Ooooh my macro lens is here

Go this in the mail yesterday

http//www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/105vr.htm

Now I just need some flowers/bugs to be around, hm.

I'm using this lens on my D40. One thing I've noticed is that even when using M mode, I can't seem to get small f-stop values, it won't go down to the minimum (2.8). Anyone know why? I don't have this problem with my other lenses.

lucky!

That's a nice chunk of change to drop on a lense, but I'm not sure about your problem.

I had some gift certificates to use up, otherwise I would have tried to find an older used macro lens. I do a lot of macro photography, and while I love my 50mm for most close shots, I wanted something to use on bugs, flowers, etc.

I figured out the problem - the camera is smarter than me, I guess. Lower f-stops don't work at very short focal lengths. I can get the lower f-stops if I'm focusing on something farther away.

Nice!

I'm wanting a macro lens too but am too cheap to buy a real one -- since I would use it so infrequently I just can't justify the cost over another zoom that I would get more use from. So I've about decided to get a good close-up lens as the next best thing. The Canon 250D & 500D[=http//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/87487-REG/Canon_2821A002_52mm_500D_Close_up_Lens.html#features]Canon 250D & 500D being widely regarded as the best (they do come in a 52mm version to fit common Nikon DX lenses). Both are dual-element, the 250D designed for 35-135mm, the 500D for 70-300mm lenses. Reviews are great pretty much everywhere, and Scott Kelby recommends them highly for macro on a budget. At $75 each it's a cheap way to get into macro.