I don’t know how Tuesday came and went so fast but, I totally missed Tech Tuesday on Tuesday but, I figured any day is better than non so, here is Tech Tuesday…on Thursday! I did a post over at the Nikon Digital Learning Center about macro lenses and thought it would be a good topic for Tech Tuesday as well…
It seems that most people have a macro lens, extension tube or close up filter in their bag to get in close for increased detail.
Nikon currently has 5 micro lenses to choose from…AF 60mm 2.8D, AF-S 60mm 2.8G, AF-S 105mm 2.8G VR, AF-S DX 85mm 3.5G, AF 200mm f4D. (Canon and other brands have similar lenses that have similar features and specs)
Shown are AF 200mm f4D, AF-S 105mm 2.8G VR, AF 60mm 2.8D
They all provide a 1:1 reproduction (lifesize on an FX body), 1 is designed to work with DX bodies only, the other four work well on both FX & DX cameras. 3 are f2.8 maximum aperture (AF 60mm, AF-S 60mm, AF-S 105mm), 1 is f3.5 (85mm 3.5 DX) and the last one is f4 (AF 200mm f4).
They all focus at different minimum focus distances, the size, weight and cost is vastly different from the least expensive to the most. So, how do you decide which micro lens is best for you?
Let’s begin by comparing the specifications of each lens…
1. Angle of View DX Format (FX Format)…rounded to nearest whole number
-AF and AF-S 60mm 2.8…26 degrees (39 degrees FX)
-AF-S DX 85mm 3.5…18 degrees
-AF-S 105mm 2.8G VR…15 degrees (23 degrees FX)
-AF 200mm f4D…8 degrees (12 degrees FX)
As you can see, the longer focal length lenses have a narrower field of view allowing you to control the background better. The shorter focal length lenses allow you to include more of the background in the frame.
2. Minimum Focus Distance…
-AF and AF-S 60mm 2.8 .72′/.6′ respectively
-AF-S DX 85mm 3.5 .9′
-AF-S 105mm 2.8G VR 1′
-AF 200mm f4D 1.6′
The longer focal length lenses allow you to focus at a greater distance to avoid scaring off your subject (insects, butterflies, etc). The shorter focal length lenses allow you to move within mere inches of your subject. (Depth of Field is extremely shallow at minimum focus on all macro lenses. Here is a link to an excellent site that has a depth of field calculator… http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
3. Filter Size
-AF and AF-S 60mm 2.8 62mm
-AF-S 85mm 3.5 52mm
-AF-S 105mm 2.8 VR 62mm
-AF 200mm f4 62mm
This is good to know if you have other lenses of the same filter size. I would not buy a lens strictly by this criteria.
4. Weight
-AF and AF-S 60mm 2.8 15.5/15oz respectively
-AF-S 85mm 3.5 12.5oz
-AF-S 105mm 2.8 VR 29oz
-AF 200mm f4 41.8oz
How much weight are you willing and able to carry, to handle? The longer focal length lenses weigh more.
5. Cost
-AF and AF-S 60mm 2.8 $519.95/$595.95 ESP respectively
-AF-S 85mm 3.5 $529.95 ESP
-AF-S 105mm 2.8 VR $984.95 ESP
-AF 200mm f4 41.8oz $1794.95 ESP
The AF-S lenses (60mm 2.8G, 85mm 3.5G & 105mm 2.8G VR all have Silent Wave motors for quicker and quieter focus as well as the ability to manually take control of the focus ring without having to switch to manual focus.
The AF-S 60mm 2.8G and the AF-S 105mm 2.8G VR both have Nikon’s newest “Nano Crystal” coating for improved sharpness. The AF-S 105mm 2.8G VR also has vibration reduction to allow hand holding at slower shutter speeds.
Keep in mind that on an FX body, the lenses are their true focal length and reproduction ratio at minimum focus distance. On DX bodies, the lenses have a 1.5X effective magnification (crop factor) that gives even greater than 1:1 reproduction at minimum focus distance.
There are many factors that go into selecting just the right micro lens for your needs. These are some of the criteria I look at when deciding which lens best suits my needs for a given subject.
Tech Facts: All images captured with Nikon D2X/D3, AF-S 105mm VR, AF 200mm micro lenses on Lexar Digital Media.
