dilemma

Hi guys, it's me again, Tam.

 

First off, I'd like to share some good news with you guys. I've graduated from my D40, and am waiting for the D80

to arrive in a couple of days. Second, I'd like to thank those of you who gave me great feedbacks on where to get

cheap new/old glass, and the answer seemed to be either B&H or KEH. Great!

 

But I'm facing a dilemma now that I finally get my hands on the D80: which glass to buy. Based on my SMALL budget

and experience, I've narrowed it down to these 2: Nikon 50mm F1.8, or Sigma 50mm f2.8 Macro (minimum focus

0.185m, or about 7.3in, in case you guys don't have that number on top of your head). I've been in love with

macro photog since the first day i landed my fingers on a camera, but I also have a passion for great (or the

lack thereof) depth of field (i.e., the blurred background is just lovely on anything). I know the Sigma has a

couple steps difference, but it can do macro, which the Nikkor cannot do.

 

If you were in my position, what would you go for? Any comments appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Tam.

One person's "macro" is another person's shot of a dinner plate. What sort of macro subject matter is talking to you?

You may find that 50mm is pretty short for smaller macro subjects ... but it depends on what you like to shoot.

Insects? Flowers? Headshot portraits?

I meant macro as in "blown up" stuff: bugs, flowers, pens, nuts and bolts, velcro, etc... pretty much everything under the sun. To me, things look cool when you "blow" them up!

 

On the other hand, I also like to practice more on my portraits skill as well. It is something I'd definitely like to improve.

Unless your budget is really low, the 50 1.8 nikkor should be cheap enough to be purchased alongside another lens as a

minimal investment. As far as the macro lens is concerned, I think it would be a good idea for you to purchase a lens that

you can live/grow with; making it something that will remain useful (won't be quickly discarded or sold at a bad price) in the

long run. One of the 60 2.8 micro(s) could be a good idea. (I been thinking about gettings the new af-s 60 w/ the N coating

for myself) Though many would prefer the 105 2.8 VR over the 60(s) for serious macro works.

The Nikkor 50mm f1.8 is around $110, the Sigma 50mm f2.8 macro is about $220-$270. Right now I'm trying to sell my 55-200mm VR because the new D80 comes with 18-135mm, and I've used the 55-200mm only once since I bought it last year. Now I figure I'd rather sell it a get something that I would get the most use out of.

 

I can only afford one of the two. One has big aperture, one is macro, and I love the both features. So hard to choose!!! Help.....

>> "I've been in love with macro photog since the first day i landed my fingers on a camera"

 

In some cases, certain regular lenses, preferrably something that focuses relatively closely such as the 18-55 VR would be good enough for casual "macro style" photography. Whether or not you need a macro lens largely depends on how you shoot.

 

I have no experience with the Sigma macro lens, and you might need to experiment with it to see whether you really need its close focusing capabilities and whether it provides good image quality.

 

Relatively speaking, you can't really go wrong with the 50 1.8.

Bytheway, the $100+ saved by getting the 50 1.8 instead of the Sigma could be spend on something like the 70-300 G. That

will provide you with more range than the 55-200 VR that you're going to sell, although it's not a well-built or sharp lens.

Everyone should own the Nikon 50 mm F1.8. For the price it's the best lens bargain in the world, and is of superb quality.

Buy the 50mm f/1.8 and also a 52mm threaded Nikon mount reversal ring -shoot the 50mm lens reverse for macro work - again a compromise but the cheapest option. If you are serious about macro then you cannot better a dedicated 1:1 macro lens.

Get the Sigma. You like macro, and it will allow you to focus very closely. If you plan on doing a lot of this stuff, a decent tripod would also be important.

 

 

Kent in SD

I would advise stick with Nikon ~ as already mentioned here, you can reverse the 50/1.8 for macro shots. You could also invest in an extension tube set, I have used the AF Kenko tubes with the 50/1.8 and the 85/1.8 and it is useful (esp. if you have back problems!) to have AF when taking macro shots.

"If you are serious about macro then you cannot better a dedicated 1:1 macro lens."

The Sigma 50mm is a dedicated 1:1 macro lens; and that's where my dilemma is :-(

 

I know most of us would like to have Nikon glass instead of 3rd party, but you guys don't think Sigma is a good choice? Don't mean to disagree, but the Sigma can [almost] perform as if it's the Nikkor, just a little slower. That's what I have in mind right now, no?

don't know your budget but..

 

1-stick with Nikon.

 

I think you'll have more fun with a longer macro lens than a revered 50, the Nikon 105mm 2.8 or 4 AI/AIS macro are great lenses and lot of fun to "blow" stuff up.. ;)

 

with a bigger budget you can go for the 105mm 2.8D or even better the AFS VR.

 

there you have few shots with the 105mm VR

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/Family/08%20Labor%20Day/_DSC3103-1.jpg?t=1220971110

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/Family/08%20Labor%20Day/_DSC3095-1.jpg?t=1220971160

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/Family/08%20Labor%20Day/_DSC3186-1.jpg?t=1220971191

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/Family/08%20Labor%20Day/_DSC3187-1.jpg?t=1220971203

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/Family/08%20Labor%20Day/_DSC3158-1.jpg?t=1220971230

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/Family/08%20Labor%20Day/_DSC3269-1.jpg?t=1220971261

Tam, I personally don't have too much faith in Sigma. The optical formulas of their lenses seem to be ok, but their lenses tend to suffer form quality control problems. I briefly owned a Sigma 10-20, due to various problems I had with it I decided to exchange it for a 16-85 Nikkor instead. The Nikkor is significantly better in terms of image quality compare to the Sigma. The fact that a high zoom ratio normal zoom Nikkor can outperform a dedicated small sensor ultra-wide from Sigma could point to the differences "beneath the surface".

 

Will you still want to use the Sigma if several years later you got better cameras/lenses? I think it's better to invest equipments that keep their values in the long run. The 105 2.8 VR micro is obviously a fantastic pro-grade macro lens, but it's way too expensive for you. I think the 60 2.8 micro could be a good choice for you instead.

Looks like the Sigma lens doesn't much of love from the majority of people around. I guess I'll get the Nikkor 50mm for now, and then wait until I save up enough money to get either the Nikkor 60mm or 105mm Macro. Most likely it will be the 60mm due to, again, my low budget.

 

Thanks a bunch for your input guys. You saved me from wasting my money on the Sigma.

I think that's a good decision, Tam. And just so you know, I own two Sigma lenses that I like a great deal, and use all the time (the 30/1.4 HSM and the 10-20 HSM). But for macro, it was Nikkor 60/2.8 Micro for me. But for certain smaller items, you've got to get very close. On the other hand, a longer macro lens would make me have to get too far away on larger items (say, a hat or a plate of food). The 50/1.8 is a very good place for you to start, since it's a very useful lens, and you'll quickly get a sense for whether it's the right focal length for you in general.

Hi guys,

 

I totally forgot to ask: for the Nikkor 60mm macro: which one is better, AF or AF-S???

The AF-S uses better glass, and it's going to focus more quickly and more quietly... but for very careful work, you'll probably be manually focusing most of the time anyway. But the new version's bokeh is less harsh, and the lens's external length doesn't change as you focus up close. All things considered, I'd go with the newer version... but if you got a really good deal on the previous version, you wouldn't regret it.