I have a Nikon D3400 camera with Nikkor 18-55mm and Nikkor 70-300mm lenses. I'm wont even pretend to be a photographer so I'm leaning on forum members who do have experience. What lens would you recommend for photographing ancient coins (silver and bronze). I'm looking at purchasing a macro lens, probably in the 100mm range. In addition if you have recommendations for lights, that would also be helpful. I was thinking about purchasing an adjustable stand with the lights attached, what do you think? They range in price from $75 - $380.
Go with a 100 or 125, in that range. You want a macro lens for sure. Also, buy a nice sturdy copy stand that can handle the weight of the camera and lens.
You'll probably want a macro lens with a built-in AF motor that focuses down to 1:1, and I can't think of one that isn't at least excellent. Here are some alternatives. The prices in parenthesis are for nice (but not mint) used copies. Nikon 60mm f/2.8G (~275) -- With smaller coins, the working distance with this lens can be quite short, which makes lighting more difficult. Works with both APS-C cameras and so-called "full frame" cameras. Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR (~300) -- This is designed for APS-C sensor cameras like your D3400. Tamron 90mm f/2.8 VC (~400) -- You need to be sure to get the F017 model, as the earlier model may not have a built-in motor. Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR (~425) -- This lens has the oldest design, but it's still a solid offering. Nikon sold over 700,000 of these, so it should be easy to find used. (But sorry, you can't have mine). While Sigma's macro lenses are fine optically, I no longer recommend them due to compatibility issues. I also second ldhair's comment about a copy stand. The less expensive copy stands are not really designed for the weight of a dSLR plus a heavy lens like the 105mm VR.
[QUOTE="benveniste, post: 24798480, member: 25547 I also second ldhair's comment about a copy stand. The less expensive copy stands are not really designed for the weight of a dSLR plus a heavy lens like the 105mm VR.[/QUOTE] This is especially true if you consider an even larger dedicated macro lens like a 150mm or 200mm. Not only are those large or heavy, but for photographing larger coins your copy stand would need to have a much taller column.
