Yes, I love using macro lenses, but there’s more than one way to focus up close. In fact, one Nikon lens can reach 1:1 macro capabilities without any third-party accessories, even though “macro” isn’t in its name! I consider it to be Nikon’s secret macro lens.
But I won’t reveal it right away. First, as I build up to the grand reveal, allow me to introduce a few other non-macro Nikon lenses that are great for close-up photography. I’ll arrange them in order from lowest to highest magnification.
This isn’t a comprehensive list, just some of the highlights. If I missed any non-macro lenses that you like to use for close-up photography, let me know in the comments!
Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D: 0.27× (up to 0.54×) Magnification
This older F-mount lens was famously popular among butterfly and dragonfly photographers. The 0.27x maximum magnification is already good, but most importantly, the 300mm focal length lets you stand very far back from your subject so as not to scare it away.
Because of the f/4 maximum aperture, you can easily add a 1.4x teleconverter to this lens and get a 420mm f/5.6 lens with a 0.38x maximum magnification. The lens also accepts Nikon’s 1.7x and 2.0x teleconverters, giving up a maximum of up to 0.54x magnification – albeit with a further drop in maximum aperture.
There’s also the newer Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF, which replaces the f/4D version. It’s a better lens in most respects, and its maximum magnification of 0.25x is nearly as good for close-up situations. Pair it with either teleconverter to improve its magnification even further.
Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S: 0.30× Magnification
A lens that many Nikon Z photographers already have in their bag is secretly very good at close-focus photography! I’m talking about the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S, the first zoom Nikon ever made for the Z system back in 2018.
At 0.30× magnification, you can get some nice close-up photos of flowers with this lens, or even small animals like lizards, frogs, and dragonflies.
One of the downsides is that the focal length only reaches up to 70mm, so you’ll end up fairly close to your subject at these focusing distances. So, it’s not the best for photographing skittish creatures.
Even so, if you’ve never given it a spin for close-up photography, take this as a signal to start! You can get some nice shots with this versatile lens.
Nikon AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G VR: 0.32× Magnification
This F-mount lens not only has a versatile zoom range, but also a versatile focusing range. The maximum magnification of 0.32x allows you to fill a full-frame image with objects that are 11 cm / 4.4 inches across. This makes it a good choice for slightly larger flowers, dragonflies, butterflies, and similar subjects.
What’s more, this high magnification occurs at the 300mm focal length, so you can stand back a good distance from your subject. This makes it a great choice for somewhat skittish creatures like butterflies.
That said, the lens’s relatively high focus breathing means that you’re not really at a true 300mm at the closest focusing distances. At full 0.32x magnification, it is approximately a 135mm lens.
Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S: 0.38× Magnification
One of my favorite things about the Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S is its close focusing distance. The lens’s maximum magnification of 0.38x allows you to fill the frame of a full-frame image with something that’s just 9.4 cm / 3.7 inches wide.
Combine that with the 400mm focal length, and you can photograph small, skittish subjects with the 100-400mm more easily than almost any other lens on the market. I think of it as the spiritual successor to the 300mm f/4D for this reason, and I loved using it for dragonfly photography while I was testing the Nikon Z9 last year.
On top of that, you can combine the 100-400mm lens with Nikon’s 1.4x or 2.0x TC to get even more magnification. Specifically, the magnification is 0.53x with the shorter teleconverter and 0.76x with the longer teleconverter – almost full macro territory. Even though it comes with the usual disadvantages of a teleconverter, it’s still workable for macro photography, especially if you were planning to use apertures like f/22 anyway to get enough depth of field.
Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S: 0.39× Magnification
A highly versatile lens with great close-focus capabilities is the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S. With a maximum magnification of 0.39x, you can fill the frame on this lens with an object that’s 9.2 cm / 3.6 inches wide on full-frame – the best of any of Nikon’s current midrange zooms. (As noted by John D in the comments below this article, Nikon’s old 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-D actually goes even higher, up to 0.5x!)
Since the Z 24-120mm f/4 S is so optically consistent, you also have some ability to crop further while still retaining good sharpness. It’s one of many reasons why I consider this to be my favorite midrange zoom for the Nikon Z system right now, and arguably the most versatile lens that Nikon makes at the moment.
Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8: 0.5× (up to 1×) Magnification
Here it is – Nikon’s secret macro lens! The Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8 is an under-the-radar, Tamron-designed lens intended to be an inexpensive alternative to Nikon’s 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S. In most respects, it’s not the most advanced lens on the market, but magnification is a different story. This lens can focus very closely.
To be specific, the Z 70-180mm f/2.8 has a maximum magnification of 1:2 (technically 0.48x) which is high enough that some third-party lens companies would already cheat and call it “macro.” However, the Z 70-180mm f/2.8 also takes Nikon’s teleconverters, pushing it over the top. With the smaller 1.4x TC, you’ll get a 100-250mm f/4 lens with 0.7x maximum magnification. And with the 2.0x TC, the lens becomes a 140-360mm f/5.6 capable of 1:1 magnification. Thus, it fulfills my promise at the start of this article: It’s a Nikon lens that reaches 1:1 macro capabilities without the need for third-party accessories like extension tubes!
For context, a magnification of 0.5x means that you can fill a full-frame image with something that’s 7.2 cm / 2.8 inches across. Meanwhile, 1x magnification lets you fill the frame with a very tiny subject, just 3.6 cm / 1.4 inches wide.
There is one caveat, however. The maximum magnification of this lens only occurs at the widest angle of 70mm. When you zoom into 180mm without a teleconverter, the magnification is around 0.25x. Although this is high, too, it’s not as groundbreaking as the magnification at 70mm. Once you attach the 2x teleconverter, you’re left with a 140-360mm f/5.6 lens with 1:1 macro capabilities at 140mm and 0.5x magnification at 360mm – which is still pretty awesome, I’d say.
As a side note, even though teleconverters rob some sharpness, a lot of photographers take 1:1 macro photos around f/22 anyway in order to get more depth of field (usually necessitating a strong flash system). At that point, the image quality on almost every lens is equally bad, so the teleconverters aren’t a big deal :)
Conclusion
All of the lenses that I’ve covered in this article are great options for close-up photography without the need for a dedicated macro lens. Of course, I still recommend getting something like Nikon’s Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S or the older Nikon AF 200mm f/4D if you’re a dedicated macro photographer. But I hope this article proved that you can get great close-up capabilities with plenty of other lenses, too, even if they don’t have “macro” in the name – without necessarily resorting to tools like extension tubes or close-up filters.
Maybe you even own one of more of these lenses already! If so, take it out for a spin with close-up photography in mind. And, again, the lenses above only scratch the surface – I recommend Googling for info on your own lenses if you’re not sure about their maximum magnification. You may already have good close-up capabilities hidden in your camera bag without even realizing it.
Thanks for the comprehensive article on macro magnification. I’ve had the old 300mm f/4 for many years, and I’ve used it in the field for butterflies. As you mention, it is a great lens for that. And now, with IBIS in the mirrorless bodies it is much easier to handhold. I am surprised you did not mention extension tubes in your article. I find tubes a better way to increase magnification vs teleconverters.
Thank you Spencer for this so useful review (I shoot macro occasionally) . The result : I have sold my extension tubes ;-) All the best.
The Tamron 45/1.8 has a max reproduction ratio of 1:3,4. It is a little short for serious macro work, but it renders beautifully and is tack sharp.
That is something I really like with respect to the Z mount lenses, they mostly have decent close focus. I used to use the 300 f/4 PF for some macro work, with and without the 1.4x and it has produced some fantastic images, but now that I have the 100-400, I sold the 300 PF. I believe I’ve also been able to capture some decent images with the Z mount 24-70 f/4; it takes some cropping, but the images can be decent. markburgess.zenfolio.com/p331932230 (see the snail images)
Yeah, those are great! Not a lot of people would have guessed that’s from the humble 24-70mm f/4.
Good article.
Now damn Nikon, give me a 400 5.6 1:1. Don’t care if it focuses past six feet.
That would be a very unusual lens and very interesting. I have encountered several situations where such a lens would be useful, even though in general it might be a bit hard to handle.
The Nikon 24-70 f/4 S has a respectable 0.3X magnification. Not bad either.
Very true! Especially useful considering how many Nikon Z photographers have one.
I love the often forgotten Nikon 85mm f2.8 PC-E
Absolutely, and the tilt functionality means that it can get better depth of field than any other lens for certain subjects. I only didn’t include it (and the 45mm) in this article because Nikon puts “micro” in the name – which, as a side note, is unusual for them to do on a lens that maxes out at 1:2 magnification rather than 1:1.
I hope the readers find this interesting…
NIKKOR – The Thousand and One Nights No.25
by Haruo Sato
Micro Nikkor – history of development, behind-the-scenes story and tradition
imaging.nikon.com/imagi…tory/0025/
I am a huge fan of the Z100-400 w/ or w/o TCs for closeup work. I love flower photography, but you cannot just step into the Botanical Garden flower beds, or wade in the ponds to get you closeup shots.
The close focus ability of the lens easily allows 540mm with a focus distance of about 1m/40in. which is great for places you cannot step. Additionally, it allows focus on insects without getting too up close and personal with bees/wasps/etc. and disturbing the subjects.
Used with my Z9, this is the lens that is on the camera and ready to go at all times. I may change it in the field, but put it back on for availability most of the time.
Shooting at 540mm with reasonable image quality and 0.5x magnification is fantastic. If I lived somewhere with more dragonflies nearby, that combo would be in my bag immediately.
Interesting article, I have used the excellent 70-180mm Nikkor micro for years. Apart from the slow focusing it is hard to beat. The PF lenses are good, especially the 300mm. Far better focus speed. Hard to beat the D500 and 70-180mm for butterflies and dragonflies. Wish they would make a new one then might be tempted by Z. The Z50 is a good pocket camera though.
Ironically, the closest alternative on the Z system right now is their own 70-180mm! It’s not a perfect replacement because it reaches 0.5x magnification at 70mm rather than 0.75x magnification at 180mm. But still closer than anything else.
I think a zoom macro would be amazing, and I’m surprised that it’s been so many years since Nikon has made a new one. Here’s hoping that changes at some point, even though I don’t expect it to be likely.
Still have my 70-180 too I use it on my D750 or D850 or even manual focus on the Z6. It just has a look I really like and it is fun to shoot. Use is each year for the Chicago Botanic Gardens Orchid show and around my wife’s gardens. Lots of fun.
I agree. I said the same thing about the 70-180mm a while back. I wish Nikon would release an update. It’s truly a one-of-kind lens.
Makes me wish I had the 70-180 over the 105MC. I just never use the latter. Macro is not really my thing, altho it could also be used for landscape or portrait work. I think about selling it but haven’t yet.
The 105mm MC is an awesome lens, but there are a lot of awesome lenses that have sat unused on my shelves over the years! Sometimes you just don’t need a certain lens, or even don’t resonate with it for whatever reason. I felt that about the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art back in the day despite it being my sharpest lens. Maybe you’d find the 70-180mm to be a better fit for your work.