 Desiree C. Preckwinkle |
macro/portrait question, which lens is better? I am looking for a macro and portrait lens. It is between the 60mm or 105mm micro-nikkor lenses. Please tell me what you know about them and the difference. Which is better for portraits, and what is better for macro? Also, if I used the 60mm to photograph a ladybug, how would it compare to a photograph taken with a 105mm? Any info is great. Thanks.
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Christopher A. Walrath |
I'm not familiar with the Nikkor lenses but a bit with macro. It's all about the minimum focal distance from film to subject. 60mm is about half the focal length of 115mm. So compare the minimum focal distances. If the 60 goes down to 9" and the 115 say goes down to 24" then you get more than twice as close with the 60 than with the 115. If the 60 goes to say 15 and the 115 goes to 18, then for the image size difference, you can get a larger pic with the 115. Also, consider that the 115 can put you further from a skittish subject. If the focal length of the 60 is half that of the 115, go with the 115 for your distance from your subject, also easier to compose your image and less likelihood of casting a shadow on your subject from being to close.
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Alan N. Marcus |
Assume your camera is a 35mm film camera. In this case the film strip is 35mm wide and the image format is the standard 24mm x 36mm. The lens considered most suitable for general picture taking is a lens with a focal length about equal to the diagonal measure of the film format (same rule for digital chip). In the case of the standard 35mm frame, this measurement is 43.27mm. Most camera makers round this value up to 50mm thus most 35mm cameras are sold either with 50mm or a zoom lens centering around 50mm. The technical reason: With the introduction of SLR 35mm, about 1955 or so, sports photographers preferred a 58mm. Heretofore they had been using a non-optical wire frame viewfinder. Their argument was, the 58mm view through the viewfinder of an SLR exactly matched life size. They preferred this view when standing on the side lines as they could keep both eyes open. This life size image allowed better judgment, otherwise a shorter lens made objects appear further away. The true prospective view of the 58mm afforded them a better chance to get out of the way of a football or baseball aim directly at their head. Portrait photographers want a lens 2.5x the diagonal measure or longer. This works out to be 105mm on the 35mm film camera. A 105mm forces the portrait photographer to step further back. This lengthened subject distance, produces an image that closely matches the perspective people see and are familiar with, in their shaving or make-up mirror. Over time the 105mm has proven to produce better selling portraits. For this reason it is the preferred portrait focal length. Other formats use the 2.5x multiplier. Other considerations: Alan Marcus
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