Micro lens for a SLR?

[John]

I'm trying to justify buying one, but I'm having trouble. The wife uses a digicam for close ups on flowers, and it does great. However, we have a tripod that will boom over and is heavy enough for the SLR. I guess that I'm asking if there is an upside by using the SLR over a digicam, when capturing close ups? Anybody?

[Jim Victory]

Dynamic range!

Using a DSLR and a macro lens will give you more detail strictly due to pixel count and the 1:1 ratio of a macro lens.

If you are just taking pics of flowers that can easily be done without a macro lens unless you want to get shots of the inner workings of the flower.

Here is a shot with a DSLR and a 135 f/2L lens which is not a macro lens.




Here is a shot using a macro lens.




And another even closer.

[John]

“If you are just taking pics of flowers that can easily be done without a macro lens unless you want to get shots of the inner workings of the flower.�

Thanks for your reply, and I believe that answered my question. Unless someone else comes along with another reason, I think that I’ll pass on the micro. It wouldn’t make much sense duplicating things, would it?

[Abel]

i opted for a macro lens simple because i wanted to be able to get a lot of different shots that i was used to taking with my Canon G5. the G5 had a macro mode but with my new dslr i needed a macro lens.

so far i love it, i have been able to get to shoot on a whole new level which has in turn made me learn alot more about photography in general.



the canon ef 100mm f2.8 macro lens i have has a minimum focus distance of 6" thats awesome in my book!

[Abel]

sorry i just realized your question, i was under the assumption u already had a dslr, i can say that the jump from a regualr point and shoot up to a dslr with a macro lens is quite a big jump.

i think the digicam method youre using is prolly sufficient for the shots youre wanting. trust me, i was very disappointed to learn that i would need a dedicated macro lens for close up shots when i moved from my point and shoot to a dslr. the macro lens alone ran me like $450. for that price you can buy a complete point and shoot digicam!

just have to ask yourself how involved would you really like to get etc..

[dsanders]

:) If you are shooting flowers with a nikon Dslr the 60mm micro is hard to beat. If it is bugs you want you may want to go with a longer lens micro. Here is an example.



There are more images in the above gallery. If there are any weak ones it is the photographer and not the lens.

[eurotrash]

here's my sample from the 50mm 2.5 macro + life size converter... its my friend stampy the ant.