I have always loved macro photography but I don't have a macro lens and am currently saving to buy one, I have a Nikon d90 and I really have no idea what lens to buy, let alone what macro lenses are out there.
So please help me out with what the best choice would be and price range.
I use extension tubes and a 35mm prime lens which works quite well but if I was shopping I would probably go with the Tamron 90mm f2.8 SP Di USD VC it always seems to get good reviews.
I can not say, which on is the best, but I'm quite happy with the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Richard @rjb71 is talking about. Price really ok and a great portrait lens too. My fav lens.
The Sigma lens mentioned by Rosie @rosiekind is amongst the best of its (prime lens) type. Still, it is not cheap, and the resolving power of your D90 will, unfortunately, not do it justice.
If you do want to shoot "close up" you might have an inexpensive solution if you pick your longest lens, and shoot at that longest distance, at the minimum "focus distance." With most cropped sensor lenses, this will be less than 2 feet and often even closer. Remember the distance is from the subject to the focal plane, and not the front element of the lens ,so it is often as close as you might want to get anyway.
@frankhymus hi there frank, thanks for all your advice I am a bit of a fish out of water with th photography lingo and am a little lost eeeek what do you mean by "the resolving power of the d90?" I am not sure what that means does that mean that even if I get that lens Rosie said that my camera won't take great pics because it's not strong enough? The longest lens I have is the 18-105ml... I want to be able to shoot like reallly really close in like super close to ants, pollen in flowers, just really tiny things. I feel so silly asking because maybe to everyone else it's perfectly clear what uoinexplained but did you mean with my longest lens stand a little way away from my subject then zoom in as close I can get with a wide aperture? So sorry if it's a silly question, I just want to learn and I figure if I don't get what has been said I'd better ask 😀
@frankhymus Frank's advice is right on target, but I should mention that I used a D90 for several years and the first prime lens I bought was the Nikon 105mm macro (Nikon calls it micro). For many years, when I was doing more closeup work, it was my favorite lens. Keep in mind, it will act more like a 133mm macro because of the crop sensor. If on a budget, there are other great options. But if you look for this one used, you may be able to get it for a reasonable price (I've used keh.com as one source). If you are ever going to move to full frame, I'd invest in a full frame lens. I was advised to do so and in the end, it saved me a lot of money as I could use the same lenses as I'd bought for my D90. Good luck in your decision-making!
If you stand a little ways back and zoom with your 105, that is what Frank is talking about. The further back you stand, the more it kind of narrows in on what you are focusing on. But you can't get the detail you'd get with the micro lens.
Last thing -- there are no questions to hesitate to ask! All of us started where you are...and simply asked questions along the way.
Recently the magazine Practical Photography ran an article called 1:1 Macro Lenses - 10 of the best. They tested all 10 lenses on image sharpness at all apertures, and image defects (vignetting and fringing).
There were pros and cons for each, such as speed of auto focus, weight, image stabilisation, and price. Then each lens was rated on a star scale. I will list them here for you, with the highest star lenses being the most recommended:
5 stars
Sigma Macro 105mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Tamron SP 90mm f2.8 DI Macro VC USD
LAOWA 15mm f4 Macro
4 stars
Canon MP-E 65mm f2.8 1-5X Macro Photo
Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM
Nikon AF-S Micro 60mm f2.8G ED
Samyang 100mm f2.8 ED UMC Macro
Sigma APO Macro 150mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Tamron SP AF 180mm f3.5 Di LD IF Macro
3 stars
Tokina AT-X M100mm f2.8 AF PRO D'
If you would like me to email you the whole article, please let me know your email address.
All my macros are taken with a Canon lens, so I can't personally recommend one for your Nikon.
@taffy thank you so much that makes a lot of sense and I will deff look for that lens. In reality I would love love love to get a full frame tomorrow and in hind sight I should have waited before buying the d90 but at that stage I had no idea how to use manual settings and so thought the d90 was amazing and now that I use fully manual I relies its limitations but I'm going to have to ride it out till I save for anything else arghhhhh!
I have the Nikon 105 micro lens and I absolutely love it! I did buy it new but I considered it a good investment and I'm glad I did. I have an old d5000 it works great and I know that when I can afford to upgrade to a full frame this lens will work splendidly. The only lens I own that is not a nikon is my Tokina 16-28 f/2.8 I do love this lens and it works great so i do think you can get non-ninon lens that are excellent but you really need to do your research on each one. I agree with Taffy....what will you want to buy after your d90? If its full frame then make sure the lens you buy will be compatible. Good luck!
@desraemelville Because any full frame lens on a crop sensor camera acts that way. Multiply by about 1.5 to get how it will behave. I don't know how to explain why but it has to do with size of sensor.
@dianen thanks so much Dianne I've done some research on that lens now too and I am definitely going to save for that one, so you have pics on your project with this lens that you can post here at all? Would love to see what you have done 😀
@dianen thanks so much Diane very cool very cool Ken Rockwell did an article and one of his cons was this lens not being able to auto focus I think he said he recommended another lens that was a bit more expensive but if this can take super close up shots I will be super pleased like pollen in a flower etc 😀 You have been super helpful!
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If you do want to shoot "close up" you might have an inexpensive solution if you pick your longest lens, and shoot at that longest distance, at the minimum "focus distance." With most cropped sensor lenses, this will be less than 2 feet and often even closer. Remember the distance is from the subject to the focal plane, and not the front element of the lens ,so it is often as close as you might want to get anyway.
Take a look at some of my images shot this way. Not to say there is anything special about then, but...
http://365project.org/frankhymus/365/2017-04-15
http://365project.org/frankhymus/365/2017-04-22
http://365project.org/frankhymus/365/2016-09-21
Yes, they are all flowers.
If you stand a little ways back and zoom with your 105, that is what Frank is talking about. The further back you stand, the more it kind of narrows in on what you are focusing on. But you can't get the detail you'd get with the micro lens.
Last thing -- there are no questions to hesitate to ask! All of us started where you are...and simply asked questions along the way.
There were pros and cons for each, such as speed of auto focus, weight, image stabilisation, and price. Then each lens was rated on a star scale. I will list them here for you, with the highest star lenses being the most recommended:
5 stars
Sigma Macro 105mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Tamron SP 90mm f2.8 DI Macro VC USD
LAOWA 15mm f4 Macro
4 stars
Canon MP-E 65mm f2.8 1-5X Macro Photo
Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM
Nikon AF-S Micro 60mm f2.8G ED
Samyang 100mm f2.8 ED UMC Macro
Sigma APO Macro 150mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Tamron SP AF 180mm f3.5 Di LD IF Macro
3 stars
Tokina AT-X M100mm f2.8 AF PRO D'
If you would like me to email you the whole article, please let me know your email address.
All my macros are taken with a Canon lens, so I can't personally recommend one for your Nikon.