| Joined: | Mon Apr 2nd, 2012 |
| Location: | South Lakeland, UK |
| Posts: | 4066 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
Do you have interests which will suggest a subject, for example stamp or coin collecting, an interest in plants, insects or fungi?
Many lenses can be used close up, either by using screw on close up lenses, which is a very good method, or extension tubes. For example I quite often use my 300mm f2.8 lens with an extension tube to capture small things which are out of range of shorter lenses.
As for dedicated close up lenses the Nikkor 60mm f2.8 Micro is a good lens but AF is not a ideal for close up photography. Because the depth of focus is so small you need to focus manually in order to get the critical parts of the subject sharp. AF lenses are not as easy or nice to use manually.
The 60 Micro also has a little trick up it's sleeve, it's actually a short zoom or varifocal lens. It's focal length varies from about 40mm at it's closest focus to 60mm at infinity. That is how it manages to achieve 1:1 magnification. That also applies to the Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro.
There are several good close up lenses in the 90-150mm range, Tamron have a very good name with this class of lens. Personally I have an old Nikkor 55mm 2.8 MF Micro which I use for most of my flower images. If I need longer I use extension tubes with a suitable standard lens. I can't speak for the Tokina, having no experience with that lens, but most 2.8 lenses tend to be good...
____________________
Robert.