Test of the Nikkor 55-200mm kit lens close-up

[clockdoc]

I wanted to test Nikon's 55-200mm kit lens for close focus at 200mm on my D80. I used a tripod/cable release and manual focus. ISO was 1000 due to overcast lighting although onboard flash happened to be used for this shot (one of over 60 taken). I shot wide open at f/5.6 and 1/200 sec. I was about 10 feet from the salvia bush (on its last legs due to drought conditions). Patience is paramount when trying to capture these bumble bees as they do not stay in one spot for vert long. This image is significantly cropped from the original.

[wulf]

For a shot from 10' away, that has come out well. Could you have got a bit closer? 10' still seems quite a distance.

Wulf

[clockdoc]

Thanks, Wulf. I could have gotten closer except that the bees let me know when I got too close for comfort and started buzzing my head. So far I ahve been lucky in that I have not been stung. The spec sheet says minimum focus distance is 3.1 feet.

[baseballboy828]

Why did you shoot at ISO 1000 if you were on a tripod? Was it windy?

[clockdoc]

Yes, it was a bit on the breezy side and the salvia seemed to be particularly affected by the wind. That coupled with the plant being in shade necessitated the move to ISO 1000 to get a reasonable shutter speed with natural light. I have been pleased with how the Nikon D80 handles the higher ISO's.

[wulf]

You must have more aggressive bees in Alabama! My bee shots have all been (safely) taken from much closer.

Wulf

[clockdoc]

Excellent bee shots, Wulf! Perhaps I'll have better luck in the spring when there are more flowers in bloom to keep them busy. 8-) Did you use the 50mm , f/1.8 on most of the bee shots? Did you use extenders or any supplemental lenses? Superb sharpness, particularly in those shot with the Fuji. Thanks for sharing them.

[wulf]

All my D40 shots should be tagged with information about the lens(es) used. In most cases it will have been my Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 although there are some with the kit lens as well. Most of them also made use of my Raynox DCR-250 macro adaptor.

It is a bit late in the season now but next year I suspect I will also grab some using the longer reach of 70-300mm lens. I haven't provoked any bees into getting aggressive but they often don't stay still for long when you come close, which is awkward with minimal DoF.

Wulf

[clockdoc]

Thanks, Wulf. I am not familiar with the Raynox DCR-250 macro adaptor being a relative newcomer to the dSLR world. I'll have to learn more about these adaptors. I forgot to mention that a couple of the photos of the bees showed an aperture of f/0 in the EXIF data.

[wulf]

Anything with f/0 is the manual lens - I try to make sure I manually tag all my pictures taken with that lens. Look at the "machine tags" to see it.

I need to repair my Raynox adapter - the widget that holds the magnifying lens to the camera lens has broken. Maybe I'll post more about it once I have seen how that works.

Wulf