www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Please help - I am looking to buy a new lens for my Nikon D60 body. I currently have a 18-55mm Nikkor lens but would like to get a "proper macro".

It would be great if it could have Auto focus and Vibration Reduction/Image Stabilization is a must. I was thinking of about 100mm.

I've got a budget of around £600

Any ideas/advice gratefully recieved

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I use a Nikon D80 and have a Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG Macro lens.It has AF but I never use it.There is no VR/IS but I do not think it essential,in my humble opinion that is.
When I handled the equivalent Canon lens with VR/IS I must say I found the VR made it very heavy to hold compared to the Sigma.
Hope that is helpful,but i am sure someone in the know will guide you in the right direction.
Cheers Peter

If you have a Nikon D60 then you need to be aware of the limitations regarding AF lenses. The D60 has no focus motor in the camera body, so you need lenses with their own AF motors.

I use a Tamron 90mm on a Nikon D300s, which has its own built in AF motor, but I believe that the latest Tamron now also has its own motor (mine doesn't) - you should check compatibility if you choose this option. This lens currently costs about £350.

The Tamron is optically superb (some devotees think it better than Nikon's own) but does not have VR (I've never missed it). On your APS-sized sensor, the 90mm gives an angle of view equivalent to a 135mm lens on a 35mm camera, which gives a reasonable working distance for butterfly photography. As I get older and less agile, I often use a 1.4X teleconverter, however, to increase the working distance. There is also a much larger Tamron 180mm f/3.5 macro, which also has a very high reputation but at a substantial size and weight penalty and it's a bit beyond your stated budget, at £700.

If your budget extends to £600 then the Nikon 105mm micro is just in reach (about £610) and has a very high reputation. It has both VR and AF and, of course, you have guaranteed compatibility with your Nikon body. It also covers the full 35mm format, if you decide to go more up-market with your camera in the future. It's a rather bulky lens but, if you can afford it I suspect it is your best buy.

Nikon also offer an 85mm macro at £415 but it only covers the APS format, so would be no use if you ever upgrade to full-frame 35mm sensor (such as the new Nikon D800). It's also only f/3.5 aperture which means a slightly darker viewfinder and less crisp focussing (of course, you always stop down to take a macro photo)

Finally, there is the Nikon 60mm macro, also APS-only, and rather too short a focal length for butterfly photography.

If you spend £610 on the Nikon AF-S VR 105 f/2.8G IF-ED micro, I am sure that you will never regret it and it will 'grow' to match whatever Nikon camera you may have in the future.

If you want to save some money, I believe that the Tamron will provide very similar optical performance but it is not guaranteed to be compatible with future Nikon cameras and lacks VR.

I haven't mentioned Sigma because I have had poor experiences with them, albeit a long time ago. I should also point out that VR involves some delicate mechanisms, as I found to my cost when I knocked my Nikon 70-300VR zoom a while ago and damaged it. If you don't need it, it is just an added complication to go wrong!

Mike

Cheers for your suggestions and your advice Peter and Mike it's really helped and I can now start making the decision.
Cheers again

Have a goodun

Wurzel

As Gary mentions on another (more recent) thread, the Sigma 150mm is often used for butterfly work - I'm surprised it's not had a mention! I think the longer working distance over a 100/105mm is worth it. I also find the tripod collar useful (since i use a tripod) for switching between landscape and portrait modes without having to move the tripod in any way. I've used the Sigma 105mm and Canon 100mm in the past, but the 150mm is the one I stick with

Cheers,

- Pete