55mm f/3.5
by EddyThere is a reason behind the popularity of the Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 Micro despite it being a non-AI (AI standing for Auto Indexing) lens. It produces amazingly sharp pictures when used both for macro shots and for general shooting. The maximum aperture being f/3.5 may appear rather restrictive for non-macro photography, but taking into account that most kit lenses bundled with today’s DSLRs do not go above f/3.5 even at 18mm focal length, it does not look so bad after all.
The Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 is most effective when coupled with an extension tube/ring. In my case, I use the M2 which increases the magnification factor and, thankfully, allows me to mount the lens on the Nikon D200.
As you can imagine, when shooting such a tiny insect, one has to get very close, which causes some light to be blocked by the camera lens and the body of the person taking the picture. As I did not have a flash unit fitted, I had to maximise the use of the available light by setting a large aperture. The downside of doing this is that the depth of field becomes very thin which causes large areas of the spider to go out of focus. Considering that the spider was not longer than 5mm between its extremities, the DoF must be 1mm or less. Amazing!
Eddy.