Nikon macro lens, which one/s to take

I am trying to decide on which macro lens I should use on a trip to Lembeh Straits. I have a D2Xs in a Subal housing. My dilemma is should I go with the fixed focal length Nikkor 60 mm ED and 105 mm VR or the Nikkor 70-180 mm macro. The 60 and 105 would be sharper, but the 70-180 would be more flexible.

You can do it all with the 60 MM.

I agree with the 60.... 105 with diopters for supermacro perhaps?.... I would bring both....but that's me

I'm currently in the Lembeh Strait, and dived this morning with the 60mm on my D2X. That is my work-horse lens out here. If in doubt bang on the 60mm. That said, if you want variety it is well worth bringing a range of macro lenses. I have 5 macro lenses with me!

Alex

I'm currently in the Lembeh Strait, and dived this morning with the 60mm on my D2X. That is my work-horse lens out here. If in doubt bang on the 60mm. That said, if you want variety it is well worth bringing a range of macro lenses. I have 5 macro lenses with me!

 

Alex

Hi Alex,

I understand that the cost of the 70-180mm zoom micro is 'limiting' for some 'shooters'.

You suggest "bringing a range of macro lenses with you." Would you consider the 70-180mm

zoom micro to be "a range of macro lenses"??

And if someone gave you a 70-180mm zoom micro, would you be excited by the prospect

of its versatility and keep it? I am assuming, of course, that you have seen one in action or used one yourself...

Thanks for taking the time out while in Lembeh...

Regards, respect,

Bruce...

I'm not a shooter, though I work with a whole variety of pro and amateur shooters. It does seem that the 60mm is the most widely used macro lens out there. If you have a limited budget I'd say go for the 60mm and work with what you have.

I'd say that it's best to get to know one lens really well, rather than tryign to work with lots of lenses and also having the frustration with choosing from a whole range of different lenses. There are not many places you'll go where the dive guide is going to tell what lens to use, so keep it simple to start with!

Hi Bruce,

On a DX camera I think that the 70-180mm would be a bit too long much of the time in Lembeh. I think that the ideal Lembeh muck lens is about a 60mm on FX. The 60mm on DX is fine, but often still a bit long. Of the 5 macro lens I have here, two are wider than the 60mm and two are longer. I think on the more reefy sites (nudis and small crustaceans) the 70-180mm would be ideal.

I have not used the 70-180mm and would be curious how good it is for super-macro. I would think that this slightly slower lens could get pretty slow at AF with TC and/or dioptres?

Off for night dive.

Alex

Hi,

what about the Tokina ATX PRO 35mm 2.8 macrolens?

Has somebody used it already?

Rob

Alex, which 5 do you have? Are you counting 2 60s and 2 105s?

They are not all strictly speaking macro lenses - although all will focus either to 1:1 or right on the port. I'll name 4, the remaining one I will discuss in more detail in a forthcoming article. 150mm Sigma, 105mm Nikon, 60mm Nikon, **mm (to be revealed), 10.5mm + 1.5x TC.

Alex

I am also currently in the Lembeh Strait (at the Divers Lodge...) and just finished my 6th day of diving and have used my 70-180 on every dive.

I brought a Nikon 60 and the Sigma 28-70, but have not bothered using them once!

I have got some great macro images with it and have been able to shoot everything from shrimps & crabs less than 5mm in length (with a Woody dioptre) to large frogfish & Rhinopias - all on the same dive or day out on the boat.

The 70-180 is greatly maligned in my opinion - I have used it for nearly three years now and found it to be a really versatile and very sharp lens. I got some great shots of mating mandarin fish at dusk tonight, surely the ultimate test of low-light autofocus, which is supposedly the weakest point of the lens.

Don

Don,

How would compare the sharpness between your 70-180 to your 60?

I am thinking that at Lembeh the subjects are stationary or very slow moving so the slowness in focusing of the 70-180 would be no big deal, but the variable focal lengths would be an advantage.

Elmer

Good info, Don.

Alex

In Indo i use the 70-180mm quite a lot if I'm not sure what I'm going to see. I actually prefer the focusing on the 70-180mm to my 105mmVR!

However, i do feel as though i get less DOF at a given f-stop when compared to using a prime lens - i have no scientific proof for this, just a gut feeling i have.

It is a great lens for shooting shy subjects though, and unless you can travel with 5 macro lenses like el moutardo you won't feel as though you are missing out on anything.

I also own the 6T dioptre for the lens but hardly ever use it as it compromises the maximum focusing distance too much.

My macro lenses are 60mm, 105mm, 70-180mm and 24-70mm. I use the 60mm the least.

I'll name 4, the remaining one I will discuss in more detail in a forthcoming article. 150mm Sigma, 105mm Nikon, 60mm Nikon, **mm (to be revealed), 10.5mm + 1.5x TC.

 

Alex

I'm guessing a 30 or 35mm lens with close focus ability... ? guess we'll have to wait for your article...

It is no great secret! Anyway here is a shot taken with that lens on my last dive, hope that this shows that there is a point to having more than a 70-180mm here in Lembeh.

This was taken at 21mm (to save you looking in the EXIF), and is likely to be deleted later today as I have much nicer ones in the series. Sorry if the colours are off - I'm on my uncalibrated laptop.

Alex

It is not really a secret. To give you a clue and also to provide justification as to why you might want more than a 70-180mm here in Lembeh, attached is a picture from my last dive. To save you looking in the EXIF - it is 21mm lens. I'm likely to delete this picture later as I have much nicer ones in the series. It is strange to be able to share it before it is gone forever!

Alex

p.s. Image colours may be off as my laptop screen is not calibrated.

Well, this is quite something - here is the same rhinopias (I think....) but shot with the 70-180 @ 70mm and f22 but lit differently. I went for a dark background and tried to make the rhinopias stand out against the black sand.

It will be interesting to see what people think.

Don

PS... Same disclaimer as Alex, the image was adjusted on an uncalibrated laptop....

Alex,

Your point is well taken and a great pic. I can see in your shot of the Rhinopias that a tradition macro lens, even a short one like the 60 would not give you comparable DOF and a shorter focal length is an advantage for this larger subject (non macro). I can also see that the same analogy would apply when comparing the 60 to the 105, hence a reason you use the 60 as your Lembeh work horse lens. Another advantage for using the 60 is that given the sandy conditions a shorter lens would decrease the distance to the subject, less backscatter.

It also appears to me that the 70-180 would add more flexibility to the photos that could be taken compared to fixed lens, but might not be quite as sharp as a fixed. (A side note: has anybody heard if Nikon is planning a newer version of this lens???)

So I guess I should bring the 60 ED, 105 VR and 70-180 to Lembeh. Use the 70-180 or 60 as a general muck lens and 105 VR as a pigmy seahorse lens.

Elmer

Here is the 70-180 at 180mm this morning, together with Woody's diopter to photograph the pygmies at Magic Coral.

It shows the other end of the scale from the rhinopias that is possible from the same lens.

Don

Don,

Great pics! Is the pigmy a full frame (non cropped) shot? How did you get the pigmy to look at you and not turn away?

After seeing your photos I am sold on the flexibility of the 70-180 lens, rhinopias to pigmy with one lens.

Elmer