After using Canon zoom lenses for many years, I got my first Nikon and UW SLR last year. Until I saw how sharp photos could be with that 60mm, I had been satisfied with the Canon lenses I had been using before (24-70mm, 28-200mm). I now have a new standard for comparison! In considering the 20D camera I'm wondering which Canon lens would be similar in results to the 60mm for macro use? Do any of their WA zooms get close in sharpness to the 60mm?
(I'm sure these questions have been addressed in many various other threads, but there's a lot of reading there; so I thought I would put the question out there for some fresh opinions!) Thanks!!
Larry
Larry,
You just can't compare a fixed focal length macro lens like the 60mm to a zoom lens.
The Canon 100mm USM lens is very sharp and it's the equivalent of Nikon's AFS to boot. IMO, it's got the 105 beat. I don't know how sharp the canon 50mm macro is because I haven't used it in years, but I'll bet it's hard to tell the difference between that, and the Nikkor 60mm for sharpness.
Cheers
James
Thanks James. Well that's good to hear, that I can expect similar results with those lenses. I understand that you "can't compare a fixed focal length... to a zoom", but I was just remarking that until I saw how sharp the 60mm was I did not realize what I wasn't getting with the zooms.
Thanks, Larry
Nikon's 60mm is a very sharp lens. And I would say slightly better than their 105mm in this respect.
A lot on D70 users quickly spot the extra sharpness of the 60mm compared with the 18-70 kit lens when they try it.
Alex
These comparisons have gotten pretty complicated with digital, however, because the chips and processing affect sharpness so differently. The 60mm is an amazing lens, and has become my #1 choice in the last month - my 105 was in the shop so I was forced to use it, now it'll be tough to go back!
Most land photogs view the 105 as a compromise between the 200 and the 60. Underwater is a bit different, though, since the 200 is long for most purposes.
I've heard nothing but good things about the canon 100 AFS! I wish nikon would release some AFS macro lenses soon!
KC
Photo pro, George Lepp, used to test lenses and report their results to those who subscribed to his newsletter. He once stated that the Nikkor 60mm micro lens was the sharpest lens he's ever tested. That said, I doubt you could tell the difference between that and an equivalent Canon lens. However, the 60 should beat any zoom lens. Mark
The Canon 50mm cannot focus to 1:1 so it can't compete with the Nikon 60mm in that respect. The Canon 100mm has faster autofocus than the Nikon 105mm but I don't think it betters it otherwise. AF performance isn't that important to me but I do like being able to use both without fidgeting with the controls. The Sigma 50mm offers 1:1 focusing and good performance.
I don't know that ultimate sharpness matters so much underwater when you have to add the port and all the water. The image softens because of that whether you like it or not and shooting with small apertures means that diffraction limits performance of all lenses substantially. Just how much difference do people expect between these lenses underwater?
I'd add that all my Nikon macros, even the 60, exceeded their spec of 1:1. My Canon 180mm just met the spec and my Canon 100mm only reached 7:8. A bit of a disappointment but not a big deal. I think the only real differences in macro peformance between the systems are in the perspective differences: 50 vs 60 and 180 vs 200. For super high power, the 200 offers noticably more power than the 180 does. I wish the 180 were longer.
If you believe the guys at Photodo, the canon 50 mm macro is slightly sharper than the Nikkor 60 mm macro (4.4 vs 4.2), both are excellent. The sigma 50 mm is also 4.2.
Bill
Thanks to you all for your input! I'll be a "sharper" buyer now!
Larry
Thom Hogan is predicting we might finally get a AFS (perhaps even VR) 105 micro by around 2007! But that is a long time to wait :shock:
an AFS VR 105 would be pretty awesome underwater! And now that I just bought the 105mm :roll:
Hey UWphotoNewbie - at least you'll be getting macro pictures of something for the next two years while you wait!!
YUP! and I'll bet that post VR/AFS/(insert favorite innovation here) the 105mm still will give great pictures.
Everyone seems to love this lens. I had to try it myself.
Look forward to seeing your piccies with it uwpnbie ('scuse the abbrev)
