Adding a lens: 60 or 85 Macro

I use a D90/Aquatica rig. I am pondering adding another macro lens and would appreciate your thoughts.

I currently use a 105 macro, which I love. On occasion I find it a little too "macroey". I also have a 50mm which is nice for fish portraits.

My dilemma is whether to add a 60 macro or 85 macro. I borrowed a friend's 60 this weekend and enjoyed it, although he didn't have a focus gear with it so I couldn't play with the focus the way I would like to but got some decent results considering my current Great Lakes location.

A chap I met on a trip to Belize last year has both a 60 and 85 and advises that if he had to choose one, he would choose the 85! I've not used this lens, but I would think it isn't much different from the 105.

Ideally, I am looking for a lens that can shoot up close, but will also work when that elusive larger critter swims by.

Conveniently, the focus gear for the two lenses is the same, so I have ordered that... so I am committed now! I'm heading off on a liveaboard in three weeks, so I want to acquire the lens by then.

I'd appreciate your opinions!

Thanks!

I use a 105mm and 60mm Macro with my D90 and like this combo. I have heard good things about the 85mm, however, remember, the 85 is a DX lens. No biggy. I've just been trying to stick with lens that will work on DX/FX. You never know where the future nay take you.

Kirk

I don't understand the place of the 85 mm lens in the Nikon lineup. Please correct me if I am wrong on this, but can't the same focal length be achieved with a 60 mm lens and a 1.4 teleconverter and still roughly keep the same 3.5 aperture as the 85 mm?

Tom

That's a good point Kirk... And one I'd not considered. Tom, I guess you're right as far as the lens goes, but I don't know how that would work in the housing with the port and gear... ?

I love my Micro Nikkor 60mm (I have the older D series one). I often find the 60mm is too "macroey" which is why I sometimes put it behind a dome port instead of the flat port. I add a +4 diopter and so I can still get to 1:1. Working distance is greatly reduced which is a great thing if the water is not very clear. Lighting at 1:1 is a bit of a squeeze but I can just manage it.

I should probably have told you that I ended up buying the 60. As it turns out, the week we were away, was right after Hurricane Irene, so viz was Cr*p!. I would say that 80% of my keepers were taken with this lens!

Thanks again for your advice!

Normally a 105 shooter but I had the same experience in Puerta Galera after a typhoon. You carry the 60 just in case.