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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

Quality lens that you would expect from a company like Nikon -- great for macro work and I use it underwater, in a camera case, for small critters. Highly recommend.

Great lens. Worth the money. Nice sharp close ups, and a good portrait lens too.

Ich habe mir vor einiger Zeit das Nikkor AF D 60/2.8 Micro gekauft und kann es nur wärmstens empfehlen. Die Brennweite eignet sich in Verbindung mit Nikon-Kameras hervorragend für Portäts oder als Kurztele (KB-Äqivalent 90mm). Das Objektiv besticht durch seine Schärfe und die Makro-Fähigkeit, Vignettierung oder Randabdunklung sind de facto nicht vorhanden. Das sehr robust ausgeführte Objektiv verfügt als kleine Besonderheit noch über eine Fokusbegrenzer, der den Autofokus erheblich beschleunigen kann, wie z.B. bei Makroaufnahmen. Zumindest an der D200 kann man die Qualität des Objektivs an den Bildern sehen... Es zeigt, das ältere Objektivmodelle eine "moderne" Kameraausrüstung durchaus bereichern können! Greifen Sie zu, es lohnt sich!

Fun, fun, fun. That's all I can say. I take more pictures now. Great for indoor too because of f/2.8. Love it.

I am very happy with this lens. It increases my range of photography and is easy to use.

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 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.

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 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.

Ich bin jahrelang um dieses Objektiv herumgeschlichen, und dann hatte ich endlich die Gelegenheit, es mir einen Tag auszuleihen. Da war es passiert. Gekauft, anbajonettiert (D 200) und seitdem kaum wieder gewechselt. Makro, Portraits, Stilleben, Schnappschüsse - was das Herz begehrt, und zwar in einer Schärfe, die einfach unvergleichlich ist - mit Ausnahme vielleicht vom 85 mm 1:1,8, meinem bisherigen Favoriten. Dieses Objektiv ist preiswert, und zwar im besten Sinne des Wortes. Etwas besseres wird kaum zu finden sein. Zögern Sie nicht länger, sie ärgern sich sonst über jeden Tag, den Sie es noch nicht hatten... !

mit Spitzenleistungen an Nikon D-SLRs. Dieses Objektiv noch aus der Analog-Ära ist eines der wenigen Analog-Objektive, das auch an Digital-SLRs überzeugt, es ist derzeit wohl das beste Objektiv für Nikon D-SLRs. Im Vergleich dazu sieht das ebenfalls noch aus der Analog-Ära stammende 105er Macro wahrlich alt aus... Schärfe, Auflösung, Kontrast, Farbtreue sind einfach herausragend, egal ob an einer Nikon D70 oder an einer Nikon D2xs. An letzterer erinnern die Bilder schon an Analog-Mittelformat-Qualität. Angesichts der erreichten Performance ist dieses Objektiv nicht nur Pflicht in jeder Nikon D-SLR-Ausrüstung sondern auch ein wahres "Schnäppchen". Fazit: Nachwievor die beste Fest-Brennweite bei Nikon, zudem ein echtes Schnäppchen, eigentlich 6 Sterne.

An avid photographer of several decades I like most of all to do close-up photography. This Nikon Micro-Nikkor lens has outstanding optics that give crisp, beautiful closeups, by far the best of any lens I have ever owned. For outdoor shots care needs to be taken with breezes as the slightest movement can blur the photo. A tripod does not appear to be necessary if you have a steady hand and the air is still. Lighting is also very important when shooting light-colored subjects at the minimum distance of 8 1/2 in. as the subject's background can appear very dark if artificial light is not introduced. This is truly an outstanding lens that would rate 12 on a scale of 1-10.

I'll have to add an extra star to the rating system for this purchase. This lens Blows me away The clarity/sharpness are something I did not even know was possible. This lens can bring out detail your own eye does not pick up on~This is the magical quality I refer to. Awesome indoor lens very minimal light is required. If you have ever seen a photo that looks three dimensional but wasnt and wondered what was used to produce such an image this lens would be the answer. The only problem I have with this lens is that it has set a higher standard and what was good enough before is not good enough now. This lens has great value. The one thing I would change on the lens is the plastic construction. If your considering this lens Dont, Just Buy IT!

If your an amatuer out having fun or a dedicated profesional photographer making a living with your camera,you will love this lens.It is sharp as a tack at 9" or at 90ft. A word of caution, if you dont have a very steady hand, be sure to use your tripod

Ich war auf der Suche nach Zweierlei: Einem knackscharfen Makro-Objektiv sowie einem sehr guten, lichtstarken Allround-/Normalobjektiv für meine D200 - für die Available Light Fotografie, da ich Blitzlichtaufnahmen nicht mag.
Ich habe das AF 60/2,8 Mikro Nikkor an einer D200 ausprobiert und war nach wenigen Schüssen von dem Objektiv voll und ganz überzeugt. Das Objektiv ist aus Metall und exzellent verarbeitet - nicht der billige Plastikramsch, den man leider auch von Nikon inzwischen angedreht bekommt. Es ist trotzdem nicht allzu schwer, die D200 mit montiertem 60 mm Objektiv liegt gut in der Hand. Der Motor des Autofokus ist superschnell und ganz leise. Die Bilder sind wirklich knackscharf. Die Lichtstärke macht sich gegenüber den "Nikon-Scherben", die ich bei meinem D200-Kit dabei hatte, sehr positiv bemerkbar. Ich hatte damit gerechnet, dass mich die Festbrennweite sehr einschränkt, aber ich denke inzwischen, mit einer Festbrennweite muss man sich selbst einfach etwas mehr bewegen - ran ans Motiv oder weg davon. Jetzt bin ich gespannt auf die ersten Prints. Doch ich bin schon jetzt ganz sicher: Das Ding gebe ich nicht mehr her. Das bleibt als Normalobjektiv immer drauf.

I agree with most all other buyers/users of this superlative Nikon lens: it's build quality is impeccable, and its performance is, quite literally, legendary. One can see details in everyday objects that elevate them into an entirely new visual plane. I am entirely satisfied with this excellent lens, despite the fact that it must be used in manual focus mode with my D40 digital SLR.

My warning is simply this: I got a 'gray market' lens when I bought mine via Amazon, which means of course that if I ever need Nikon service for it, I am out of luck...Nikon USA simply will not accept any gray market lenses for warranty service. If I had known I would be receiving a gray market lens, I would have bought a legitimate USA version lens instead. I apparently misread or misunderstood that it was a gray market item; Nikon USA refuses to register my lens because of its status.

That said, my lens arrived swiftly and, to be honest, it looks like it will never need any service anyway; I use it in manual focus mode exclusively and I hope to enjoy many years' service with this remarkable piece of equipment.

I have two very different uses for this great lens. First I take photos of skin cancers all day long in my skin cancer surgery practice. These photos taken at about 9 inches have amazing clarity and all so easy, even a surgeon can do it. I use this lens with the D2x and SU800 with ring mounted R200 flash units. My second use is for portrait photos of my children. The D2X replaced my beloved Leica M6 and 90 mm portrait lens. With the D2X, the lens functions as a virtual 90 mm. Now if only Nikon would make this lens with an aperture wider than 2.8, absolutely nothing in the world would exceed the D2X and Nikkor AF Micor 60. And it is all so damn easy to use. Really incredible.

This is a nice lens, i can see why some say that it is not good for photographing insects, but that is not what i'm using it for so its great for me.

I have a D80 with the 18-135 mm kit lens. This 60mm/f2.8 macro lens is superior to the 18-135 in every way. It is razor sharp and the closeups as well as the portrait shots are amazing. This lens does not exhibit the obvious pincushion distortion that the 18-135 does. You have to be creative when illuminating the object you want to photograph as the built in flash will cast a shadow, that is how close you get with this lens. I'd give this lens a 6 out of 5. Highly recommended!

Yes, yes -- of course it's a great piece of glass but Nikon D40 needs an AF-S lens and NOT just AF.

Returned it for a refund. The AF-S macro is $780. Great. I switched over to Olympus E510 camera which I feel is a much better buy, a much better system. Nikon is an icon for people who either want to burn money or demanding professionals who understand that a *professional quality* lens costs thousands of dollars--not hundreds.

Nikon has lenses that sell for $4,000 to $20,000. THAT is professional. But for a Macro, the 60mm is a huge, fast, sharp piece of glass if you have a non AF-S camera body.

Das Objektiv ist wirklich Weltklasse - tolle Farben, guter Kontrast, sehr gute Schärfe - und das Ganze zu einem einigermaßen bezahlbaren Preis. Ich verwende es an der D300 und bin absolut zufrieden! An einer digitalen SLR wird es zu einem moderaten Teleobjektiv mit 90mm equiv - die klassische Makro-Brennweite. Aber auch in der Welt der großen Dinge tut das Objektiv ausgezeichnet seinen Dienst, z.B. für Portraits. Schließlich ist es recht kompakt, so dass es eigentlich immer in der Tasche Platz findet.

Thank you to all of you who spent time writing reviews and/or posting pictures on this page. The decision to purchase this lens was based entirely on your reviews and I am glad that I did. This is the best lens I have ever own.

Just to make sure that I got a good copy, I tested it by taking a few hudred pictures right after it was dilivered. I carefully examined each image and almost imediately, I knew that this is "THE LENS". I didn't believe the sharpness and contrast that this lens can produce on my S3-pro. I have also posted a few images I took with this lens here on this page as well.

I have quite a few nikon lens (17-55mm F2.8, 70-200mm F2.8) but somehow i keep coming back to this Micro lens to shoot my portraits! I know I know...it should be used for macro work, but its awesome for portraits too! Images are really really sharp! Beware when you are shooting older ladies...all the wrinkles come out!! Also a good working distance from subject...not too far, not too close. A favorite nikkor of mine.

This is a great lens, and I would find it to be very useful with the DX format, as it would be roughly equal to the 105 Macros on FX cameras. After all, with DX the 105 is actually equivalent to about 150, and I love mine, but I often need the closer capabilities that the 60 mm would give. However, why isn't it a VR? Why would they come out with a great new lens for the latest cameras and not put VR? After all, most would be using it with either the DX cameras, or the D3, and VR is useful for all of them. For this reason, I prefer the 105 macro. If you have heard any sensible explanation as to why Nikon chose not to make it a VR, please let me know.

By the way, if you own a Nikon digital camera of any kind and are only shooting with the zoom lenses with varying f stops such as the 18-200, you are really missing out on what your camera can do. My 18-200 was so convenient that I didn't use anything else, but after shooting with my 105 macro, I am now willing to put up with a great deal of inconvenience for the fantastic gain in sharpness and detail.

My 50 mm Sigma macro was stolen, so I bought this (60mm micro-nikkor) as a replacement. I was completely satisfied with the Sigma (which is much less expensive), but this is a better lens. I've been shooting ice formations and crystals all winter (with a D300), often in bright sunlight, which will show any, and all aberrations. There are none, that I can detect. The only complaint (and this would be true, to some extent, with any af lens): With the low levels of contrast in ice photography, the af spends a lot of time on the road. Manual focus is easy to get to, and works just fine. All in all, a superb lens.

Lens is awesome. Everything I expected. However Amazon's packaging left much to be desired. This expensive lens came in a cardboard box with one inflated air pillow. What you would expect if you were buying a hardcover book -- not a precision piece of glass. Fortunately, it was undamaged upon arrival. However, if the price is close I'd buy from one of the photo store vendors that Amazon features just to get decent packaging.

This would most probably be the sharpest lens in Nikon's arsenal. The 60mm on a 1.5 crop factor camera would be about 90mm in 35mm format. this lens would be a dual purpose portrait lens + close up lens. The 60mm is a bit short if you want to take insects (but not impossible), and the 105mm or 200mm Micro-Nikkor lens would be better for that, but if you take still life, flowers, objects, food, etc. This lens would be perfect for it. The minimum focusing distance is a bit too close for most inscets' comfort.

An excellent portriat lens, tack sharp. A little to close for macro if shooting insects, small reptiles etc. With static objects it can not be beat. Been using mine for several years and never been disappointed.

This refers to the lens on a D80 Nikon. The lens replaced many older lenses from the past F70 system era. This 60 mm. was a ton of money to part with for such a narrow range,or so we thought. Not .Crystal clear separation, breathtaking definition of anything close up was quality beyond our wildest expectation.BRILLIANT all round lens too...A TRUE performer, worth every penny. The 60mm.paired with the fabulous sensitivity of the D80,allowed for tripod free shooting. Spokane is close to our local Grand Coulee desert, with its exceptional flowers, we can begin to see them the way reality made them.

This is by far my favorite lens. In several reviews you'll see that people have said it's great for portraiture. In my opinion, it's great for everything. Even though this is not a zooming lens, I find that I use it more than any other lens in my bag. It's that flexible. The bokeh that it renders is wonderful. However, the most important thing to me is how sharp this lens is. It is absolutely tack sharp. Many people have said that it is one of the sharpest lenses Nikon has ever made. You will not be disappointed. The one issue with this lens is that you need to get very close to your subject if you're doing 1:1 macro work. Like others here have noted, that makes it pretty difficult to use for insect photography. However, that is a known limitation of a lens with a focal length of 60mm... If you want to get away from your subject a bit, you might want to consider the 105mm Micro Nikkor (which I'm sure is just as sharp as this one). If you own the Nikon D40, D40x, or D60, you will have to manually focus with this lens. I have the D40, and that's no problem for me. You can buy the AF-S version of this lens, but it will cost you extra, and for someone like me, it's not worth it. The focusing ring is very nice with this lens. It's well weighted, and doesn't feel flimsy (Nikon put extra effort into this focusing ring, because this is a macro lens, and you need to manually focus when you're doing macro work).

Overall: I HIGHLY recommend this lens to ANYONE with a Nikon camera. You will not be disappointed with its performance one bit, and the macro capability might open some new doors for your photography.

By the way, at the time of my writing this review, the current price for this lens is $499, sold by "Wall Street Photo" (a crummy 3rd part seller on amazon) - DON'T BUY IT AT THAT PRICE. THE AF-S VERSION IS EVEN LESS THAN THAT. The lens, to me, is worth $499, but why buy it at that price when you can get it for $100 less from a reputable dealer?

I am a beginner to DSLR and wanted to play with macro photography, and am really pleased with the results of this lens--crisp, light-weight, economic, and reliable. I manual focus on such intricate shots as reflections on water drops and have never been disappointed with the results. I would recommend this lens for beginners or intermediate hobbyists.

Natürlich ist das AF-D MICRO-NIKKOR 60 / 2.8 ein hervorragendes Objektiv. Es wird auf diesen Seiten und anderswo zu recht gelobt. Vielleicht ist es an der Zeit, auf kleine Schwächen hinzuweisen: In Verbindung mit modernen DSLR's ist der Autofocus unzeitgemäß langsam. Je nach Aufnahmestuation kann es passieren, dass das Objektiv zwischen Naheinstellgrenze und Unendlich hin und her "pumpt". Vielleicht schlägt sich das neue AF-S MICRO-NIKKOR 60mm / 2.8G ED hier besser? Dieses besitzt auch Innenfokussierung; ein wichtiger Vorteil bei einem Makro-Objektiv.

In my bag of camera tricks, I have 3 prime lenses, and this lens is by far on my camera the most.
I shoot with a Nikon D80, and this lens compliments my camera very well. The macro is amazing, and ultra sharp; but I also love what it can do for portraits. I recently did some family portraits with this lens, and they turned out beautifully!
It might be pricey, but it is so worth it. I promise you wont be disappointed!