 1.4x with the 50 mm sometimes under the described dutch conditions and it works...

I also have a 105 VR but it's pretty useless in the Netherlands (poor visibility, lot's of current and thick three finger gloves) However, the 6T diopter decreases the minimum focus distance with approx 5 cm but it makes focussing in dark water difficult.

cheers, Udo

You also can add a TC to your Sigma 50 mm. A 1.4x will give 1.4:1 and a 2x will give 2:1 at the expence of respectively 1 and 2 stops. 2:1 will probably not work with the 50 mm since the subject most likely will have to be inside the lens.... I use a 1.4x with the 50 mm sometimes under the described dutch conditions and it works...

I also have a 105 VR but it's pretty useless in the Netherlands (poor visibility, lot's of current and thick three finger gloves) However, the 6T diopter decreases the minimum focus distance with approx 5 cm but it makes focussing in dark water difficult.

 

cheers, Udo

Hoi

Thanks for the advice,

will the 50 mm fit into the same port with a TC 1.4 ??

to close focus will give some problems bringing light to the object i think.

Groetjes / greetings

Gery

will the 50 mm fit into the same port with a TC 1.4 ??

to close focus will give some problems bringing light to the object i think.

 

Groetjes / greetings

Gery

No you'll have to get a 25 mm extensionring.

This forum is getting too Dutch.....

I am still waiting for Nikon to build a 40mm macro. I take 99% of my macro images with the 60mm even in the tropics. I always carry a 105mm, but never use it.

This forum is getting too Dutch.....

 

I am still waiting for Nikon to build a 40mm macro. I take 99% of my macro images with the 60mm even in the tropics. I always carry a 105mm, but never use it.

Hey, too dutch ???

I think i m going for the 90 mm tamron, now i take a lot of pics with the 50 mm , but sometimes I have to come to close to a fish, to have a full frame picture.

70 mm sigma is close to the 50 mm sigma i already have, so the tamrom is good i think.

Like Udo says the 105 vr is ussless in Dutch water.... I have 90 % of my dives in Holland so....

thanks for the help and advice.

Best greetings

Gery

www.freewebs.com/fotoduiker