Nikon D50

[Akarui2]

I purchased a Nikon D50 a few months ago and I've been having a great time with it.

Recently I've become very interested in taking pictures of flowers and insects and I was wondering if someone could reccomend a good affordable macro lense. I don't have a ton of money to throw around really only a couple hundred really.

Thanks in advance

[Akarui2]

Has anyone used this lens?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002P19Q2/ref=cm_lm_fullview_prod_6/103-4201939-7110228?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=502394

Also I'm wondering if anyone can tell me the advantages of having a macro lens over having my 18-50mm lens

[Stoller]

I would recommend the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DC MACRO over the 50mm. You will get more use out of it and the 70mm will help for really getting up close.

I compared the the Nikon 18-70 to the Sigma 17-70, on the third page you can see the difference a macro lens makes over one that is not.

You can find the 17-70 for around $310 to $330


My comparison (http://mlrc.us/mnt/comparison/index.htm)

[coldrain]

For macro photos the 50mm f2.8 Sigma is a LOT better than the 17-70 mentioned in the post above (of course).
It is a very good lens, especially for the money. It is also the most affordable macro lens. A macro lens with a longer focal length will allow you to stay further from your subject a bit, but the 90mm Tamron and 105mm Sigma still get very close due to their design, so you will not be able to get closer to insects before they fly away than that 50mm lens anyway.

So I would say, go for it! That 50mm Sigma is a very nice lens for a very nice price.