Macro lens for Nikon D5100 on a budget?

[AllieM]

Hello all
My parents came home today with a Nikon D5100 camera that came in a kit at Costco. As someone who has used a point and shoot camera for a while now, I'm kind of excited! I was hoping to be able to take photos of flowers, the jewelry I make, and of my aquarium (fish, plants, etc) as I was never really able to do that before. I am a high school student, but I was hoping that someone could suggest a good budget-friendly lens for my family's new camera! Thank you!

[Tito87]

I'll just welcome into the forum and wish you happy shootings with your new camera. Now, wait for the gear-heads to point you in the right direction.

[Nicole]

Probably the most budget friendly macro lens Nikon makes is the 40mm macro at $280, though not available quite yet. Next in price is the 85mm macro at around $480. There are also third party options and lenses that call themselves macro which aren't necessarily true macro because they don't all go to 1:1.

[arlon]

Might consider a set of extension tubes that would work with your current kit lens. That would be a fraction of the cost of a new lens. I use them from time to time and they do work quite well but there are also limitations..

If I where looking for a real macro I'd probably look hardest at the 100mm tokina (read the reviews). It's 1:1 and a full frame lens to boot. Makes a good portrait lens and a very good macro lens. 40/60mm just puts you so close to the subject it can be impossible to get shy bugs and such, 100mm gets you a little more working room...

I'd wait to see how the new cheapest Nikon lens pans out. I'd like to read a few reviews and see a few pictures before I bought a new design.

[AllieM]

Wow - thanks everyone! I didn't expect any responses so soon! I think before I buy anything I will wait for the new lens to come out. However, I have heard that being 40mm that it's very easy to block light, etc. so I don't know how well that would work. The 85mm sounds like a great backup option that I will have to consider but I really like the idea of extension tubes! I'm curious as to know, however, if my lens is a good "candidate" for tubes or if you guys think I should just buy a whole new lens? I know kits don't always have the best reputation and I am assuming this applies to cameras as well. The main one I am using right now for "closer-up" photos is the "Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens" - pretty cheap...I am not getting the best of photos but perhaps it would help if I posted a photo to "know" if the extension tubes would work out well? I'm still very new to this as my parents only got the camera early today so I am assuming that I will get a lot better at this.

Thanks again!

[Zeke Menuar]

Originally Posted by AllieM

Wow - thanks everyone! I didn't expect any responses so soon! I think before I buy anything I will wait for the new lens to come out. However, I have heard that being 40mm that it's very easy to block light, etc. so I don't know how well that would work. The 85mm sounds like a great backup option that I will have to consider but I really like the idea of extension tubes! I'm curious as to know, however, if my lens is a good "candidate" for tubes or if you guys think I should just buy a whole new lens? I know kits don't always have the best reputation and I am assuming this applies to cameras as well. The main one I am using right now for "closer-up" photos is the "Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens" - pretty cheap...I am not getting the best of photos but perhaps it would help if I posted a photo to "know" if the extension tubes would work out well? I'm still very new to this as my parents only got the camera early today so I am assuming that I will get a lot better at this.

Thanks again!

Your shot of the fish is pretty good.

Don't sell the kit lens short. As your technique gets better you'll learn to make the lowly kit lens take some amazing shots.

[arlon]

The 18-55 is really a good lens. It works fine on the shorter extensions. The only real issue with extensions is you loose a little light and the lens is further out and often blocks the flash if just using the onboard flash.

The automatic extension tubes (tubes with electrical contacts) I have were only $70 and they have worked on every lens I've attached them to. Some have auto focus issues and have to be turned to manual focus and some work fine. I've heard the Kenko tubes are more reliable than the much cheaper chinese knock offs I got but for macro I usually use manual focus anyway.

Another option for more magnification is a simple reversing ring that mounts your kit lens backwards. It's pure manual, no automatic functions will work but they are cheap.. Google reversing ring.

Good luck, like the fish pic.

[Jo.T]

Another cheap starter option and will work great with your 18 - 55mm are the diopters, they are glass filters that screw onto the front of your lense, often called macro/close up filters and come in a set with a +1 +2 +4 +10 used stacked or individually. Great way to see if you like macro

Cheers Jo