3 replies to this topic

[THEfyn]

I need to do closeup detailed work soon, and was pretty shocked how expensive macro/micro lenses are for all camera brands.

I'm sure there is a good reason for this, but what is it? Why are they more expensive than 35mm etc?

[Adam]

It's probably just due to lower demand, but I wouldn't say they're anywhere near as expensive as wide-aperture lenses, and oftentimes quite affordable.  Plus, if you're on a budget, you can always reverse a normal lens, or use tubes for very similar results, and sometimes more flexibility.

[dcbear78]

Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro. You will not find a review that says the Nikon 105mm is better. And it is half the price.

[Merco_61]

The demand is quite low and they need to be highly corrected to be of any use. One of the primary uses for macro lenses has always been repro work where no distortion or vignetting is acceptable. The current 105 MicroNikkor is a nice lens, but third-party alternatives like Darryl's favourite above or the manual focus MicroNikkors are much better.