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As a professional real estate photographer, every detail counts. Everyone wants that perfect shot that tells the whole story. The first step to achieving that is a high-quality camera. After that, the right lens makes all the difference. Equipping yourself with the best macro photo lens for Nikon will help you capture these moments perfectly.
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Identifying the best macro photo lens for Nikon may be challenging due to the many options on the market. Fortunately, the review below focuses on the Nikon lens that will suit your needs best.
The Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 is a good macro lens with a short-telephoto perspective that excels in its minimum focusing distance of one inch, better than the 9.8 inches in the Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8.
The optical design consists of an extra-low dispersion element that helps reduce the chromatic aberrations, enhancing color accuracy and image clarity. It features Super Integrated and Nano Crystal coating to suppress ghosting and flare, achieving greater contrast when working in backlit and bright lighting conditions.
It employs a Silent Wave Motor for an enhanced autofocusing experience suitable for both real estate videography and
Manual focus is specifically important when shooting camera-sensitive subjects that shy away from the slightest noise. On top of that, it features an internal focusing design which ensures only the focus elements internally move while maintaining the overall lens's length.
The Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 weighs 1.74 pounds, 1.14 pounds heavier than Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8, making it unsuitable for carrying around during long property shoots.
Also, it comes with a vibration reduction image stabilization system which helps reduce the camera shake effects by around three shutter speed steps. This allows you to shoot more sharp images.
The maximum wide aperture of f/2.8 works well in a wide range of lighting conditions. In return, this provides you with better control over the depth of field for use with selective techniques and isolating subjects.
It also features a nine-blade aperture diaphragm which promotes an impressive out-of-focus quality, further benefiting selective focus techniques and the bokeh quality.
The Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 comes with a life-size magnification of 1:1, an excellent option for photographers in wide-angle macro
Although distortions are a major issue in wide-angle lenses, these elements reduce both chromatic and spherical aberrations, enhancing the image clarity and sharpness. It also features a multilayer reflective coating to minimize ghosting and flare, enhancing image quality even when capturing in strong lighting circumstances.
The Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 comes with a 14-blade aperture diaphragm which helps produce the best bokeh on my list. However; unlike the Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8, it comes with a manual focus only, which may not be suitable if you want a fast and effortless focus performance.
Although the manual focus is seen as a downside to many, it allows fine-tuning your focus for better image clarity and sharpness. Also, the manual focus is noise-free and will work well if you like to shoot videos, too.
When working with a full-frame camera, this lens offers an ultra-wide perspective. This allows you to get close to your subject to a 4.7 inches minimum working distance, as well as capture the subject background enhancing scene detailing.
Besides, even when you reach the minimum working distance of 0.2 inches, the internal focusing design ensures you don't scare the subject. This is because it helps maintain the overall length of the lens.
To enhance your scene, the Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 macro
The Nikon 55mm f/2.8 is a normal-length prime ideal for close range, making it suitable for a range of subjects such as product, real estate, and portraiture
It features a minimum focusing distance of 9.8 inches and a maximum magnification of 1:2, which falls short of the life-size magnification in Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8. This magnification works well in macro
However, if you want to further improve the magnification, it's compatible with the PK-13 optional Auto Extension Ring. This helps reduce the minimum working distance to 8.9 inches and increase the magnification to life-size 1:1, like the Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8.
Also, it comes with a maximum wide aperture of f/2.8, allowing shooting in a variety of lighting conditions. Besides, this bright aperture enhances the use of selective focus techniques and shallow depth of field.
The Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 comes with a manual focus design which allows you to focus precisely for enhanced image sharpness. Although this is a good macro lens, the manual focus may be inconvenient if you want a fast and smooth focusing experience like that of Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8.
In case your plan is to shoot camera-sensitive subjects such as insects or birds in a property, manual focus is the most ideal as it's noise-free. To further enhance the focusing experience, the manual focus design is enhanced by engraving depth of field and focus distance scales.
Also, the optical design incorporates a Range Correction functionality which helps retain consistent picture sharpness and quality throughout the working distance, from the minimum to infinity. It weighs 0.6 pounds, an ideal weight to carry around and use for an extended period without exhaustion or your wrists hurting.
The Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 ranges from a wide-angle to super-telephoto, all-in-one zoom with a sleek design, making it flexible and versatile.
As a contemporary-series lens, it's more compact than the Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8, making it convenient for everyday real estate
The Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 comes with a Super Multi-Layer Coating that helps reduce the ghosting and flare. This enhances color accuracy and contrast even when working in strong lighting conditions.
Although its maximum magnification of 1:3 is less impressive than life-size 1:1 in Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8, the minimum working distance of 1.3 inches is more appealing for close up capturing.
It features a Hyper Sonic Motor, which enhances smooth and fast autofocusing performance. It also comes with a full-time manual focus override which allows you to shoot camera-sensitive subjects as well as fine-tune your focusing by rotating the focus ring.
Although it comes with a seven-blade aperture diaphragm which is less appealing than a 14-blade aperture diaphragm in Venus Laowa 15mm f/4, it produces an impressive bokeh and enhances the use of selective focus techniques.
The optical design boasts of an Optical Stabilizer, which helps reduce the camera shake effect, enhancing image sharpness even when capturing handheld. Additionally, it's Sigma USB Dock compatible, allowing you to update the lens's firmware as well as fine-tune its characteristics.
It comes with a zoom lock, which helps prevent unwanted or accidental zoom adjustments, allowing you to shoot scenes more confidently.
The Tokina ATX-I 100mm f/2.8 features a unique flat-field optical design which makes it yield realistic rendering without the field curvature. Also, this flat-field design enhances clarity and sharpness over the entire focusing range.
Although it comes with a maximum magnification of 1:1, like the Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8, the minimum working distance of 11.8 inches is not very appealing. It features an autofocus functionality that facilitates a fast and smooth focusing experience.
It also features the noise-free manual override, making it ideal for real estate videography. A One-Touch Focus Clutch Mechanism to help you switch between manual and autofocus settings by pulling or pushing the focus ring. This makes the process quicker and effortless than in Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8.
In case you are using the manual focus mode, the focusing is impressively smooth and responsive, thanks to the hard stops at the focusing range end. Besides, it uses a focus range limiter, further enhancing focusing, especially on closeup distances.
Typically, the range limiter switch helps lock the focusing to macro, enhancing faster focusing without unnecessarily autofocus hunting. As the extended lens barrel doesn't rotate, it maintains its ability to work with graduated and polarizing filter types.
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It features a nine-blade aperture diaphragm that helps produce a better quality bokeh than Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3. It weighs 2.53 pounds, which is less impressive to shoot for an extended time or carry around as it may hurt your wrists.
As a Contemporary-series lens, the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 features a sophisticated design with a useful zoom range, complemented by its lightweight and compact profile.
The bright aperture range of f/2.8-4 pairs a short-telephoto zoom range to a wide-angle, making it ideal for everyday real estate
Although it's a good macro lens, this zoom supports a minimum working distance of 8.7 inches and a maximum magnification of 1:2.8, which is less impressive than Venus Laowa 15mm f/4. It comes with a Hyper Sonic Motor, which provides a smooth and fast focusing experience.
On top of that, the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 macro
The optical construction consists of aspherical and low dispersion elements that help to suppress the distortions and color fringing to realize high image sharpness and clarity.
Like the Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3, the elements also feature a Super Multi-Layer Coating. This helps reduce surface reflections and flare, improving the color accuracy and contrast even when shooting in strong lighting.
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The Rokinon 100mm f/2.8 comes with an excellent minimum working distance of one inch and a maximum magnification of 1:1. Typically, this makes it ideal for detailed shots of close subjects in low-light, similar to the Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8.
The optical design incorporates an extra-low dispersion element and one high refractive index element to suppress the chromatic distortions and aberrations over the focusing range, enhancing the image sharpness.
However, unlike the Tokina ATX-i 100mm f/2.8, it comes with a manual focus only, which is unsuitable for fast and smooth focusing. Although the manual focus is slow, it's more realistic and offers precise focusing control.
The manual focus is ideal for videography and shooting camera-shy subjects such as beautiful birds in a house, as it's noise-free. Like other high-quality Nikon macro lenses, it features an internal focus design, allowing it to retain the overall length throughout the focus range, making it suitable for shooting camera-sensitive subjects at close-up.
Like other high-quality Nikon macro lenses, this macro
Unlike the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, it comes with a nine-blade aperture diaphragm which helps produce a high-quality bokeh as well as enhance the use of shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques.
When focusing, the front filter mount doesn't rotate, allowing you to use graduated ND, polarizers, and other filters that need precise positioning. This macro
The overall usability and the quality of macro photos your Nikon camera captures depend on the kind of lenses you pair it with. The following features elaborate different lens specifications to help you choose a good macro lens that suits your real estate macro
Furthermore, the following table breaks down the key features you need to consider when choosing Nikon macro lenses.
| Nikon Macro Lenses | Magnification | Minimum Focus Distance (Inches) | Weight (Pounds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 | 1:1 | 12 | 1.74 |
| Venus Laowa15mm f/4 | 1:1 | 4.72 | 2.53 |
| Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 | 1:2 | 9.84 | 0.6 |
| Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 | 1:3 | 15.36 | 1.29 |
| Tokina ATX-I 100mm f/2.8 | 1:1 | 11.81 | 2.53 |
| Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 | 1:2.8 | 8.7 | 1.05 |
| Rokinon 100mm f/2.8 | 1:1 | 12.12 | 1.6 |
Bokeh is an effect of a soft out-of-focus background that you cam achieve with Nikon macro lenses. This effect occurs when capturing a subject using shallow depth-of-field techniques. Shallow depth of field refers to when the main subject is in focus, and everything else in the background is out of focus. This is what you want in Nikon macro lenses.
This allows you to capture a close-up photo of bees hovering over a flower in the property's backyard and want an appealing bokeh quality, you can consider getting a lens with a wide aperture such as Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8.
Nikon macro lenses come with variable or fixed focal lengths. The Nikon macro lenses with a variable focal length are known as zoom lenses. Nikon macro lenses with a fixed focal length are prime lenses. You can use Nikon macro lenses with a variable focal length to create focused pictures throughout a wide range of distances, from close distances to far away distances. However, the zoom range varies across the Nikon macro lenses.
Shooting distance subjects with a prime lens might be tiresome as you are forced to move the entire setup if the subject distance changes. This can be even more exhausting if recording a video of moving birds around a property.
Luckily, you can consider getting a good macro lens with zoom zoom such as Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 as you can zoom out to achieve a broader angle of view or zoom in to magnify far away subjects.
Whether you are a novice or an expert photographer who has experience capturing handheld, using Nikon macro lenses without a tripod may cause unwanted camera movements, which results in blurry images.
The problem magnifies when using a zoom lens as it introduces more vibrations, particularly when zooming in on the subject, making your videos unstable and the images blurry.
Fortunately, you can overcome this issue by getting Nikon macro lenses with an image stabilization system such as the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4. The system helps smooth out the unwanted vibrations, allowing you to record stable video and capture sharper macro images.
The minimum focus distance in Nikon macro lenses is the shortest distance at which a lens can sharply shoot a nearby subject. Although the distance at which you can get closer to the subject with the subject still in focus varies across Nikon macro lenses, most lenses can shoot close-up subjects.
If you want to capture tiny subjects such as insects or flowers, you can consider buying Nikon macro lenses with the shortest minimum working distance, such as Venus Laowa 15mm f/4. This lens also features a life-size magnification ratio of 1:1, designed for capturing macro images.
A good macro lens has a 1:1 magnification that allows you to fill your camera frame with the actual size of the subject since the ratio of the subject size on the sensor plane is equal to the real-life size of the subject.
The aperture is a member of the exposure triangle that regulates the amount of light that passes through the Nikon macro lenses to the camera sensor. When you hit the shutter button of your camera, the aperture opens up to a predetermined width, allowing a certain amount of light in.
As a result, it impacts your camera's ability to capture images in poorly lit conditions. The aperture is usually measured in f-stops. Keeping in mind that the aperture is a fraction of your lens focal length, moving it from a larger denominator to a smaller one increases the aperture.
If you want to take interior images of a property using Nikon macro lenses, such as door handle knobs, you can go for a lens with a wide maximum aperture, such as the Rokinon 100mm f/2.8. A good macro lens generally has wider aperture that allows more light to reach the camera sensor, producing brighter pictures.
The Nikon Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 is a good macro lens ideal for beginners due to its excellent image quality. The f/2.8 aperture is capable of shooting macro images in low light. Additionally, the 55mm focal length is mid-range and provides almost a natural field of view, which can work well in both indoor and outdoor macro footage.
The focal length lens you need for professional macro photography depends on where you are shooting from. For instance, when you are shooting a tiny insect from a distance, you need a good macro lens with a narrow field of view, such as the Sigma with 300mm. On the other hand, use shorter focal lengths if the subject is close enough.
Generally, 1:1 is a magnification ratio in camera lenses which indicates that the size of the subject in the camera sensor is equal to its real-life size. This makes the Nikon camera macro photography lens able to take super sharp close-up images of little objects such as mantises.
Keeping in mind the varying features and qualities of what can be considered as a good macro lens for Nikon, knowing how to identify the best one is paramount. Although the best one mainly depends on your
