Suggest a macro lens within $600?

I have been bitten by the Macro Bug lately. I own a Nikon D5000 (which doesn't have an internal focus motor). I'm looking for a good macro lens, which has following features:
# gives 1:1 magnification
# has vibration resistance
# should auto-focus on my camera
# my budget is around $600

Please suggest me the options to look for. Will highly appreciate your inputs.

The Nikon 40mm micro will work for some situations. And the Tokina 100mm is an excellent macro lens - however it will not autofocus.

But…

In macro work, you typically use manual focus anyway as a lot of cameras have trouble autofocusing at such short distances. And realize that a 100mm macro lens will have a wafer-thin DoF, so it is usually advisable to use manual focus to get the focus on the correct subject.

I have the Tokina 100 macro, which costs about $450 - and a Nikon D90 and I always use manual focus. Both for the above reason, and if I use my Nikon R1 macro flash (mounts on the lens), you have to use the lens in manual or the weight of the flash will damage the camera's focus motor.

I also have the Nikon 40mm micro, which is an AF-S lens.

Why two macro lenses?

Each lens excels in it's own regard.

The disadvantage of the 40mm lens is you have to be exceedingly close to your subject to take a photo. So it is not that great for insects as they scare off when you are so close. However, for non-live objects the lens works great. And it has a very deep depth-of-field (at least compared to the 100mm lens), so if I'm taking macro photos with the subject at an angle, it is the better choice.

The 100mm lens is superior for insects as you can get a foot away or more. However, the depth of field is very narrow - only a few millimeters. This means to get your subject in focus with sufficient depth of field, you need to have the subject at a flat angle, and most likely need to use a macro flash.

The Tokina 100mm lens goes to f/64 to increase the DoF. But at those apertures, even in bright daylight, a flash is required. So if you go with a longer focal length such as the 100mm, you will at some point need to buy a macro flash. And the good ones are not cheap - about $850 for the Nikon R1C1.

Neither of these lenses have VR, but you don't need VR in a macro lens as you will most always be using a tripod with a macro lens. The only lens I know of that has VR is the $950 Nikon 105mm micro. If I can't use a tripod, I will use the 40mm micro as with the shorter focal length, it is less prone to camera shake. I almost always use a tripod when I'm using the 100mm Tokina.

So two options I can recommend for you that are within your budget are the Nikon 40mm micro ($300) and the Tokina 100mm macro ($450). I own both and use both depending on the situation.

The Nikon is AF-S so it will autofocus on your camera, but for the reasons I stated you will probably want to manually focus anyway - at least with the Tokina 100mm. So although the Tokina will not autofocus on your camera, it is no consequence for macro use.

However, the Tokina 100mm is also an excellent portrait lens, and if you wished to use it for that, then you would not have autofocus on your camera.

Finally, if you go with the 100mm at some point you will want to go with a macro flash. The Nikon R1C1 is very expensive, and there are a couple of alternatives. The Metz Mecablitz 15 is a good 3rd party flash - however, it is wireless if you want to use it TTL, so you will have to buy a $250 SU-800 to fire it. You can use it manually though with a hot-shoe adapter and cable.

The other choice is the Sigma macro. It is a wired flash so there are no issues with needing wireless.

There are also $100 macro flashes on the market (bower and other brands) but they are absolute junk.

So which lens you go with depends on your needs and what kind of macro you want to do.

There are also other focal lengths available - 60 and 80mm, but they are in the middle of the 40mm/100mm spread, and in my view, they are a compromise between the two I recommend, and excel at neither advantages the 40mm or 100mm lenses give you.

Get the 60mm Micro. If that does not work for you. Get extension tubes to use with your current lenses. I don't think you need VR for anything with this type of lens. Auto focus is kind of useless on macro too.