Which One is Best

Nikon D810 and Sony a7RII

I use a Nikon with a Nikkor AF-S Micro 60mm for macro shots. The problem with a macro lens is focal length. If you have the opportunity to shoot very close up, the focal length is so minimal you only get a very tiny fraction of the subject in focus. Pros use focus stacking equipment which takes dozens of single shots and merges them into a single shot in which the entire subject is in focus. The subject has to remain perfectly still for hours in a studio setting. Otherwise you need to back away and use a smaller aperture.

For a lot of my work I use a Sony mirrorless with a Zeiss Batis 135mm. The minimum focus distance is 3'+ and it's very heavy, but at f/2.8 and good focusing, there is no finer clarity and resolution. It isolates the subject and the background is soft fluid color. If you can find a good quality used 70-300mm it will work similar to a macro and give you better focal length at large apertures.

… Judy M Darby, 16 November, 2020 - 11:26am

Canon info

I use a Canon sx50hs and Raynox DCR-250 for any subjects larger than about 8 mm. Normally, I use a DSLR and heavy macro lens for smaller stuff, but the sx50/Raynox setup would work for that, too.

… John Schneider, 14 May, 2017 - 3:01pm

Panasonic Lumix

Any of the Panasonic Lumix line for point and shoot is excellent. Their point and shoot is excellent for macro with a high quality lens and build.

… sspire, 14 May, 2017 - 10:26am

Lumix

There are a number of comments on the Panasonic Lumix FZ series in this forum. I've used the FZ 150 (now it's my son's expedition camera, and he raves about it), and now the FZ 1000.
With the FZ 1000, the extended zoom (10MP JPEGs) is phenomenal for images or video of insects at many feet away. I think the results shooting 20 MP RAW with a close-up lens are less good, but I haven't really tested thoroughly.
The 2500 is the current model, with a wholly redesigned lens, so I don't personally know how that'd work for insect photography.

… Stephen Hart, 15 May, 2017 - 1:51pm

FZ2500

The successor to the FZ1000 was just announced, the FZ1000m2.
After some research, I bought the FZ2500.
Panasonic tells me via email that the FZ2500 should preform at least as well as the FZ1000 in relatively close focus (a few feet) at the maximum zoom. That also includes the extended and intelligent zoom features, which I've used successfully for more than four years.

I'll post more in the summer when I've had a chance to use the camera for a while.

… Stephen Hart, 20 February, 2019 - 7:47pm

My experience

I started out with a pocket-size Canon and switched to a Canon G15 after a few years. The G15 is an advanced ("prosumer") point and shoot. It's smaller and lighter than a DSLR. It fits in a coat pocket but not easily in a pants pocket. It cost $500 new. Images on its macro setting (and, sometimes for larger insects, on its normal setting) are less good than DSLR images taken with a macro lens, but they're more than good enough for most BugGuide purposes.

Bee with G15

There's now a newer model, the G16, which isn't very different, or so I understand.

… R. Berg, 30 January, 2017 - 9:48pm

Any of the Panasonic Lumix li

Any of the Panasonic Lumix line for point and shoot is excellent. Their point and shoot is excellent for macro with a high quality lens and build.

… sspire, 14 May, 2017 - 10:25am