I still used my only macro lens. nikkor 60mm f2.8D with my D80 and D7100 it can do 1:1 magnification. most of my shots i tried to shoot as closed. maybe 50mm from the subjects or sometimes farther. If insects don't fly :) I also use an external flash.
I would like to tell my way of shooting macro. and maybe some people might learn and i can learn from you too.
The bigger the aperture the better. f-stop range i tried are
f22 to f9. f11 to f16 is ok. but it also depends on lighting and shutter speed. these are the 3 things i manipulate or adjust. 200s or 250s with flash. help reduce the blur. since i shoot handheld. The insects size too matters.
With flash. adjusting it's power to medium-high. That removes the lighting problem. Set speed to 250s. remove the blur problem too. now it's just the fstop and how closed or far you will be on the insects. althou, i would love to try a ring flash.
for a hobby photographer like me. i want to shoot fast and easy with good result. Finding subject with luck helps.
