Is this Nikon Macro lens good?
Is this Nikon Nikkor, 35 mm F/1.8 (G AF-S DX) good?
Details:
35mm wide aperture lens with high-quality optics and compact dimensions designed for use with Nikon DX format cameras. It features a large maximum aperture of f/1.8 that offers a bright viewfinder image and is ideal for low light shooting situations
I want a good macro lens for my Nikon D3100.
If it. A Nikkor lens, then it's a good lens.
I havnt had expierience with that lens but i do have a lens similar to that on my d3100 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005LEN4/
I absolutley love this lens its super sharp with the focus and fun to play around with.
It's a good lens, but… It's not a macro lens.
For macro, consider the Nikkor 60mm/2.8G or Sigma 70mm/2.8. Both also are good for portraits, but too short for shooting bugs that are easily scared away.
For such bugs, use a 100mm macro lens such as the Tokina 100mm macro or Nikkor 105mm.
It's not an actual macro lens. Just because it has a nice large max aperture doesn't mean it's macro. I have a sigma 50mm macro f2.8 and I love it. You should take a look at it. It's about $380 on amazon
The Nikon 35mm f1.8 AF-S DX is a very good lens, but it is not a macro. It has a focal length that on a DX camera is considered "normal"--neither a wide angle or a telephoto--, and it is good for a lot of scenes. Its virtues include the availability of a wide aperture, and it is very sharp--better than most zoom lenses at that focal length.
If you are looking for a lens for extreme closeup work (macro), this is not it. For that consider the Micro Nikkor 60mm f2.8 AF-S, or the Micro Nikkor 85mm f3.5 AF-S VR DX.
To autofocus with your D3100 you need an AF-S lens. There are some good lenses that lack AF-S that would be manual focus only on the D3100--they can autofocus with the D7000. Don't let anyone sell you the premise that you will love manual focal so much you will never miss autofocus. This little self portrait was taken with a Sigma 70mm macro on a Nikon D90, with SB-600 bounce flash. The lens can autofocus on a D90, but not on a D3100.It could not have been done by manual focus.
The 35mm f/1.8 on a crop sensor dSLR is great for taking pictures of people and most anything in general. On a full-frame or film dSLR, it will good for wide angle shots like landscapes and group shots.
This 35mm f/1.8 lens can't do macro shots. You have to specifically get a macro lens to do that. Nikon labels their macro lenses micro.
"The development and release of the 35mm f/1.8 NIKKOR lens delivers new and added versatility to the Nikon DX-format digital SLR system and provides DX-format photographers with a broader range of fast-aperture lens options," said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR Systems Products at Nikon Inc. "This f/1.8 prime lens provides users with exceptional control of background and foreground, superb low-light ability, and the natural focal length that has been the staple of photography since its inception."