Build your own excellent (or better) lens that is engineered to work well in extreme close-up situations with greater than 1:1 … you will need to buy a body cap to mount the lens on; a quality enlarging lens (the one illustrated here is an 80 mm Componon-s which cost $25 used); and a set of close up extension tubes.
The lens can also be from an old film movie cameras (used reversed, they were designed to focus very closely). My D200 can be setup to use a non-linked lens (see your user’s manual) and (as in all extreme macro photography) you will focus by moving the camera and lens farther or nearer to the subject.
The focus indicator in your viewfinder will still work, aiding you at the best focus. With the 80 mm lens and 65 mm of extension tubes you’ll have a useful working distance so that you can use the camera’s flash.
Step one is to carefully cut the center of the body cap out using a sheet rock style knife. It takes about 15 minutes of patient, steady cutting.
Then, using a hot melt glue gun, attach the lens ring that normally accompanies the enlarging lens to the body cap.
Finally, mount the lens to this new adapter and mount that onto the extension tubes.
All of this took less than a half an hour and cost about $50.
The resulting lens was engineered for optimum quality at these high magnifications and outperforms other lenses that were optimized for infinity focus.
For greater magnification, use a shorter focal length lens, ie 50 mm Componon-S.
Likewise, use a longer focal length lens for lower magnifications, ie 100 or 135 mm lens.
