Settle or go for broke?! macro lens comparison
- Thread starter ToXIc
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Meaning the angle is so wide that you won't be able to get close enough to fill the frama with a coral colony, particularly if the colony is very far into the aquarium.
Gary
Gary
Brent Ward
Fanworm farmer
I guess it depends on what your shooting with and what the images are going to be used for.
If your not blowing them up, then you can always crop into the frame. How much cropping you can do depends on the megapixels of your camera.
I use a 45, 90 & 180 for macro work shooting corals.
If your not blowing them up, then you can always crop into the frame. How much cropping you can do depends on the megapixels of your camera.
I use a 45, 90 & 180 for macro work shooting corals.
I dont have a 60mm but i have a 105mm on a nikon d90, here is a picture from my elegance coral
Gary is right on. The 60 mm will require you to get very close to the coral for a shot that will fill up the picture frame in the viewfinder. Additionally, while you can move the coral to the front of the tank near the glass, as you get closer, you will block the lighting.
If you can, get the 105mm lens. You will be much happier with it because you can shoot pictures of corals further back in the tank without having to move them closer to the front glass, get better shots without having to crop the picture in your software program (and potentially lose resolution), and use the tank lighting (or even add lighting) without a problem.
If you can, get the 105mm lens. You will be much happier with it because you can shoot pictures of corals further back in the tank without having to move them closer to the front glass, get better shots without having to crop the picture in your software program (and potentially lose resolution), and use the tank lighting (or even add lighting) without a problem.
Take a look at the tamron 90
CJO
Valuable Member
"mm" means Millimeter. To explain these numbers, 50mm is about what our eyes see. This is the field of view, of the lens. Think of a large picture or painting, covered with a black piece of paper. In this piece of paper, there's a hole cut out. The size of this hole determines what you can "see." The higher the mm number, the less you can see but the closer it is to you.
A 100mm lens will only allow you to see half of what a 50mm lens will show you, but what you see, through a 100mm lens, will appear to be twice as close, as through a 50mm lens.
Now, as for your lens purchase...
What types of photography will you be doing? If it's mainly for your aquariums, get the larger lens. If you do a lot of other types of photography, the 60mm would make a very nice portraiture or "walk around" lens. However, even the 105 mm will make an excellent portraiture lens, as long as you're able to get further away from your subject.
I shoot Canon and have a 50mm Prime and 100mm Macro Prime. I also have a 18-200mm variable zoom lens. For my aquarium photography, I use the 100mm Macro 99% of the time. For a "walk around lens," I typically use the 18-200mm but also use the 50mm and 100mm, especially in lower light conditions. For portraiture photography, I almost exclusively use the 100mm and 50mm, simply because prime lenses are always going to give you better results than a variable zoom lens.
A 100mm lens will only allow you to see half of what a 50mm lens will show you, but what you see, through a 100mm lens, will appear to be twice as close, as through a 50mm lens.
Now, as for your lens purchase...
What types of photography will you be doing? If it's mainly for your aquariums, get the larger lens. If you do a lot of other types of photography, the 60mm would make a very nice portraiture or "walk around" lens. However, even the 105 mm will make an excellent portraiture lens, as long as you're able to get further away from your subject.
I shoot Canon and have a 50mm Prime and 100mm Macro Prime. I also have a 18-200mm variable zoom lens. For my aquarium photography, I use the 100mm Macro 99% of the time. For a "walk around lens," I typically use the 18-200mm but also use the 50mm and 100mm, especially in lower light conditions. For portraiture photography, I almost exclusively use the 100mm and 50mm, simply because prime lenses are always going to give you better results than a variable zoom lens.
No, no, no! The extension tubes will force you to get even closer to the subject, but with the 60mm, you will already be on top of it, and, with the tubes, perhaps even to touch the front of the lens glass. This will only compound the problem of having to get too close to the subject with the 60mm lens and block the light.
If you get the Nikon 105mm or the Tamron 90mm, you can use the extension tube to get even closer because you will have the distance from the lens to the subject with these lenses.
If you get the Nikon 105mm or the Tamron 90mm, you can use the extension tube to get even closer because you will have the distance from the lens to the subject with these lenses.
Extension tubes have their purposes, but what you're looking for is not one of their purposes. Extension tubes allow you to focus on items, CLOSER than the lens would allow you to focus on them, otherwise. In other words, each lens has a Minimum Focus Distance. This distance is normally measured, from the camera sensor to the object. Let's say that distance is 8" and let's say that the lens is 5" long. So, now you can focus on an item 3" in front of the lens. So, slap an extension tube on and this cuts the Minimum Focus Distance down to about 5"-6", this varies according to the extension tube. Now you can focus on an item 5"-6" from the camera sensor, but you're still shooting with a 5" lens and the added length of the extension tube. No benefit at all, for aquarium macro photography.
Also, another drawback, to using extension tubes is that less light enters the sensor. This means that you have to shoot at a slower shutter speed, higher ISO or wider aperture setting.
One more drawback, is that the use of an extension tube creates a razor thin Depth of Field. This means that, if you're taking Macro shots of a coral, a couple of polyps will be in clear focus, while the remainder of the coral will be out of focus. Because of this, with an extension tube, shooting macro, you'll NEVER want to hand hold. You'll ALWAYS need to use a tripod.
Also, another drawback, to using extension tubes is that less light enters the sensor. This means that you have to shoot at a slower shutter speed, higher ISO or wider aperture setting.
One more drawback, is that the use of an extension tube creates a razor thin Depth of Field. This means that, if you're taking Macro shots of a coral, a couple of polyps will be in clear focus, while the remainder of the coral will be out of focus. Because of this, with an extension tube, shooting macro, you'll NEVER want to hand hold. You'll ALWAYS need to use a tripod.
OP
OP
Thanks for the detailed responses guys.
Yesterday I finally got my 1st dslr. A nikon D3100 and some other stuff but unfortunately I can't play with until Monday after I do an exam. ( I don't want to be distracted by it )
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Yesterday I finally got my 1st dslr. A nikon D3100 and some other stuff but unfortunately I can't play with until Monday after I do an exam. ( I don't want to be distracted by it )
____________________________
Sent from my iThingy using Tapatalk
Brent Ward
Fanworm farmer
The extension tubes don't cause thinner DOF, it's a byproduct of the magnification increase. The higher the magnification, the thinner the DOF.
Also, if the light is falling from above, and your close to the glass, the lens isn't going to block the light. If your using flash, it's very hard to light things the closer the lens is unless you use a ring flash.
Also, if the light is falling from above, and your close to the glass, the lens isn't going to block the light. If your using flash, it's very hard to light things the closer the lens is unless you use a ring flash.
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