Nikon D7000 manual Macro Focusing

376 David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

Figure 11.15

Telephoto con- verters increase the effective focal length of your lenses.

Macro Focusing

Some telephotos and telephoto zooms available for the Nikon D7000 have particularly close focusing capabilities, making them macro lenses. Of course, the object is not nec- essarily to get close (get too close and you’ll find it difficult to light your subject). What you’re really looking for in a macro lens is to magnify the apparent size of the subject in the final image. Camera-to-subject distance is most important when you want to back up farther from your subject (say, to avoid spooking skittish insects or small animals). In that case, you’ll want a macro lens with a longer focal length to allow that distance while retaining the desired magnification.

Nikon makes five lenses that are officially designated as macro lenses. They include:

■AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED. This new type G lens supposedly replaces the type D lens listed next, adding an internal Silent Wave autofocus motor that should operate faster, and which is also compatible with cameras lacking a body motor, such as the Nikon D40/D40x and D60. It also has ED lens elements for improved image quality. However, because it lacks an aperture ring, you can con- trol the f/stop only when the lens is mounted directly on the camera or used with automatic extension tubes. Should you want to reverse a macro lens (which can improve image quality) or mount it on a bellows, you’re better off with a lens hav- ing an aperture ring.

■AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D. This older lens’s aperture ring gives it a little more versatility but, realistically, only fanatical close-up shooters actually use the Nikon BR-2a lens reversing ring (which can improve image quality) or mount the lens on a bellows. I happen to belong in that camp, so I am hanging onto mine.

■AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED.This G-series lens did replace a similar D-type, non-AF-S version that also lacked VR. I own the older lens, too, and am keeping it for the same reasons described above—but also because I find