Beginner macro lens for D40
- Thread starter tpallas
- Start date
Are you talking about the Nikon D40 or the Canon 40D? What is your budget? Do you want coral close-ups or full tank/fish photos?
If you are using the Nikon, then there are at least 3 choices for an excellent macro lens in the 100mm range costing around $400: Tamron 90, Tokina 100 and Sigma 105. You can pay more but these should be great to starting you off. There have been lots of threads recently on similar topics. Read through the threads which appear at the top of the photography forum and you'll get lots of other ideas.
If you are using the Nikon, then there are at least 3 choices for an excellent macro lens in the 100mm range costing around $400: Tamron 90, Tokina 100 and Sigma 105. You can pay more but these should be great to starting you off. There have been lots of threads recently on similar topics. Read through the threads which appear at the top of the photography forum and you'll get lots of other ideas.
The only thing you would need to check is whether the lenses would autofocus with the D40 - all other features will work. Of course, for most macro work, you will be using manual focusing, not AF. But, for more general use, the AF would be nice. The new version of the Tamron 90 will AF on the D40 but I am not sure if the other two lenses I mentioned will do this.
TitusvileSurfer
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13731484#post13731484 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cbrguy
o' sorry about that I always transpose them =
I have the 40D
Hahahaha love it!
The Tamron 90 also has a $90 manufacturers rebate right now, good until the end of the year. It takes the total price down to like $350.
Some places on eBay seem to be selling supposedly new ones near the after rebated price. Seems to be slim pickings for any used ones in a 1/2 price range...
Some places on eBay seem to be selling supposedly new ones near the after rebated price. Seems to be slim pickings for any used ones in a 1/2 price range...
Robb in Austin
New member
+1 on the Sigma 150.
Got mine off Ebay, can't even tell it was used, for about your price range. They don't pop up often although I've seen 3 in the last month.
Got mine off Ebay, can't even tell it was used, for about your price range. They don't pop up often although I've seen 3 in the last month.
I was at a photo exhibit today where they had copies of each of the Tamron, Tokina and Sigma macros. They all were very nice. I'm not sure I could tell much difference but hope to go back with an SD card to take home some test photos to check out. All three had slow autofocus when used as a regular telephoto lenses.
I wasn't taken by the approach used to switch from auto to manual focus on the Tamron and Tokina (sliding the focus ring back and forth). Neither of these lens let you fine tune auto focus (as can be done with AF-S) although the Tamron didn't have the new HSM motor which might permit that. Of course, this might be a non-issue for macro photos where you will usually use manual focus all the time. I also tried the Nikkor 105 VR which was very nice but much bigger and heavier than the others (as well as nearly double the price). I didn't try the Sigma 150 but I have tried it before - very nice but a bit big and heavy for non-tripod use and likely too high a focal length for general tank photos.
I wasn't taken by the approach used to switch from auto to manual focus on the Tamron and Tokina (sliding the focus ring back and forth). Neither of these lens let you fine tune auto focus (as can be done with AF-S) although the Tamron didn't have the new HSM motor which might permit that. Of course, this might be a non-issue for macro photos where you will usually use manual focus all the time. I also tried the Nikkor 105 VR which was very nice but much bigger and heavier than the others (as well as nearly double the price). I didn't try the Sigma 150 but I have tried it before - very nice but a bit big and heavy for non-tripod use and likely too high a focal length for general tank photos.
