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Please help
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Author:  HAMISHWHITING [ Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:54 am ]
Post subject:  Please help

Ok I find this all very confusing Im not knowledgeable on cameras at all. If someone could please help me that would be great if not I understand .
I have a Nikon D3000 Camera and was wondering what extension tube or lens to buy to zoom in on the gems and make good photos. I really don't know if the guy at the camera shop is trying to get me to buy something to expensive he recommended the Nikon AF-S 40mm/2.8 Macro lens.

Author:  Jester [ Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

Your budget pretty much controls what you get.

If you have $700, get the Nikon 105mm macro lens. It is a fantastic piece of glass, and works as a prime portrait lens as well, and if you decide you aren't into it anymore, you can resell it for a significant fraction of the purchase price.

On the cheap end, I have a set of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YI ... UTF8&psc=1. They are about what you'd expect for $50, functional, but kind of rough in terms of build quality.

Author:  HAMISHWHITING [ Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

thanks will the quality of the photo be much different with the macro lens or the extension tubes?

Author:  Jester [ Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

That will largely depend on what lens you attach the extension tube to. If it takes good pics now, the tube shouldn't degrade it any.

Author:  Barbra Voltaire, FGG [ Fri Jan 10, 2014 1:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

HAMISHWHITING, going to Tucson?

Author:  HAMISHWHITING [ Sun Jan 12, 2014 6:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

Hi , not this time , I'm going to thailand .Tucson is very far .

Author:  Barbra Voltaire, FGG [ Sun Jan 12, 2014 3:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

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I asked because Jeff Skovil is hosting a seminar

Author:  HAMISHWHITING [ Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

Oh thanks.

Author:  gembug [ Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Please help

I've got a D7000 (before that it was a D40) and have used alternatively a 18-70mm zoom and a prime 108mm f2.8D (manually focussed) lens for my gem shots.

It was a pain with the D40 as the depth of field for those shots is pretty shallow and even though the 108mm had the mechanical auto-focus, it wasn't reliable or sensitive enough to get the right picture. So it was a lot of manually-adjust, snap, adjust, snap... and out of 10 shots I'd get one that was pretty good.

With the D7000 I use the LiveView feature through ControlMyNikon software directly connected to my PC and I get perfect shots every time. It also works with the zoom, but I usually only use the zoom for quick free-hand shots when I'm not trying to get a perfect photo.

You can pick up a used 108mm f2.8D for $400-$500 on craigslist or ebay, depending on how lucky you are.

Hope this helps!

-Allan

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