Photography - Technique and Equipment considerations

[Taryn]

Thanks
Yeah, and I'm even more confused than I was when I first got it.

I will post some pics for you later and you can let me know what I'm doing wrong.

What I did want to ask you about was macro lenses. I wanted a lens that has a short focusing distance, more like the lens on the Fuji that I am used to using and had such good results with. The subject can be almost touching the lens on that and you can still focus perfectly. Most of the lenses I have looked at for the Nikon D90 seem to have a minimum focusing distance of between 7 to 12" and don't look as if they produce as much detail. Do you know of any others that are less than that?

[CJ]

Thanks
Yeah, and I'm even more confused than I was when I first got it.

I will post some pics for you later and you can let me know what I'm doing wrong.

What I did want to ask you about was macro lenses. I wanted a lens that has a short focusing distance, more like the lens on the Fuji that I am used to using and had such good results with. The subject can be almost touching the lens on that and you can still focus perfectly. Most of the lenses I have looked at for the Nikon D90 seem to have a minimum focusing distance of between 7 to 12" and don't look as if they produce as much detail. Do you know of any others that are less than that?

Traditional optics actually want to get as much distance as possible between the lens and the subject, the close focus of the Fuji is a serendipitous result of the smaller sensor in the camera. What you get from the Nikon is a lot of high quality pixels from which one can crop a usable image. Take the bee leg, the length in the shot is about 1mm but on my screen it appears about 100mm long, a magnification factor of 100! Simply being able to focus closer isn't the whole story in getting a usable close up image. Does that help?

[Taryn]

Yes, that makes sense.........it also explains why I can't find one.

These are some of the lenses that I have been looking at.........not sure which one would be best though. Is it better to get a Nikon lens or doesn't it really matter?

http://www.europe-nikon.com/product/en_ ... rview.html

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses ... avigator=5

http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/90mm.asp

http://www.tokinalens.com/products/toki ... 100-a.html

[SnowLeopard]

not completely sure how you managed to get that in focus

[CJ]

Panning, and a lot of tries (200 ish)

I switched to manual focus and focused on a branch over which the birds were flying, I then set the camera to continuous advance (3 frames a second) and then just sat down and tracked the birds as they flew past, I didn't even look through the view finder I just concentrated on panning and shooting.

This is one of the better frames, most were just blurs

[CJ]

And another blurry one

[FBM]

Except for that one crisp shot, your pics are starting to look more like mine now.

BTW, I decided on this lens. I think it'll keep me satisfied for a while on the short range stuff, since most of my intended targets are better suited for intermediate and long-range lenses. I almost bought the pre-VR version before I double-checked.

Also, it finally penetrated my Cro-magnon skull that I can change the shutter speed and f-stop while still in S and A modes. I'd been working with the assumption that I had to first meter in S or A mode, then switch to manual and dial in what I wanted. Sometimes I'm surprised that I can dress myself in the mornings.

[CJ]

Except for that one crisp shot, your pics are starting to look more like mine now.

BTW, I decided on this lens. I think it'll keep me satisfied for a while on the short range stuff, since most of my intended targets are better suited for intermediate and long-range lenses. I almost bought the pre-VR version before I double-checked.

Also, it finally penetrated my Cro-magnon skull that I can change the shutter speed and f-stop while still in S and A modes. I'd been working with the assumption that I had to first meter in S or A mode, then switch to manual and dial in what I wanted. Sometimes I'm surprised that I can dress myself in the mornings.

That lens is fine as a landscape lens and general purpose short zoom.

[CJ]

Yes, that makes sense.........it also explains why I can't find one.

These are some of the lenses that I have been looking at.........not sure which one would be best though. Is it better to get a Nikon lens or doesn't it really matter?

http://www.europe-nikon.com/product/en_ ... rview.html

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses ... avigator=5

http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/90mm.asp

http://www.tokinalens.com/products/toki ... 100-a.html

Personally I wouldn't buy the 50mm or 60mm lenses, I would buy the 90mm or 100mm and I would add the Sigma 105mm to the list. But IF you can stretch to the cost the Nikor 100mm Vibration Reduction is worth it. You will never ever regret buying it once it's in your lens bag. If you buy any of the others you'll always have that nagging 'what if' in the back of your mind. The vibration reduction is worth it weight in gold on a Macro lens as shake is magnified when trying to focus up close and bugs 'bugger off' you often only get a few shots, they have to count.

[FBM]

That lens is fine as a landscape lens and general purpose short zoom.

I was experimenting with shutter speeds and managed to get this:

http://api.photoshop.com/home_dbb96af8e ... 7ad813a31c[/imgc]

As much as I drool over your macro work, I have to admit that there's nothing in this pic that screams of Korea, and that's the only angle I got. It sure ain't photography skillz. Yet.

[Taryn]

Yes, that makes sense.........it also explains why I can't find one.

These are some of the lenses that I have been looking at.........not sure which one would be best though. Is it better to get a Nikon lens or doesn't it really matter?

http://www.europe-nikon.com/product/en_ ... rview.html

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses ... avigator=5

http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/90mm.asp

http://www.tokinalens.com/products/toki ... 100-a.html

Personally I wouldn't buy the 50mm or 60mm lenses, I would buy the 90mm or 100mm and I would add the Sigma 105mm to the list. But IF you can stretch to the cost the Nikor 100mm Vibration Reduction is worth it. You will never ever regret buying it once it's in your lens bag. If you buy any of the others you'll always have that nagging 'what if' in the back of your mind. The vibration reduction is worth it weight in gold on a Macro lens as shake is magnified when trying to focus up close and bugs 'bugger off' you often only get a few shots, they have to count.

Thanks CJ, I do quite like the look of the Tamron 90mm. Have you got a link to the Nikon 100mm lens with vibration reduction, I've been googling but I can't find one?

[CJ]

Link to the Tamron lens http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/90mm.asp

Excellent review of the Tamron lens Vz the Canon 60mm. http://photo.net/equipment/canon/can-tam-macro/

It would appear the exchange rate has buggered up the price a bit it's now £329 'ish but I'd haggle and definitely get a copy of Amateur Photographer and look through the small adds in the back and consider Ebay for a second hand lens.

Link to the Sigma lens http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/macro/105mm.htm

Review of the Sigma lens http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Sigma ... Macro-4587

Prices £330 'ish http://www.camerapricebuster.com/Sigma_ ... DG_pc.html


Link to the Canon 60mm f2.8 http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product ... Macro_USM/

Review of Canon lens http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Canon ... o-USM-4429

Prices around £290!

Link to the Nikon 105mm f2.8 http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imagi ... /index.htm

Critical advantage! It has anti shake technology built in!

Review of lens http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022 ... svr105.asp

£600

Link to Nikon 60mm f2.8 beware two models! http://www.europe-nikon.com/family/en_G ... ad/26.html the G is the one to go for as it is newer and the AF is in the lens making it compatible with all Nikon bodies.

The G model come in at £420

So what to go for? I'd but a new Canon or Nikon body and a second hand Sigma or Tamron lens. I'd get a new body as it will have a guarantee and the body is way more complex than the lens. Second hand lenses are very cheap at the moment and macro lenses are sometimes bought on a whim and used very little. So find the lens first and buy the appropriate body to match. You don't need more than 5MP to print a whole frame to A4 and a 10PM sensor is more than adequate and allows good cropping of the image and still leaves enough to print to A4.

Whether or not you can get all this for £500 is an unknown quantity. If you are lucky you may find somebody on Ebay selling a body and lens within your budget in which case I would consider that.

Regards
Chris

Taryn

See the links above, in the original post

[SnowLeopard]

I use the Tamron 90mm. Lovely lens.

[CJ]

I use the Tamron 90mm. Lovely lens.

So I've heard and seen.

[Taryn]

Link to the Tamron lens http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/90mm.asp

Excellent review of the Tamron lens Vz the Canon 60mm. http://photo.net/equipment/canon/can-tam-macro/

It would appear the exchange rate has buggered up the price a bit it's now £329 'ish but I'd haggle and definitely get a copy of Amateur Photographer and look through the small adds in the back and consider Ebay for a second hand lens.

Link to the Sigma lens http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/macro/105mm.htm

Review of the Sigma lens http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Sigma ... Macro-4587

Prices £330 'ish http://www.camerapricebuster.com/Sigma_ ... DG_pc.html


Link to the Canon 60mm f2.8 http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product ... Macro_USM/

Review of Canon lens http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Canon ... o-USM-4429

Prices around £290!

Link to the Nikon 105mm f2.8 http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imagi ... /index.htm

Critical advantage! It has anti shake technology built in!

Review of lens http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022 ... svr105.asp

£600

Link to Nikon 60mm f2.8 beware two models! http://www.europe-nikon.com/family/en_G ... ad/26.html the G is the one to go for as it is newer and the AF is in the lens making it compatible with all Nikon bodies.

The G model come in at £420

So what to go for? I'd but a new Canon or Nikon body and a second hand Sigma or Tamron lens. I'd get a new body as it will have a guarantee and the body is way more complex than the lens. Second hand lenses are very cheap at the moment and macro lenses are sometimes bought on a whim and used very little. So find the lens first and buy the appropriate body to match. You don't need more than 5MP to print a whole frame to A4 and a 10PM sensor is more than adequate and allows good cropping of the image and still leaves enough to print to A4.

Whether or not you can get all this for £500 is an unknown quantity. If you are lucky you may find somebody on Ebay selling a body and lens within your budget in which case I would consider that.

Regards
Chris

Taryn

See the links above, in the original post

Sorry, I thought you meant there was another Nikon lens I hadn't looked at before, I got confused with the 100/105mm......it's probably all getting too technical for me now.