Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D IF-ED Review

Introduction

One of Nikon’s most famous lenses is the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D. This macro lens was released more than 30 years ago, yet it remains in demand today. Part of this demand is simply because there has never been a true replacement for this lens – it is (by far) Nikon’s longest native 1:1 macro lens, and it also has one of the largest working distances of any macro lens ever made. Then there are the optics. Although image quality standards have gone up substantially since this lens’s announcement in 1993, the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D has maintained an excellent reputation the whole time.

Often, macro photographers will prefer longer lenses instead of something like a 50mm or 60mm macro. And why is that? Simple: working distance. When doing macro photography, you’ll often run into the challenge of being too close to your subject – maybe just an inch or two in front of your lens if you’re using a 50mm or 60mm. This insufficient working distance means that you could block the light and scare away a lot of subjects, while also giving yourself limited room to position artificial lights like a flash. For that reason, the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D is a very desirable lens. It offers an impressive working distance of about 260 millimeters (10.2 inches) in front of the lens at 1:1 magnification. Not many other macro lenses offer anything close to that much working distance; for example, the newest Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S has 134 millimeters of working distance by comparison (5.3 inches).

Even so, the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D has become less popular in the mirrorless age, largely because Nikon’s FTZ adapter does not allow autofocus with older Nikon AF and AF-D lenses like this one. Manual focus isn’t the end of the world for macro photography – you’ll often use manual focus anyway at the higher magnifications – but it does put a damper on the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D’s overall versatility. However, this changed as of late February 2025, when the company MonsterAdapter announced an LA-FZ1 adapter that allows older Nikon AF lenses to maintain autofocus on the Z System! This could lead to a surge in interest for Nikon’s AF and AF-D glass, and the Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D is probably the most exciting of all these lenses. The adapter is shipping in the summer of 2025, and availability can be checked here. (That link goes to a search page; make sure that the correct adapter, the LA-FZ1, shows up before buying it.)

Used prices for the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D have been like a roller coaster over the years, but they’re pretty low at the moment, with used copies of the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D selling for about $600 on eBay (eBay partner program affiliate link). It’s more like $800 if you buy used from KEH instead, but really, prices are all over the place. If you look around, you might find a good deal that offsets some of the cost of the MonsterAdapter LA-FZ1 – and that could make the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D a more compelling lens than ever.

Recently, I had a chance to test the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D both in the field and in our lab, thanks to one of our readers who kindly sent me his copy for testing. Even though I tested it using Nikon’s basic FTZ adapter without autofocus, I was very impressed by the lens nonetheless. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Is it worth considering the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D in today’s world? How does it perform in practice? This review will answer those questions and more!

Build Quality

The AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D’s build quality stands out in today’s world. It’s a high-end optic and feels like it, but given that it was designed 30 years ago, there are some quirks as well.

First, the all-metal barrel uses Nikon’s speckled black paint, a staple at the time that was phased out in the early 2000s. It gives the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D almost a shimmering matte quality, not something that you’ll see in a modern lens. Likewise for the aperture ring – it’s a holdout, but not a bad thing.

This is a long and heavy lens, weighing in at 1185 grams / 2.61 pounds and measuring 19.3 cm / 7.6 inches long. That said, the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D does not have a very large diameter and manages to use just a 62mm filter thread. To deal with the weight, Nikon has added a non-removable tripod foot to the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D.

Nikon does not specify weather sealing on this lens. The AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D does focus internally, which helps with its durability over the long run (although the front element does move within the fixed outer barrel). In any case, if you want to buy one of these lenses used in good condition, you’ll still find plenty of options, which is a testament to how well Nikon built it.

Handling

The AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D handles well, but not perfectly. The good news is that the manual focus ring is large and comfortable, and it features a good focus throw of approximately 240 degrees. This makes it very capable for high magnification macro photography, where you are unlikely to use autofocus.

My biggest complaint about the handling is that the lens does not support manual focus override when set to autofocus. In fact, if the lens is set to autofocus, the focusing ring locks completely and doesn’t turn in either direction. If you want to focus manually with this lens, you need to push the button on the M-A ring and then rotate the ring. This is not the smoothest process – I would greatly prefer a full-time manual focus override like we have on Nikon’s current lenses. Also, some users have reported the M-A ring failing over time, and Nikon is no longer able to service it.

The lens features an autofocus limiter switch with two settings: Limit and Full. When set to Full, the lens can autofocus through its entire range. Meanwhile, setting the lens to Limit will restrict its autofocus capabilities to the range from 2.4 feet to infinity (74 cm to infinity).

Given the release date of this lens, it doesn’t have some of Nikon’s later features like vibration reduction and newer types of lens coatings. On Nikon Z cameras, you will still get in-body image stabilization with this lens, whether you use Nikon’s FTZ adapter or the MonsterAdapter LA-FZ1 adapter.

AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D Specifications

• Full Name: Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D IF-ED
• Mount Type: Nikon F Mount
• Focal Length: 200mm prime
• Angle of View (FX): 12°20′
• Maximum Aperture: f/4 (effective aperture of f/5.3 at 1:1 magnification)
• Minimum Aperture: f/32
• Aperture Blades: 9
• Filter Size: 62mm
• Lens Elements: 13
• Lens Groups: 8
• Special Elements: 2 ED glass
• Super Integrated Coating: Yes
• Fluorine Coated Front Element: No
• Electronic Diaphragm: No
• Vibration Reduction: No
• Internal Focusing: Yes
• Control Rings: Focus and aperture
• Function Buttons: No
• Switches: M-A and focus limiter
• Focus Motor: None (screw drive, driven by camera)
• Minimum Focus Distance: 48.8 cm (19.2 inches)
• Working Distance: 256 mm (10 inches)
• Maximum Magnification: 1× (1:1)
• Mount Material: Metal
• Weather/Dust Sealing: Not specified
• Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 193 × 76 mm (7.6 × 3.0 inches)
• Weight: 1185 g (2.61 lbs)
• Current price: About $800 used (check current price)

The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. So, click the menu below to go to “Optical Performance”: