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Sigma 150mm or Nikon 105mm Macros?


12 years 11 months ago #78261 by BUV
I am thinking about getting a macro lens soon, and I was thinking either the Nikon 105mm Macro, Sigma 105 or 150mm Macro lenses. Any ideas on which one I should get? I hear that its hard to shoot with the 150mm? Any input?
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12 years 11 months ago #78267 by stephenlite4
The Sigma is quite a bit longer in focal length, and will give you the same sized image from about a 50% farther working distance than the 105 would. I have seen quite a few photos done with the Sigma 150,and it has a very beautiful pictorial quality, as does the new 105mm VR-G Nikkor.

If you want to shoot photos of small insects, butterflies, etc, I'd say the 150mm would be the easier choice to work with in terms of getting photos with a nice,selective angle of view and good working distance that will allow you to use flash easily. All three of your choices are known to be excellent macro lenses.
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12 years 11 months ago #78271 by BUV
I was looking into the 150mm a little further, and I see that many people also like Sigma's 180mm macro (which happens to be $100 cheaper because of the one F-stop.) Would you say itd be better to get the 150mm with the f/2.8 or sacrifice the one stop (not likely to be used with macro anyway) and get the cheaper 180mm with the longer distance?
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12 years 11 months ago #78275 by Puter
I only have the 100mm macro, it's been doing me well.
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12 years 11 months ago #78277 by stephenlite4
Actually, I think it would be better to get the 150mm f/ 2.8 macro over the 180 f/3.5 simply because the 150mm is a newer design, and I think the 150 produces better bokeh. Not that the 180 is bad or anything, it's just that the 150mm lens was designed a few years later,after bokeh in third party lenses had become a bigger deal. The 150 might also be a handier lens for more subjects in the field--non-macro subjects for example on 1.5x would be easier to frame with a 150 than with the 180mm lens.
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12 years 11 months ago #78279 by BUV
I completely understand about the framing issue I would have. The way I understand it, I can also put a TC on the lens and make a half decent longer lens too. I will have to think about it a bit more. Thanks!
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12 years 11 months ago #78549 by cod
I use the Sigma 180 mm macro and love it. I use it mainly for mini-wildlife and the longer focal length is definitely an advantage. You can stay further from your subjects so less chance of disturbing them. You can manouver a tripod around with less chance of knocking foliage and disturbing your subject. The narrower field of view makes it easier to control backgrounds. In my film days I used a 90mm macro and a 200mm macro and definitely would recommend the longer focal lengths for bugs/flowers/etc. As for the slower maximum aperture, depth-of-field in macro is so small that you would likely be using small apertures most of the time, so the slower maximum aperture is not a concern.

On the other hand, if your macro efforts are geared more towards small product photography indoors rather than bugs and flowers outdoors you might find something in the 90-105mm range more useful.
Chris O'Donoghue
Winnipeg, Canada
codonoghue.prosite.com
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12 years 11 months ago #78559 by Screamin Scott
It's hard to find a true macro lens that isn't good...The build quality may be better on some as opposed to others, but optically I have yet to find one that doesn't deliver. As noted above, what focal length you get will be determined by what your subject matter is...I shoot a lot of bugs & floral & I find the 105mm to be a good choice. Longer gives you more room from your subject which can come in quite handy, but the trade off is that they get larger & heavier as the focal length goes up (price goes up as well)...When you do get one, I started a group here on PT called MacroManiacs, if you care to join...
Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/
Photo Comments
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12 years 11 months ago #78575 by Shadowfixer1
You don't have to get a macro lens to do close up work. I have the 105 VR and I like it a lot but here is a link to some photos by the late Ronnie Gaubert. He used a 300 f-4 with tubes and an assortment of other lenses. I will miss seeing his posts and his excellent photos. You touched more people than you ever thought Ronnie. I wish we had met.

www.pbase.com/ronnie_14187/d100___d200_my_favorites
www.betterphoto.com/?ramshots
Photo Comments
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12 years 11 months ago #78619 by Nikonjan
I have the Sigma 150mm macro. It is a bigger, heavier lens. But it does nice photos. I had a begginers Quantaray 50mm macro for my first and it does ok but wanted to be able to get further away from an insect etc. There are nice shorter macros that don't cost much. A lot of people like the Tamron 60, I think it is?
www.betterphoto.com?nikonjan
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12 years 11 months ago #78677 by Shadowfixer1
The Tamron is a 90 mm lens. I have a friend that has one and it's very good.
www.betterphoto.com/?ramshots
Photo Comments
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12 years 11 months ago #78713 by Nikonjan

Shadowfixer1 wrote: The Tamron is a 90 mm lens. I have a friend that has one and it's very good.


Yea, it was the Tamron 90 I was thinking of. it is suppose to be good.
www.betterphoto.com?nikonjan
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