If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive, small, lightweight digital SLR that can take scenery plus macro photos without changing lenses, the Nikon D-3200 with 40 mm macro is a good combination. This lens serves as a normal lens for scenery and macro that focuses to a 1:1 ratio. You can focus down on a Penny until it appears full frame in your viewing window, or you can focus on a tree or landscape and get a beautiful scenery image. It has a crystal clear viewing screen when looking through the eyepiece, even in bright sunlight. It also has live view with a sharp LCD monitor.

The camera casts a shadow when focusing very close with built-in flash, but a small external Nikon SB-400 flash with Omni-Bounce Light Diffuser will provide adequate lighting for extreme close-ups as long as you back off a little. See the following image of full frame penny. If you are photographing ants, the Nikon 60 mm macro is preferable because it doesn't cast as much of a shadow under extreme closeups. Some photographers prefer the larger and heavier Nikon 105 mm macro lens because it has even more working distance. Although I prefer using manual focus when using a macro lens, the 40 mm also works in auto-focus on the D-3200. With live view and auto-focus, this light camera can be held away from your body with arm extended to photograph a spider in its web.

The camera easily fits into a small case with shoulder strap. My other favorite lens (Nikon 18-200 mm) fits into a small case on my belt. Camera & lense can also be slipped into a small back pack. These two lenses cover most of my photographic situations, from freight trains and scenic views to wildflowers and insects! This camera has several control settings, including manual, shutter & aperture priority. Unlike small point and shoot cameras, it takes beautiful images at high ISO settings. If you don't want to worry about shutter speeds and f-stops, just use program mode. It even has an auto mode that works like a point and shoot camera. By the way, the built-in flash provides excellent lighting in macro shots as long as you don't get too close. With 24 megapixels, there is plenty of cropping room with this camera.

Underneath My Old Hass Avocado Tree!

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Scorpion Photographed With Live View & Auto-Focus

Large Arizona scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis) photographed on a light box with camera held away from my body in right hand (arm extended). This is where live view and auto-focus comes in handy because you can view and focus on subject in LCD monitor from a distance. It also helps when the camera & lens are very light. Live view is especially handy when the subject in potentially dangerous or painful at close range!

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Extreme Closeup (1:1 ratio) Hand Held With Photoflood Lights

A sample of ant body parts collected near Aphaenogaster nest on Owens Peak. There was apparently a battle with nearby field ants (Formica aerata). Some Aphaenogaster lost their heads, but based on the ratio of body parts, presumably the Aphaenogaster colony was victorious.

Size Relationships Used On Wayne's Word

Hawaiian carpenter ant (Camponotus variegatus), the largest ant species in the Hawaiian Islands. This specimen appears to be a queen who has shed her wings.

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Orb Weaver Photographed At Midnight (Built-In Flash & 40 mm Macro)

Orb weaver spider (Araneus gemma) or possibly A. andrewsi in its web in a pepper tree.

Close-up Images With Reduced Flash Output (-3.0)

D-90 With Phoenix Ring Flash

In my opinion, the Phoenix Ring Flash provided the best lighting for this spider in its web at night. Unfortunately, this ring flash does not work with the D-3200. Although superior in these photos, the ring flash is not always desirable. Subjects with shiny, convex surfaces clearly reflect the circular ring of the flash unit. For a compact, lightweight camera for photographing insects and spiders at night, the D-3200 with built-in flash & 40 mm macro is excellent. Just don't get too close to the subject because of the shadow cast by the lens. Simply back off a little. With 24 megapixels there is plenty of cropping room, plus you can get better depth of field. The autofocus on 40 mm macro works very fast and is extremely handy when holding a flashlight in one hand and pressing the shutter release button with the other.

All text material & images on these pages copyright © W.P. Armstrong