Well, for a macro lens, I recommend a dedicated macro in the in the 90mm to 105mm range. Nikon make a good 105mm macro, but it is a bit pricey.

The offerings from Tamron (90mm macro), Sigma (70mm and 105mm macros) and Tokina (105mm macro) are all on par with the Nikon quality, but cost significantly less. In general, macro lenses are the sharpest lenses out there and all reputable companies make good ones. Do a little online review comparison. You will find that although some Nikon owners say their Nikkor macro is superior, most objective comparisons find the difference to be trivial, except in price where the Nikkor costs 50% more.

As for longer lenses for birds and turtles and stuff, I would recommend you get yourself something like a 100-300mm zoom lens. Most 100-300 zooms are good lenses (better than the 70/80-300s on the market). They will get you pretty close to distant large birds and turtles and you can crop yourself closer.

Most people who do specialize in bird photography use lenses like a 500 f/4.5 or similar. Big glass like that is EXPENSIVE ($4000-$8000 depending on system). And then they usually put a 1.4x converter on there as well.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

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