Nikon Micro-Nikkor 60 mm F/2.8 AF D Lens

I have had the Nikon 60 2.8G Macro and I like this one better. While you give up instant autofocus over-ride, you gain two significant things: You have an f-stop dial so you can use it with manual (Nikon) bellows or tubes. And, you have a recessed lens, so you don't need a filter for protection, or extra distortion. It is light, and easy to carry and I can hardly believe the shots I am getting. I have a macro flash (the circular RAY flash attachment to the SB 900), which is necessary for really good exposure and depth of field at f22 with the bellows. Even without the flash and bellows, just shooting outside, I Love the pics. (I don't miss the nano coating--at least not yet.) Plus, this lens was half the price! Great eBay purchase.

As many of you know, this lens will not work in auto-focus mode on a D40x. It does not have the onboard autofocus motor necessary. Also, the D40x requires you to lock the lens at minimmum aperture. But have no fear, this enables the camera to control the aperture easily in both automatic and manual shooting modes, a fact not clearly stated in the lens instructions or other camera manuals I've seen. The D40x's shutter will not operate unless the lock ever is engaged.

As expected, though, is the lens' ability to gather light and achieve a razor-sharp focus, manual or otherwise! Depth of field control is quite flexible. A tripod is recommended at high magnification, but camera shake is less than expected. The Vibration Reduction feature on the other AF lenses is handy, but not essential. For general purpose, non-action and close-up photography, this lens represents a very high value. No D40 or D40x owner should look any further, unless they just want to spend much more $$$ for marginal improvement. Quite a wise investment!

I recommend manual control, or aperture priority shooting for best results. This lens can provide hours of productive fun and superior performance.

Pros: Nikon glass, f2.8, macro focus, handy portrait focal length, Nikon compatible.
Cons: At 1:1 macro distance, focused with lens front 1-2 inches from subject, too close to avoid light blockage from camera or my body from many angles. Using the 120mm macro helps deal with this problem.

I purchased this lens to get the close up macro capability with the wider aperature.

The rating I give this lens is based partly on the purpose for purchsing it and how well it meets my needs. In my opinion, straight macro lenses tend to be very sharp and this one no different. I was looking for a "fast" prime lens that I could use in my camera room, that would be sharp and easy to use. I considered the 35mm, 50mm, 60mm, 85mm and 105mm lenses. I also had a limited budget so purchasing the latest version of these lenses was something to consider but would probably not play out for me. I soon realized that the 60, 85 or 105 would be my focus. I am very satisfied with my choice and you cannot beat the sharpness and clean images I get on my Nikon D2x camera.

This is one hell of a lens! It is one of the sharpest lenses that I have used in my 30 years in photography. For macro work, I recommend focusing manually, or set the auto focus on Auto focus (S). For portraits its wonderful, just be careful to close down the f-stop, otherwise the the depth of field is very narrow
(f/2.8).