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Macro length for baby photos: value of the additional working distnace


jyoungman

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<p>I'm expecting to take some photos of a newborn (mine) in October. I had planned to use an 85mm lens with an extension ring for the detail shots of hands, toes and so on. But I realised few days ago that this is probably going to be frustrating, since every time I want to take a shot from more than a small distance I'll need to change lens (since with the extension ring on it, my 85mm no longer focuses to medium distances, let alone infinity).<br>

So the obvious strategy is to use a macro lens, but I don't have one. I guess my choice is between macro lenses in the 100mm range and those in the 150mm range (full-frame 35mm, so of course these are actual focal lengths). At 1:1 I think that's a minimum working distance (between the end of the lens and the subject) of about 150mm for the f/2.8 Nikon 105mm macro lens and 194mm for the f/2.8 Sigma 150mm macro lens. <br>

[Here I have ruled out the f/4 Nikon 200mm lens. It would provide an extra 5cm of working distance, but the extra stop for the other lenses is probably worthwhile since I won't be able to use flash. Also I'm gong to assume the shorter macro lenses have better bokeh, since they're more often used for portrait work. I initially thought I'd need to rule the 200mm out for price reasons anyway, but it turns out the prices are not as incredible as I first thought.]<br>

In practice is the extra 50mm of MWD (of the Sigma 150 over the Nikkor 105) important for baby photos? How would you weight that extra working distance against other differences in the lens?</p>

 

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<p>The extra working distance could make things more difficult. If you're trying to aim down at your child in a crib, you won't be able to get a whole body shot even with a 105mm. Check the field of view with a program like f/Calc. You might even prefer a 60mm.</p>

<p>Also, the bokeh on macro lenses is often not wonderful. They're not optimized for that, rather for flat field and (obviously) good performance close-up.</p>

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<p>Actually, I've been pretty happy with the bokeh on my 90mm Tamron, and lust after the 150mm f/2.8 Sigma partly because it seems to have good bokeh - the latter is much more expensive, of course (especially the OS version, which might help for your lighting concerns). I'm not saying they're in the class of the DC lenses, but I've no complaints - a lot of the background of a macro lens is often out of focus, after all. The Micro-Nikkor 200 f/4 does seem to have unpleasant bokeh, though. (So does the 85mm f/1.8, if that's what you're already using; these things are relative.)<br />

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I concur that a straight-down shot of a baby with a telephoto lens is going to need some height, especially at 150mm. Bear in mind that many wide angles will actually focus pretty close (especially fish-eyes), and that even a baby's appendages are quite large compared with a sensor when we're talking macro distances.<br />

<br />

Good luck, James - and congratulations!</p>

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<p>James, I've shot many baby photos both of my own children and others. It doesn't need to be as complicated as you're trying to make it. Shoot your basic baby pictures with whatever lens you like and get all of the normal distance shots out of the way. Then put the extension ring on the 85 and make your closeup shots all at one time. No need to be going back and forth, just do normal shots as one batch and closeup shots as one batch. The closeup shots are always a nice touch, but they are secondary to the main portrait of the face or full length. You only need a couple of finished shots, so it's hardly worth buying a new lens.</p>
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