Owners opinion of Nikon 40mm f/2.8G AF-S DX Micro Nikkor?

[jonikon]

I'm thinking of buying the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR lens to be used on my D7000 and V1 with FT-1 adapter and am looking for opinions from users of this lens.


Thanks,
- Jon

 

[slimandy]

What will your primary use be? It is quite short if you want to use it as a macro lens but if you are looking for a standard prime lens that is also capable of macro it would be a good choice.

A short lens will give you very little working distance for macro so it will be very difficult to get shots of bugs, plus you will often be casting a shadow on your subject. For table-top work with your own light source you don't have so much to worry about.

 

[brightcolours]

...if I had a Nikon APS-C DSLR. Great little macro lens with very, very nice bokeh.

Love this wider field of view for close ups (these are not with this 40mm Nikkor of course, but just to illustrate the field of view):













I would also prefer the 40mm micro over the 35mm f1.8 DX for "infinity focus" stuff anytime, because of the awful bokeh of that 35mm lens.

 

[motobloat]

brightcolours wrote:

Great little macro lens with very, very nice bokeh.

I would also prefer the 40mm micro over the 35mm f1.8 DX for "infinity focus" stuff anytime, because of the awful bokeh of that 35mm lens.

These are good points. I have this lens, and mainly use it for table-top product photos (ebay, etc.). It is astoundingly sharp, focuses closer than the 35mm f/1.8, and has much better background blur. It's also very reasonably priced. It makes a nice jack-of-all-trades prime.


To quote photozone's review (which you should read):

In summary, the lens is compact, light-weight, affordable and, most important, optically very good. In addition, it doubles as a normal prime on a DX camera. The lens is certainly recommended for anyone tempted to try macro photography with a limited budget. Due the very short working distance (front lens to subject) it's certainly not the best choice to shoot shy creatures. However, that kind of subject isn't really suitable for macro starters anyway.

 

[Reilly Diefenbach]

One of my favorite lenses. A little honey that is sharp edge to edge, even at infinity and has beautiful bokeh, no CA and no distortion. The DX equivalent of the wonderful 60G. Much, better than the 351.8. Does a great pano as well, turned on its side. Too short for the best bug pics, but good for flowers.


40 Micro






Mt Adams

 

[Vertigon]

Compact, punchy yet true to life colours, great value etc etc. Also the effective aperture is better on the smaller length macros as you would know they have a shallower depth of field than a normal lens which is made worse as you tilt the lens at an angle to the image plane.

Don't worry about bugs too much, I have difficulty getting near them with the 105mm. I shoot tethered using camera control pro and even that has plenty of misses.

 

[GlennW]

jonikon wrote:

I'm thinking of buying the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR lens to be used on my D7000 and V1 with FT-1 adapter and am looking for opinions from users of this lens.

Thanks,
- Jon

Nice $279 lens on DX camera. For macro use, depends on your subject with 3 cm working distance. Best used for still subjects/copy work. No VR for hand held work so put it on a tripod & use remote release. For bugs you need 85 or longer. Could be a sweet lens on V1-V2 CX since you get larger crop factor. You will have to try it & report back with pictures!

 

[glo]

jonikon wrote:

I'm thinking of buying the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR lens to be used on my D7000 and V1 with FT-1 adapter and am looking for opinions from users of this lens.

Thanks,
- Jon

If it were me, I'd go with the 60 2.8G. It's a better lens, more working distance, nice for portraits, and some day if you go full frame this lens will stay with you.

glo

 

[brightcolours]

glo wrote:

jonikon wrote:

I'm thinking of buying the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR lens to be used on my D7000 and V1 with FT-1 adapter and am looking for opinions from users of this lens.

Thanks,
- Jon

If it were me, I'd go with the 60 2.8G. It's a better lens,

It is not a better lens.

more working distance

Only a little.

, nice for portraits,

The Tamron 60mm f2 Di II is way nicer for portraits (smoother bokeh, 1 stop more open)

and some day if you go full frame this lens will stay with you.

Yes, only this point is true. But when you go FF you lose the portrait "advantage" again.

Should have chosen a 90-105mm class lens then.

glo