Our Recommendation
I greatly enjoyed my time with the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D and the ability to shoot macro photos with a long working distance. There’s a reason why this is a legendary lens – it was one of the top lenses available at the time, and even today, it is very competitive.
That said, given the lens’s age, I think there’s absolutely room for Nikon to make a mirrorless version of the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D if they ever decide to do so. I’d be very interested in a Nikon Z MC 200mm f/4 S with Nikon’s newest optics, coatings, vibration reduction, and fast focusing motor to bring it up to modern standards. Such a lens would pair very nicely with Nikon’s 24-120mm f/4 S and act as a great general-purpose telephoto.
But until that day comes – if ever – the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D isn’t a bad choice at all. It’s particularly versatile if you use it on a DSLR with a built-in focus motor, or if you’re able to pair it with the MonsterAdapter LA-FZ1 instead of Nikon’s FTZ adapter.
Here’s how I’d sum up the pros and cons of the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D:
Pros:
- Best-in-class vignetting, chromatic aberration, and distortion performance
- Excellent working distance of about 26 cm / 10 inches
- Classic, professional build quality that still holds up in today’s world
- Long manual focus throw
- Used prices today are generally great values
Cons:
- Relatively large and heavy, although no bigger than similar lenses
- Sharpness, though excellent for the time, is worse than modern primes
- No full-time manual focus override, and M-A switch is awkward
- Screw-drive autofocus is slow and does not work with Nikon’s FTZ adapter
- Older lens, only available used
Certainly, in today’s world, the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D is a specialized choice. There are lighter, brighter, and sharper telephotos if you don’t need the macro photography features. Some recent telephotos even have great close-up capabilities of their own, like the Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8 or Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 S.
But if you need a true 1:1 macro lens with an excellent working distance, there is still a place in the world for the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D. In fact, for certain macro photography subjects, I would continue to call it the #1 macro lens available today, even though it’s definitely showing its age these days. Perhaps the MonsterAdapter LA-FZ1 will give it even more of a boost – or, alternatively, convince someone to make a serious 200mm macro lens for today’s mirrorless cameras.
Conclusion
The AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D is only available on the used market, including KEH and eBay:
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The next page of this review has some more sample photos from the AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D, followed by reader comments on the final page. Use the Table of Contents below the star rating to jump to the section you want.
AF Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D
- Build Quality and Handling
- Size and Weight
- Sharpness Performance
- Other Image Quality
Photography Life Overall Rating
Table of Contents