Nikon 200
This is one of the most highly rated macro lenses of Nikon. It has a quite long focal length and a reproduction ratio of 1:1 (the same as Nikon 105). What this lens does differently than the others is allowing you to take the same picture from further away. This has several advantages, first you get a more natural view with longer focal lengths and second sometimes you can just not come very close to your objects.
This is a lens for people that do serious macro work and not a lens that you just pick up.
Like all macro lenses, you can use this lens also for normal work where you do not focus that close. This is then a quite heavy prime lens with very reasonable speed at f/4.
Versions
- There are several older manual focus lenses non-macro (AI-S) at f/4
- A very expensive (5000+) new non-macro lens (AF-S 200mm f/2G ED VR)
| Price | Expensive |
|---|---|
| Weight | Very Heavy, 1'200g |
| Good for | Macro, landscape, details |
| New or used | No longer manufactured, quite rare used, I have seen around 800-1'000 |
This lens has been designed for a full frame camera. It will allow you to photograph things that are 2.5cm high from half a meter distance, which is pretty amazing. Since a regular 200mm lens would focus around 2 meters, more or less you are buying this lens because you are interested in capturing something that is 2.5 to 10cm high placed from 50cm to 200cm.
As all macro lenses, you can also use this as a regular lens. It is great for landscapes.
Once again, the move to an APS-C changes this to a 300mm monster. This helps with magnification also in the macro range. As the reproduction ratio is given for a 35mm film, on an APS-C camera you effectively have a 1:0.67 reproduction ratio. So if you are photographing things that are around 1.5cm high, APS-C maybe a better choice.
The lack of vibration reduction support makes it using it as a regular long lens slightly more problematic, but if you do not mind carrying it, it is an interesting zoo lens. You can take pictures of far away animals as well as little frogs and insects equally well.
Gallery
Cute mascot
Microchip photographed using the Nikon 200. This is with a APS-C camera, at (almost) the minimum focus distance.
Comparing three macro lenses side by side, Nikon 200 is in the middle.
A typical macro setup with the Nikon 200, for the picture in File:Chip_nikon200.jpg
This is a handheld shot using the Nikon 200 on a Nikon D850. While the lens is a macro lens, this shot is actually using it as a regular long lens. The result looks OK, but this is a tricky shot, since you are (relatively) close to the flower, you need a smaller aperture so that you have enough depth of field. This in turn requires a longer exposure which is partially compensated with a higher ISO of 1250.
These pages are for Amateur Photographers and not really for seasoned photographers and professionals. I have no affiliation or commercial interest with any brand/make. I write from my own experience. I ended up using mainly Nikon, so I am more familiar with this brand than others. See price for notes on pricing as well as photography related links.