60mm AF-S Micro Nicor f/2.8g ED Lens Photos

I thought it would be useful to show what this lens shoots so that people can get an idea of the range of photo opportunities available with this lens. Please contribute your own photos.

These pictures were taken during a recent dive trip to the Bahamas and are my first underwater photos taken with the lens.

Spotfin Butterfly (from a few feet away)

Curious Fish (close)

Hawksbill Turtle at night. (shot right up close)

Large Crab (relatively far away)

Lionfish (shot up pretty close)

Lionfish shot from a bit further away.

Great idea for a thread. Will try to add some.

Alex

I agree with Alex.

This is a great idea for a thread.

The 60mm micro lens is such a versatile lens.

I'm still using the older 60mm 2.8D, but I would love to try the newer one...some day

It will be really interesting to see how different people see and use this lens...

I hope everyone joins in...

Bruce...

Lionfish - oh my!!!

They have taken over the Bahamas too!!!

Is there anyplace in the Caribbean that is lionfish free?

Andy

Boy I've been away for so long that I am missing a lot of the good stuff. Didn't know about this lens! Will check it on the photo sites.

DrFiscus: the Lionfish is more or less restricted to the Northern Caribbean, SE coast of the US and Bermuda.

Cheers,

Luiz

Yes a great idea for a thread. I will be using mine for 3 weeks in Palau at the end of the month so I'll post when I get back.

Now then just need a port for a Tokina 10-17..............

I'm still using the older 60mm 2.8D...

Me too. Aside from the advantages of having the autofocus motor in the lens instead of the camera body, are there any major reasons for me to get the new lens?

It's got to sound good to get it past my wife.

This thread would have been SO useful for me when I first bought my system. I learned the hard way that much of what the pros here said were accurate....... too many of us newbies (like myself) find it hard to break away from what we know is a good lens topside.....things are simply VERY different underwater. My Nikkor 105 VR is my fav macro lens topside......UW though, the 60 is WAY easier to use and so much more versatile .....here are my three armature examples...I look forward to see what the pros like Alex can show us.... In fact, this would be a great thread for various lenses (especially with insight on the photog's distance from subject too if WA) ;

These were taken with the new Nikkor 60mm F2.8 AF-S using a D300 in a Sea & Sea housing with the standard port.

A large grouper almost a meter long;

A Hermit carb no bigger than the lens I am using (with a woody's wet diopter);

A Male black faced blenny - Tripterygion delaisi about 2 inches long (Cropped photo)

Here are a few of mine with the older Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D, all uncropped, just resized.

In a dome port:

In a flat port:

In fact, this would be a great thread for various lenses (especially with insight on the photog's distance from subject too if WA) ;

I started a thread for the two lenses I owned. I thought, quite frankly, that there should be a thread pinned for each of the lenses people use, mostly because I was frustrated not having an easy way to see what pictures could be taken with each lens. The other thread is for the Tokina 10-17. Unfortunately I have a poor memory of distance but if it looks close, generally that meant I was right on top of it.

I find that the best way to demonstrate what can be shot successfully is to let people browse through my images in Lightroom - sorting by lens type. It is very demonstrative. However - we'd have to be face to face to achieve it!

Alex

Here are a few of mine with the older Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D, all uncropped, just resized.

In a dome port:

Would someone mind explaining the differences between using a macro lens behind a dome and a flat port?

As I understand it, the dome port would preserve the FOV of the macro lens and effectively make it a "shorter" lens than it would be behind a flat port?

What are some of the pros and cons and/or trade-offs of flat port vs. dome for macro?

Thanks in advance!

I find that the best way to demonstrate what can be shot successfully is to let people browse through my images in Lightroom - sorting by lens type. It is very demonstrative. However - we'd have to be face to face to achieve it!

 

Alex

Would someone mind explaining the differences between using a macro lens behind a dome and a flat port?

 

As I understand it, the dome port would preserve the FOV of the macro lens and effectively make it a "shorter" lens than it would be behind a flat port?

 

What are some of the pros and cons and/or trade-offs of flat port vs. dome for macro?

You have pretty much answered your own question.

With a flat port you get a narrower field of view which is great for macro and high magnification. The drawback is that for larger subjects, you have to move back, increasing the amount of water you have to shoot through.

As the dome port preserves the FOV, it is effectively a wider field of view than with the flat port. This means that for the same amount of magnification, you will be closer to the subject, decreasing the amount of water your shooting through. i.e. you can shoot larger subjects. The drawback will be less magnification and you won't be able to get 1:1 with the bare lens. I have been toying with the idea of sticking a +4 diopter on the lens so that in theory 1:1 would be achievable, but I suspect that the port would be so close to the subject that lighting would be difficult.

You have pretty much answered your own question.

Thanks! That's what I figured, but wasn't sure if there was something else going on, too or some other motivation for one to do this.

Thanks! That's what I figured, but wasn't sure if there was something else going on, too or some other motivation for one to do this.

Jeremy,

My original motivation was that I already had the dome port and not the flat port. I was quite pleased with the results I got. I much prefer the flat port for true macro shots, but it can be a bit limiting when you come across a giant cuttlefish and you can't even get a good shot of its eye.

I started a thread for the two lenses I owned. I thought, quite frankly, that there should be a thread pinned for each of the lenses people use, mostly because I was frustrated not having an easy way to see what pictures could be taken with each lens. The other thread is for the Tokina 10-17. Unfortunately I have a poor memory of distance but if it looks close, generally that meant I was right on top of it.

Great idea for a thread. In fact, if Eric or any of the moderators are watching, maybe this could be the start of a nice database of threads on specific lenses where people can post samples (and state what camera body, ports, diopters, whether shot was cropped, water conditions, distance to subject, etc) for each lens.

What are some of the pros and cons and/or trade-offs of flat port vs. dome for macro?

The main con of using a dome with a macro lens is that you will scratch it while trying to get closer. A flat port is usually cheap and, one day or another, you will have to buy one so the sooner the better (at least for your dome port! )

One aspect that I do not like about the 60mm against the older one (I own both) is that it does not work/focus with 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverters (the older one does).

One aspect that I do not like about the 60mm against the older one (I own both) is that it does not work/focus with 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverters (the older one does).

This happened to me a few months ago. I had used a 1.4x TC with the older Nikon 105mm AF-D with no problems, so I took the new 105mm AF-S to Bonaire and learned to my surprise that the new lens would not autofocus at all with the TC, even on land in bright sunlight.

Does anyone know why the AF-S lens won't autofocus with the TC?

I took the new 105mm AF-S to Bonaire and learned to my surprise that the new lens would not autofocus at all with the TC,

At least, the new nikon 105mm AFS VR focuses well with both kenko pro 1.4x and 2.0x. Get one kenko instead of the nikon 1.4x as it works with the new 105 and has good quality.

105VR + kenko 2X autofocus (laid on the ground. You can notice in the eye my girlfriend standing by probably asking herself if I was crazy! )