60mm or 105mm macro?

[Spoon]

guys i am really excited to test the new camera and am deciding on a macro lens to get. when i had my point and shoot, one of my favs was to shoot in macro especially in the clear warm waters of the philippines. was wondering which to get? which is the more versatile lens?

also is there a big difference between the sigma 105mm and the nikon 105mm?

[kdietz]

I would start with the Nikon 60mm and save for the Nikon 105....it doesn't get any better than these two

Karl

[Mo2vation]

I took Karl's advice and got the 60 in November (alone with Woody's Diopter). I've had it out on a zillion trips and am just starting to get to the point where I want to get the 105 for some super, hyper, crazy-go-nuts Macro stuff.

6 months with the 60 and hundreds and hundreds of images have been an excellent Macro education.

You rock, Karl!

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Ken

[Cacia]

Spoon, I asked this question of Mauricio Handler (photog) and his answer to my "If I can only buy two lenses...?" was to get the 105 mm and the 12-24 WA.

Since I have added the 10.5 fish eye but don't have a port yet.

[kdietz]

I'm no Mauricio....but I know him and have taken one of his photography courses and I'd still recommend the 60 over the 105 for a first macro lens.

They both shoot 1:1, so the 105 can't really take closer shots....it can take them from a little farther away which can be handy with nervous critters. If you are diving in dirty or darker water....S. Cal or Lembeh for instance.....the 60 will shine over the 105.

The 60 is a little sharper, has better DOF and a FOV that makes it versatile for either fish portraits or 1:1 macro

Karl

[Spoon]

I took Karl's advice and got the 60 in November (alone with Woody's Diopter). I've had it out on a zillion trips and am just starting to get to the point where I want to get the 105 for some super, hyper, crazy-go-nuts Macro stuff.

6 months with the 60 and hundreds and hundreds of images have been an excellent Macro education.

You rock, Karl!

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Ken

which of the two do you actually use more?

The 60 is a little sharper, has better DOF and a FOV that makes it versatile for either fish portraits or 1:1 macro

thanks karl! the consensus is the 60mm is the more versatile of the two and in clear philippine waters, might edge out the more expensive 105 in terms of practical usage. now if only chooseing between the d200 and d70s was easier

[kdietz]

We were in Lembeh for 2 weeks and we both used 60's exclusively....when we dive in clear water, it's probably 60/40 toward the 105

Karl

[Mo2vation]

<snip> If you are diving in dirty or darker water....S. Cal or Lembeh for instance.....the 60 will shine over the 105....

So just what ARE you saying about my home waters, hmmmmm????

I'm diggin' the 60. I have the 60, 10.5 and 12-24, and the 60 gets used 95% of the time around here. The majority of my diving is night diving - so the 60 just rocks.

KD: Is there a way to stack diaptors in the port for the 60, to turn it into a UW telescope, like some of you folks do with the 105? I want more mag.

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Ken

[kdietz]

Hey Ken....no disrepect intended I wish I had your local waters to dive in all the time ....I'll be doing my first California cold water dive trip in August to the Channel Islands.

I have been using a 2X teleconverter with the 60mm a little...you'll need a longer port for it to fit...it's a standard flat port, but longer than the normal 60mm port

How's "our rig" doing?

Karl

[Mo2vation]

Hey Ken....no disrepect intended I wish I had your local waters to dive in all the time ....I'll be doing my first California cold water dive trip in August to the Channel Islands.

I have been using a 2X teleconverter with the 60mm a little...you'll need a longer port for it to fit...it's a standard flat port, but longer than the normal 60mm port

How's "our rig" doing?

Karl

SoCal diving rules.

"Our Rig" is a blessing. Had it to Ike, as one of the cords flooded the electronics. They replaced the the synch cord, and upgraded the in-cam electronics, buffed the housing, lubed all the switches, etc... it performs flawlessly. And I, my friend, am not kind to it. I take it through the surf a couple of times a week, and its been amazing (although the 125's can be a little challenging to open when loaded with sand )

I'll send you a PM to get recommendations for the TC's. I presume I just screw them on the front of the lens. I can't imagine needing another port, unless they're really thick. There is lots of room 'tween the port and the front of the lens, even when the lens is fully extended (well, as extended as a 60 gets...) Or is it not an actual "room in the port" thing and more a "placement of the flat front of the port in front of the lens" thing?

BTW - your tips have been instrumental in me getting better shots every time out. I have so much to learn, but its getting better every time. I'm thinking about the 105 because I'm ready to move on from my Nudis to some of the smaller and more skiddish fishies.

You digging the 200?

Thanks!

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Ken