which is the best and most inexpensive macro lens

<p>I need someone to recommend the best and the least expensive macro lens for my Nikon D70. I sell on eBay and I need a macro lens for my Nikon D70, or so I'm told, to take quality, close-up pictures. Normally, I use my Olympus 800 digital but its not doing a very good job when I take pictures of my sea glass. I can't include a link to my eBay page, but if you don't know what sea glass please do a google or yahoo search. Thanks!</p>

 

<p>Debbie - what lenses do you have for your D70 at the moment? If you have a 50mm f1.8 then you can add a lens onto the front which works well. Genuine macro lenses are not cheap sadly, but the 60mm f2.8 AF-D is excellent and now there is a new model of this lens you can get the previous model much cheaper. I would also say to look out for some of the older manual focus lenses (available second hand) like the 55mm f2.8, but with the D70 you would loose metering.</p>

<p>Ian</p>

<p>Hi Debbie,</p>

<p>Ian's choice of the 2nd hand <strong>55mm f/2.8 Ai micro</strong> lens or a <strong>55mm f/3.5 Ai micro</strong> which I have are very inexpensive but high quality options at under US $85 or thereabouts but you will have to perform the metering yourself on the D70 - not impossible by any stretch.</p>

<p>I'd also second the 60mm f/2.8 AF-D micro Nikkor as being the next best alternative- this lens will function 100% on a D70 - it's an excellent lens - I'm kicking myself for selling mine........ </p>

<p>To answer your question: See if you can find a used Vivitar 100mm f/3.5 autofocus macro. I bought mine new for a little over a hundred dollars maybe six or seven years ago. It is flimsy, and makes rattling noises as it focuses, but it is optically excellent. Should work well for a lens that stays in one place (where you have you products) and doesn't get knocked around traveling in a camera bag.</p>

<p>However, I doubt that the problem you're experiencing is the fault of the little Olympus, but rather of lighting. Read a book that has been recommended on this site many times: Light Science and Magic -- An Introduction to Photographic Lighting, by Fil Hunter, Steven Biver and Paul Fuqua. I think they are currently on the Third Edition. Unless you are already an expert at lighting, it will do wonders for your close-up photography.</p>

<p>Debbie,<br>

Are you using the flash with your Olympus camera? Maybe you could try turning it off, and using a tripod with a some fixed lighting. There also was a post here recently about photographing watches and some of those tips might apply with your sea glass.<br>

I you want the lens, the 55mm is good, and the 50mm with close-up diopter could work too, but you will still want to play with the lighting. good luck,<br>

Paul</p>

<p>Not sure a lens will help you, but I second the choice of the Vivitar 100mm macro as a good & cheap lens. Post a link to a photo you don't like so we can see what it is you really need.<br>

Kent in SD</p>

<p>Nikkor 55mm f3.5! (or f2.8)</p>

<p>Will do great stuff for this kind of shooting, it's cheap, and if you don't use flash, you'll probably get better results.</p>

<p>Debbie, since you're not spamming your ebay auctions it's okay with me if you specify the name of your ebay store or vendor ID. That'll help us make more specific suggestions.</p>

<p>It's possible to use a rather modest P&S digital cameras to make perfectly good illustrations for online sales. I often use my Olympus P&S digicam for this purpose. Frankly, it's easier to set up for this stuff than my Nikons with Micro Nikkors. In part this is because the tiny sensor size facilitates tremendous depth of field with excellent sharpness at only f/8. I switch to the Nikon and macro gear only when I need more sophisticated multiple flash setups. And then I need to stop down to f/16-f/32 for the same effect. It's not always a better option.</p>

<p>Before committing to a bunch of new equipment - because a macro lens alone won't make much difference unless you also have two or more suitable lights, reflectors, diffusers, backdrops, etc. - you might review some of the illustrated tutorials on the <a href="http://ny.webphotoschool.com/">NY Web Photo School</a> site which offers some very good lessons in small product illustration.</p>

<p>If your Olympus digicam offers closeup focusing at the middle or telephoto end of the zoom, use that. You'll get less distortion and more working room for adjusting lights and reflectors. After you're certain you've exhausted the possibilities for your Olympus, lights, reflectors and diffusers, then you'll probably find a dedicated macro lens for your dSLR to offer some advantages.</p>

<p>I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying a good macro lens for their Nikon (I use the 55/3.5 manual focus version), but it's not always necessary for online product illustrations.</p>

When inexpensive macro/micro lens is discussed, I always hear a 90mm TAMRON macro lens highly regarded. I do not have it, but certainly others can feed you with information about this lens.

<p>I'll third the plug for the Vivitar/Cosina/Promaster(?) 100/3.5 AF Macro. They don't pop up too often, but it is a low priced gem of a lens.</p>

<p>60mm F2.8 D. Nikon has replaced it with a new G version. So places like KEH have multiple choices in the $250-$350 price range. It's $500 new if I remember correctly. </p>

<p>Since nobody has mentioned it, the <a href="http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/90mm.asp">Tamron 90mm</a> is a widely liked and recommended product. I have it and it is a very sharp and contrasty lens. I like the extra working distance this focal length gives over the 50-60mm range, but I would like to someday investigate the 180mm length that a lot of people also like.</p>

<p>EDIT: Oops....looks like Frank mentioned it already.</p>

Why do you want to send her looking for a macro lens when she could simply use diopters for a lot less? A set of diopters

may do the trick, and you won't need to invest in a lens. These are simply lenses that, like filters, are placed in the front of

the lens. They reduce the minimum focusing distance, and allow you to use your same lens and get close to the subject.

Of course, you'll lose some light in the process, but then, there's always flash to compensate.

 

Take care and have fun shopping!

<p>Francisco.</p>

<p>2 reasons. 1. Micro lenses work better and are a better more well-rounded addition to your kit and 2. the 55mm MF micros are so cheap that they cost, in many cases, even less than a decent close-up lens set.</p>

<p>To add to the replies (from others and from me) that suggest the camera is not the problem, take a look at <a href="../photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00QIEX">this photo.net thread</a> about lighting, which has several examples. In fact, there is a wealth of information on <a href="../photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum">photo.net's lighting forum</a> . Among the reasons I suggested Biver and Fuqua's book is that they have some astonishing examples of the photography of glass. I know sea glass is different, but that book is still bound to be helpful. Since you are into sea glass, you are into finding wonderful things in the world. That book is such a find.</p>

<p>As Kent said above, it would help us if you would post an example. Lex (who is a moderator here) specifically said it would be O.K. for you to direct us to your sales site, so you can get more specific suggestions.</p>

<p>Francisco Solares-Larrave</p>

<p>I'm with Peter Hamm, the only decent diopters I'd recommend are Nikon's own diopters which alone in second hand condition, cost the same or as much as a good 55mm Ai micro Nikkor.</p>