Nikon AF-S FX Micro-NIKKOR 2177 60mm f/2.8G ED Standard Macro Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras,Black

This is a fantastic mid range macro lens and is nice and sharp, although not as sharp as the amazing 60mm AFD Macro. I received the lens nicely packed and in great condition. I did perform some minor lens element cleaning on the exterior glass and ran it through some test on a D780 and a Z7II and it performed well. It was also tested with the "focus shift" functions on both bodies and it produced front to back clean focus results.

This is probably the best single optic Nikon makes that I have ever seen or used . Nikon is an optical company first , a camera maker second ( their software and camera firmware is behind the curve or off in the wasteland, however). The line of Micro-Nikkor lenses has always been excellent, going back 40 years even ,but the refinements in the current 60mm are exceptional. I decided to purchase because of internal focusing --- lens doesn't change length or the barrel rotate when being used---since I need this lens to make copies of thousands of slides in trays. Which by the way this lens is superb for. I can do hundreds of images of my old slides in a day , whereas scanning those on a real film or even flatbed scanner would take weeks. Other pluses include optical near-perfection...perfect color , no fringing or other chromatic aberrations , no distortion whatsoever. Those ED glass elements perform as advertised. Did I say the sharpness is astoundingThe single focal length 60mm Micro Nikkor ED-G lens is also an excellent general purpose lens , unless you are spoiled by zooms. Even the manual focus is sweet to use You can " tweak" the fine focus easily in real time if your camera has trouble finding your preferred focus point. Te lens is built absolutely solid and precise. Should last for a generation, as an high end Nikkor lens should. Top dollar in price, but top dollar in quality.The only thing lacking is an aperture ring. The F/stop diaphragm setting can only be set electronically by the camera. No great loss there. But I still have an older Nikkor 55mm 2.8 AI-S manual lens for that.My ONLY gripe about this purchase was the guy I bought it from sent the wrong lens hood !!! He included one for a 55`200 zoom , which doesn't even come close to attaching. He listed the lens as " near new condition " ( it was , with all original packaging, lens caps, lens bag, HOOD, and a USA warranty card never filled out. But the wrong hood was included. Grrrr... That particular vendor will not respond to Amazon e-mails requesting the correct lens hood , even though he responded to me right away after I paid for the lens on a question about shipping. His lack of responsiveness caused me to place negative feedback, because now I have to fork out another $ 36.00 plus shipping to buy the correct lens hood .I am VERY disappointed in that part of the transaction , since I paid nearly 80 percent new price for the totality. I shoulda just bought all new.

Pro's:I really labored over purchasing this lens, as the Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S DX ED VR Micro Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras was announced around the time I had bought this lens.But I knew I wanted more working distance since I was going to use this lens on my D200 (DX body, so effective focal length 90mm); I also wanted something that would work on my N75 and have the ability to use with a D700/D3/D3x if I so chose to.A recent Dec 2009 review from Popular Photography also supported my choice, titled "7 Versatile Pieces of Photo Gear":The 60mm Macro LensFor tremendous versatility in a single focal length, nothing beats a fast (f/2.8 or faster) 60mm macro lens, especially when you use it on a DSLR with an APS-C-sized sensor. It's tops for both fascinating close-ups and flattering portraits. A macro lens is a must to get in tight on a small object. And if your subject is round (like these cherries), a 60mm can help bring out the shape in ways that longer macros, which flatten the scene, cannot. Even better? Its typical close-focusing distance of 7-9 inches lets you adjust your subject while your eye remains glued to the viewfinder. But with portraits, you want to be farther away. The one here succeeds in part because the photographer's 60mm macro lens, used on her Nikon D200, scaled up to a 90mm equivalent--just about perfect for people pictures.Regardless, this macro has been a joy to use, and it gives me several stops advantage over the "competing" 85 3.5 VR macro recently released. . .Quick, silent focus, and excellent gold-stamped "N" construction round out the pluses!Con's:Odd length, doesn't really fit well with my small lens cases.HEAVY for the size. But I like it (some may not).Some hunting in low light and slow to focus from infinity to close, as expected of a macro though since they are made to be be finely adjusted.Wish it had VR as I use it as a portrait lens sometimes.P.S. I also use with the post-processing suiteDxO Optics Pro v5 Standard Edition(D200 + 60mm 2.8). Cleans up my shots and gives me a few-stop advantage in post processing!

This is the first Macro (or in Nikon-speak, Micro) lens I have owned (in 45 years of photography). What a treat this lens has been. It's also been a new learning experience for me. I think if this lens were image stabilized, then I'd certainly give it 5 Stars! Here are my issues with this lens…While the lens is crisp and sharp (once you've made the mandatory focus adjustments that ALL Nikon lenses seem to require… and why is this necessary, Nikon?!?) I've found that hand holding this lens to do Macro photography is not too practical. If you're holding the lens close to the subject, say 6 inches away, you must shoot at 1/500 or better still 1/1000 to mitigate any body movement (such as your heart beating). However, if you're shooting at 1/1000, then you're going to be shooting at f2.8 or thereabouts. This will minimize depth of field. Therefore, a tripod is almost a necessity. If image stabilized, then you'd be able to shoot at f4.5 or better still f5.6.Other than this, this lens seems like a well-built Nikon plastic lens… it's also a bit heavier than the typical Nikon lens in this price category (lots of glass inside). Good color, saturation and contrast, with minimal CA.I am using this lens on a D7100 and overall satisfied and would recommend this lens to anyone with a recent Nikon digital SLR.