Which Macro Lens Should I Get??

[JAORLD3111]

I have a D40 and want to get a lens geared specifically towards aquarium photography. I dont have much experience with the camera yet but have been reading through the forums to get some advice about white balance, focusing etc. etc.

Which lense is best for macro shots, and fits on the D40?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice

 

[Rhizo]

I used this one when I had my D40. Sorry I cant help on " the best ".

 

[JAORLD3111]

How did you like that lens? pros, cons?

Is the D40 not ideal for aquarium photography? My dad has the D40 so I was just going to buy a lens for shooting the aquarium, but if its not a good camera for aquarium photos, I would rather just invest in a whole new camera which will work for fish and coral macro shots.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

As I JUST said in another thread, DSLRS are about specialization. Any DSLR should work but the lenses working with them are what really makes a difference. What do you want in a reef tank camera? Well I would assume the ability to take detailed images of coral and clear images of fast moving fish for starters.
For the corals you will want a macro lens. The Nikkor 105mm, Tamaron 90mm, or other lenses used by the Nikon crowed should work. For a fish lens you will want a fast lens (f/2.8) with fast autofocus. I would think a 50mm f/1.4 or something like that would be perfect.
When using a macro lens for corals, a tripod is paramount. I would suggest buying a tripod first as it is more valuable without a macro lens than a macro lens is without a tripod.

 

[mmedeiros2]

Try buying a set of macro filters first. I bought a set of Tiffen macro filters - +1, +2, & +4 with 52mm thread size for my D50 on ebay for $11.00 with s&h. They do a good enough job for me with macro shots. Goolgl Macro Filters and read up a little. They are lenses that screw onto your lens that allow you to focus on a close-up subject that you can not normally do with your regular zoom lens. This link shows what I beleive fits your camera. Its the thread size you will be concerned with. Call Nikon first and make sure that 52mm fits the D40. I think this is the case.

http://cgi.ebay.com/52mm-Tiffen-Clo...s?hash=item53d44849bd&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

Here is a pic shot with the three lenses attached shot 6 inches away from Frankie. This pic has also been scaled down for Photo Bucket and for veiwing on this site. The original looks better.

Well worth $11.00 or $50.00 IMO. They cost about $65.00 in a camera shop. Beats $400.00 for a macro lens. It is also said that it really takes practice and a while to get used to using a macro lens.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

But if you are going to buy "macro" filters to stick on the front of an already sub-par lens, macro in quotation because it isn't actually macro, why buy a DSLR like a Nikon D40 in the first place? It just seems like such a waste.

 

[Rhizo]

JAORLD3111 - I enjoyed using it. AF was not super fast, but it was sharp as a tack!

I would take advise from Titus on the tripod part. To add to his second post... You should keep in mind that your images will only be as good as the optic you took it with. There are decent lenses for a cheap price, but why half a$$ it?(pardon my language) The body is just a body, but knowing how to use it is another ball game.