AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D - The Flower Lens

AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D	AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D close-up
AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4D ED IF, AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D compared

Lens data for the AF Micro Nikkor 60 mm f/2.8D: Lens construction: 8 elements in 7 groups Closest focusing: 0.219 m / 8.75 in For DX sensors: full frame equivalent: 90 mm Filter: 62 mm Hood: HN-22 Dimensions: 2.8 x 2.9 in Weight: 15.5 oz. Appearance: 1993 Performance on cameras with DX-sized sensors: The AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D was one of my very first lenses. I've used it on film SLR cameras and it proved to be a very good performer, although depth of field is rather shallow and using a tripod is not a pleasure due to the close working distance (especially when taking pictures of objects on the floor). On a digital SLR like the Fuji S2 this lens is pure joy. The depth of field is considerably larger and great shots can be obtained. I call the 60mm f/2.8D the "Flower Lens" because this is what I've used it for intensively. But besides its great macro capabilities it also makes a good portraiture lens with a nice bokeh (background blur). Some photographers prefer it over the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens for this reason. I actually prefer the AF 85mm f/1.4D and the MF 45mm f/2.8P for portraiture but that's just a matter of taste. The autofocus of the Nikon AF 60mm f/2.8D is rather slow but manual focusing is recommended for most macro work anyway. Tests on a tripod showed that the AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D produces nice sharp images even at the infinity setting, slightly better than the best zoom lenses in that range. But as can be expected other non-macro prime lenses deliver sharper images at the infinity setting (yes, it doesn't make sense to test macro lenses at infinity but since the AF Micro Nikkor 200mm f/4D lens is even great at infinity it was worth a try).

Rating for the Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 60 mm f/2.8D lens (Maximum: 5, Minimum: 1): Image quality wide open: 4 (for close-ups) Overall image quality: 4.5-5 (for close-ups) "Bokeh": 4-4.5 Build quality: 4.5 Lens construction for the Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 60 mm f/2.8D: Image © 2008 Nikon Corporation (source) External reviews (Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 60 mm f/2.8D) naturfotograf.com imagepower.de photozone.de slrgear.com lenstip.com photo.net momentcorp.com Reviews about the new AF-S version: nikon-fotografie.de (old vs. new, in German) slrgear.com

Some images taken with the AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D lens
(Sensor: DX format):

Some images taken with the AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D lens
(Sensor: FX format):