Customer Reviews

Nikon 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you've never had a true macro lens that is capable of 1:1(life size on slide or negative), then you're in for some fun and you'll be amazed, trust me. It's razor sharp. Image quality is outstanding. You'll see detail on your slides or prints that you could never see with the naked eye.
The only thing that could possibly disappoint is the working distance. At 1:1, the subject is about 2-3 inches from the front of the lens. When shooting insects or other moving creatures, this may be too close. The 105mm macro is the way to go for that.

---Edited with the following: I've seen 1 and 2 star reviews for this lens because it will not autofocus with the Nikon D40, D40x, and D60(and possibly others). All the other functions still work, just have to manually focus it. **If you want autofocus with the above mentioned Nikon bodies, get the new G version of this lens. These days the 2 are almost the same price.And some knock it because it doesn't have VR. Hey, this lens was introduced around 1989-long before VR or digital SLRs. And in macro photography, steadiness and focusing are so critical, VR won't help much anyway. The only proper technique is to use a rock solid tripod and focus manually. If you think you can just hold the camera and shoot at 1:1 reproduction ratio, you'll have alot of blurred shots. So do your homework and research and don't buy something that is not fully compatible with your camera body-and then give it 1 or 2 stars. It's a fine lens-trust me.

Among Nikon's most celebrated lenses have been its Micro Nikkor macro lenses. This autofocus lens remains among the best, not only for its fine optics but also because it will allow the user to focus down to a 1:1 life size reproduction ratio, which is perfect for photographing inanimate objects such as coins or stamps or relatively still living objects such as leaves and flowers. I agree with another reviewer that if you intend to photograph small animals such as insects, then either a 105mm Micro Nikkor or the 200mm f4 Micro Nikkor, would be a more appropriate macro lens. Otherwise, the 60mm Micro Nikkor lens may be all the lens you need for superb closeup photography.

If I can only have one lens it will be this Nikon 60mm f/2.8 macro. Actually I hardly remove it from my D50.I had to buy a D200 for birds photography because the 60mm was 'glued' to the D50. I use it for every thing from portrait to small insects. This lens is equal to 90mm 35mm equivalent, in the film days ~90-100 mm macro lens were the most popular. With digital many people had read the old books and think experts are using 100 mm macro lenses and dare not buy this 60mm and posted to every webs that 60 mm is too short for small insects. I took thousands of insect shots with this lens and will never use any other lens. It is very sharp, maybe the sharpest lens Nikon ever made.

I use this lens to photograph flowers but I also use this lens as one of my main portraits lenses it is incredibly sharp and focuses extremely close, buy this lens and you will find you will be using it for more then a macro! Some images I have taken with this are at http://www.wburnett.com

I just thought I'd list the things I like about this lens, to make this review short and to the point:

1. The bokeh is the stuff of legend; it is textbook perfect. It is in the same class as the best German lenses when it comes to bokeh.
2. It is exquisitely sharp, all out to the edges, with no chromatic aberrations.
3. Manual focusing is nicely dampened and feels just like a manual-focusing lens.
4. Not only is it ideal for macro (micro) photography; it's also a fine
portrait lens. The narrower field of view (90mm equivalent in 35mm film) is perfect for abstracts.
5. The level of performance and quality exceeds the price two times over, in my opinion.
6. I think this is basically the same lens design as Nikon's hugely popular and legendary 55mm manual-focus Micro-Nikkor.

This lens is what Nikon optics is all about. You can't go wrong buying one.

Sharpness and price are not necessarily related. Nikon's standard 50mm f1.8 lens is very sharp and costs around $[...] (it's cheaply made though). The priciest lens I own, the really well-built $[...] 70-200 f2.8 with VR, also is no slouch in the sharpness department, though being a telezoom, it's not quite up there with a good prime (fixed focal distance) lens.

Much closer in price to the former, but built considerably better, is Nikon's 60mm 2.8 macro lens. I'm astonished by how much fine detail this thing picks up. In fact, I've never seen anything like it outside of the realm of medium-format cameras. For an SLR lens, this is as good as it gets. I rarely dabble in macro photography and would have no use for this lens if it wasn't such a stellar choice for portrait photos.

Caution: it's brutally honest, recording every pore (and of course, every minuscule blemish) in your subject's face. If you're going for lifelike and truthful, the 60mm Micro will wow you. If you're after portraits that are pleasing and flattering and just a bit soft, this isn't the lens for you, unless you don't mind achieving that effect in post-production.

I've posted an example of what I'm talking about here (it's a portrait I shot the other day): http://rogier.smugmug.com/gallery/241950#129473638-O-LB

I just love the optical qualities of this lens, which range from tack-sharp focus to wonderful bokeh beyond the depth of field. Nikon succeeded in designing a lens that furthers the aesthetics of a macro photographer's work. I have posted a few examples of photos taken with this lens.

While I'm a big fan of the older, all-metal Nikkor lenses, I'm still impressed by the build quality of the 60mm AF. Half the lens barrel is metal, while the rest looks well constructed from acrylic. The aperture ring is a little inaccessible, but I now control my f-stop through my D70S controls. If you've also considered the 105mm Nikkor micro, you may want to note that lens has a distinct advantage by using internal focusing elements (IF). This feature is apparent in closeup use, as the 60mm will change focal length while focusing, which often requires recomposing the shot. Generally, the AF works well but slows down in some lighting conditions. Then again, I mostly use manual focus for the finer control it provides.

One final note: at this price, the lens should include Nikon's hood (HN-22) since it's only made for this specific lens, and is not easy to find as a separately sold item.

It's awesomely sharp on my D70, even at fairly wide apertures, no color fringing, minimal distortion.

This is the reason to buy a Nikon. It's the lenses. With the Maco 60mm f/2.8 AF focus is instantaneous and precise, allowing me to focus on the subject and the composition. I can now digitally stalk insects, foliage, and the small serendipidous scenes of life. With a larger lens, you could capture photographs from a greater distance, but I prefer the challenge of getting up close.

I received my micro lens yesterday and have had a fantastic experience finding a new universe to shoot. Coins, bugs, flowers, rings, everything is possible now with the Nikon 60mm f2.8 D-Series Micro. I highly recommend it!