Hi--

>Thank you for helping out countless people
>by taking the time to form that web page
>on lenses.

Thanks for the comment, and you're welcome!

>I have a question for you if
>you have the time. I'm working a job where
>macro is primary (bugs) and we're getting
>a new system. Not sure on which Nikon Body
>yet, but I'm quickly selling out to the 105mm
>f/2.8D. My question is, which would you use,
>a teleconvt. or extension tubes? Sometimes
>we use 2 teleconvs. together with our current system,
>so would maybe a teleconv. plus a set of tubes
>do the trick? I have little experience with
>this stuff as I was a nature/outdoor photographer
>concentrating on wildlife before. Appreciate
>any help. Sincerely, Brian Christine.
>brian_christine@entm.purdue.edu

I was busy shooting bugs for about 1 1/2 summers,
tried lots of lenses and combinations. My favorites
were a 90mm f2.5 Vivitar Series I with 1:1 adapter +
TC14A or TC200 for 1.4-2X magnification. For about
3X, the standard (non-macro) 200mm f4 + Sigma achromat
+ TC14A or TC200 worked well (at marked f11 1/2 or so
for both, TTL flash mounted with head at end of lens,
aimed at bug). The Nikkor 6T achromat was also excellent
added to the Vivitar. The 105D was not my favorite on
a 2X converter, though it is good. The 105 M AIS isn't
normally as good near 1:1 as the D or the Vivitar, but
with a 55mm f1.2 CRT Nikkor mounted face-to-face with
it ($40 post-paid from someone on the 'net), it was
wonderful at about 2X (making me tempted to sell the
Vivitar...). If you can stand the short front space,
the 60 M + 2X is also excellent around f11-16.
BTW, some of the newer bodies are harder to focus
manually (AF is useless) than 8008 and older ones
(the VF screens are less sharp). The F3 is nice,
but limits you to 1/60th or so sync. - maybe not
a problem with bugs, and the big accessory sports-finder
is great with bugs (allows pushing the camera forward
toward bug and away from face, while still viewing much
of the screen area - got me some photos I couldn't get
me-with-camera-stuck-to-eye to...). The F4 may also work
well (though not with available-light and its sports-finder,
since you are stuck with spot-metering with it, I think).