1st DSLR for insects.

[AndyD]

Hi Jason,

For what it's worth be very careful if you're thinking of going down the Nikon route. I'm not sure about the D60 but the D40 and D40x will not give you autofocus with the Sigma 50mm or 105mm macro lenses. This is because the cheaper Nikon DSLRs do not have an AF motor in the camera body. They rely on the lens to have the motor. The Sigma 150mm and 180mm are ok but more expensive.

I personally use Canon 50D (recently upgraded from a 40D) with the Sigma 180mm and I love the combination althought the 180mm focal length coupled with the magnified effect of camera shake associated with macro make it a bit tricky. My wife uses the Sigma 105mm with a 40D and she gets great results. The 105 is a good compromise. It's light and very usable.

As mentioned earlier take your time when considering the lens. It's the most important part of the combination and will make or break your enjoyment of macro photography.

Regards,

Andy

[Mike Jackson]

I'm using a 50D and canon 100mm macro for insect photography. I use a ring flash to enable me to get a narrow aperture (for good depth of field) whilst retaining a fast enough shutter speed to freeze motion.

[Jason Claxton]

Cheers Andy ,I will definitely be going down the Canon route,hopefully I can stretch to the 40D,Many thanks all.Jason

[Jason Claxton]

Sorry Mike ,our posts must have crossed,yeh your kit sounds great, but is sadly out of my price range,unless I go second-hand.Ive read a bit about ring flashes,something for me to try out down the line.If i have any problems,I'll be sure to ask you all.Many thanks you saved me alot of time and money,a big thank you to you all.Jason

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by ChrisR

I'm not sure what the quality of the Sony Alpha range is but I'd look at it very seriously.

there pretty good, probably better value for money than the canons and nikons - plus what ever lens you put on it, it will have image stablisation as with olympus and pentax.

Plus the swivel screen would be pretty useful for macros.

[Jason Claxton]

Cheers,lots to think about there,ive just got a magazine with one of the Sonys reviewed in it.I best have a good think before I buy.Jason

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Jason Claxton

Cheers,lots to think about there,ive just got a magazine with one of the Sonys reviewed in it.I best have a good think before I buy.Jason

its a bit of an old chesnut but good advice: try before you buy. Go in Jessops and try some cameras out (dont nessacarily buy from them though!). I played with a few cameras before I tried a pentax k10d (a friends one) and loved the feel and layout, so bought the k20d which has an identical layout but better specs (and the k10d wasnt available anymore!).

Basically you can't go wrong with the 5 big brands Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax and Olympus, so take your pick. ANd now the panasonics are getting a good write up but Ive never meet anyone whos used one so I ahve no idea good they are!

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by Jason Claxton

Sorry Mike ,our posts must have crossed,yeh your kit sounds great, but is sadly out of my price range,unless I go second-hand.Ive read a bit about ring flashes,something for me to try out down the line.If i have any problems,I'll be sure to ask you all.Many thanks you saved me alot of time and money,a big thank you to you all.Jason

You may not be able to stretch to the 50D but the 100mm macro may be a possibility. With the new IS L version out there will be some second hand ones around from the serial upgraders.

[Jason Claxton]

Im aware of the dominance of Canon and Nikon,and I must admit that I'm tempted to go down the beaten track.But with greater value coming from other brands,I will certainly look into those as wellCheers all.

[ceterach]

Hi Jason

Something that I think ought to be considered a priority for macro photography is the presence or absence of an articulated screen. I use an Panasonic FZ30 and found the screen so invaluable would not upgrade to an SLR unless it had such a screen. This cuts down the choice. Both Olympus (e620) and Sony (a550) have recently released such a beast, both a bit pricey but they will come down.

The articulated screen not only physically helps taking macro pictures especially plants but also should reduce the collateral damage caused by idiots who, by lying prone with their tripod have to flatten a vast area surrounding anything they photograph in the field (I am again mainly talking about plant photography).

PS the Panasonic G1 appears to be really good but at the moment is severely limited by the lenses available.

All the best