Nikon Macro Lens

[Tim7]

Hello,
Just received my Nikon D40 and was wondering what Nikon lens is good for doing macro work? I've seen adapter magnifiers, is there any value to them?. I want to do macro photography on watches. The lenses I have are the 18-55 and a 55-200mm DX lenses. I was thinking on getting the SB-400 flash next. Any recommendations on a camera bag that will hold the camera, lenses a flash and some accessories? Also what good quality filters do you recommend? Sorry I'm in the dark with all the new cameras and equipment. Technology sure has changed. We didn't have the internet then to ask questions.. I used to use a Canon F1 and a Nikonos 3 for when I was much younger for general and underwater photography.

Thank You,
Tim

[Dylan8i]

macro lenses really depend on how tiny of subjects you want to take, and how far away you need to be when your shooting. nikon has 3 lense 60mm 105mm and 180 (200?) mm. all should reach 1:1 magnifaction ( life size)

for the d40 you would need AFS for autofocus (which many people reccomend you DON'T use for macros) but you may want it for non macro photography. as far as i know only the 60mm has an afs version.



your other option is to use extension tubes. then stack in between the camera and lens and can be used to reach far past 1:1.

i would reccomend staying away from filter magnifiers as the degrade image quality greatly.

[Hammster]

Hello Tim7,
One of my sons and I have a D40. I don't have a macro lens and he does. We got him a 60mm f2.8 that he loves. It doesn't autofocus on the D40, but as mentioned previously you likely won't use the AF much when using it as a macro lens. The other, minor, issue with a 60mm macro is you pretty much have to get right on top of the subject. The 105mm macro (Micro in Nikon-speak) allows you to stay a bit farther back from the subject.

Surprisingly, the 18-55mm kit lens that comes with the D40 does a great job at close-up photography. Not quite macro close-up, but you can do some cropping after the shot and give a pretty close approximation of a macro shot.

The SB400 is a good flash. It has a guide number of 98, which isn't the most powerful out there, but it is way better than the onboard flash. I have the SB400 and am happy with it for most uses. Only real complaint is it can't be swivelled. The flash can be tilted for bounce flash, but it can't be swivelled.

If you are doing watch photography, it might be best to invest (or make) a small light box to set up your watch display inside. You get well diffused light and can really control the DOF too. Be sure to use a tripod to ensure sharp shots.

[Dylan8i]

nikon has an af-s version (will focus on the d40,d90 etc) of the 60mm f2.8 macro, now. i have it and it is a stellar lense, faster focusing than the non af-s version and great IQ.

[Axle]

The 60 1:2.8D is a brilliant lens. I use mine when I'm doing dedicated Macro work.

When I'm just out in the field my sigma 18-50 2.8 has good Macro Ability.

[Frog]

Probably......he's posted several times here and there and they all look like copy/paste from one site or another. Usually way off base from the questions but at least its not totally spam.

[NorCalAl]

I recently got the 105VR and as well as being an outstanding macro, it's terrific as a mid-range tele, too. Wonderful bokeh and fast, accurate af along with VR. Plus, once you really get into macro, it's much more than a beginner lens - it'll take you a long way.

[SmartWombat]

You miss the point, the question was about macro lenses.

[spiraleyes]

The D40 is a compact and lightweight high-performance camera that makes it possible for anyone to create stunning images with an SLR. Designed specifically for ease of use, the D40 lets you use the kind of digital and optical technologies that professionals use without the need to deal with complex functions.

Whatever you shoot there is an automated Digital Vari Program that lets you achieve fantastic results in any situation. Help menus are easy to navigate and the in-camera retouch menu makes it simple to edit and enhance your images on the large, bright 2.5-inch LCD monitor.

Perfect for people who want an affordable camera to explore what it is that makes SLR photography stand out, the D40 is so user-friendly that all you have to do is concentrate on the scene you want to photograph and the camera's advanced Nikon technologies will take care of the rest

Is this just copy/paste from a Nikon PR site?