# New macro lens- it is a learning curve



## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

So....i'm guessing no more photo contests? :hihi:

Those are some great pics! I wish I had a macro now!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Great shots, Rachel, I can't wait to get a macro lens to play with too!!


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

The tokina was only about $500, compared to a comparable Nikkor (around $1,000) I figured it was worth giving it a shot.


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I think the shots look great - I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to save for a Canon 150 macro - now I'll check out Tokina!


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## reefdive (Aug 16, 2011)

Those look like great pics to me . I am looking for a macro lens at the moment . Got a used d90 and now need the wireless speedlight and Macro lens . Ouch I am poor but what you gonna do without good pictures ? Starving is no fun been there done that . I don't hate being poor but it does suck at times for sure .


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

It takes some time and and many shots thrown away. . I use a D-40, Nikkor 60mm Macro, SB-800 with cable. A flash will really open your possibilities. You can look in the thread in my signature for an example of a pristella tetra I recently shot with the above setup.


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## Mr. Appleton (Jul 1, 2011)

reefdive said:


> Those look like great pics to me . I am looking for a macro lens at the moment . Got a used d90 and now need the wireless speedlight and Macro lens . Ouch I am poor but what you gonna do without good pictures ? Starving is no fun been there done that . I don't hate being poor but it does suck at times for sure .


Get an old manual focus 55mm f2.8 Micro-nikkor for about $50 or 105mm f2.8 Micro-nikkor for around $150. 

SB26 goes for about $100 or less on flea-bay. A set of generic radio-triggers to set it off for $30. 

Depending on which lens you decide on, you can get started with off-camera lighting and macro for $150-250! 

It'll be a full manual set up but it's cheap and what I used before upgrading to my dual SB900s :icon_lol:

As an aside, just remembered the Strobist website which was fantastic for teaching me how to work with off-camera lighting. He even has an aquarium-specific article or two!


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Macro lenses can be hard to use with a very shallow depth of field, I do walk around with a 50 mm f2 lens on my camera and it is my primary lens because it's fast and crisp but not always the right lens for the job, but I have some excellent macro from my kit lenes and they can be easier to use by adjusting focus with the zoom ring and a deeper depth of field.

How are you liking the lens now that you've had it a while?? Also manual can be a good thing and help you get better shots and focus, I don't have any manual lenses but I keep my camera set to manual.

I've only ever owned one off brand lens, it was a Sigma 135-400 f3.5-f5.6 and actually a pretty nice lens if you kept in the sweet spot/area and I did miss it after it was gone but it had some features I didn't like, it had awful lens creep and if you pointed it down it was lens slap plus it was like 2.75 pounds.

This grackle was 60 feet over my head.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

150EH said:


> Macro lenses can be hard to use with a very shallow depth of field, I do walk around with a 50 mm f2 lens on my camera and it is my primary lens because it's fast and crisp but not always the right lens for the job, but I have some excellent macro from my kit lenes and they can be easier to use by adjusting focus with the zoom ring and a deeper depth of field.
> 
> 
> How are you liking the lens now that you've had it a while?? Also manual can be a good thing and help you get better shots and focus, I don't have any manual lenses but I keep my camera set to manual.
> ...


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