I have used this lens for about 4 years, and under some tough shooting conditions. Most of my work involves very early morning insect and flower photography along with Autumn mushrooms. My results have always been superb. Most
of my work has been on a sturdy tripod and with a single
balanced flash fill, as the early morning light and undergrowth settings dictate long shutter speeds. The sharpness of this lens allows me to make pro quality 20x24
color prints. My only complaint is the weight of the lens,
and when coupled with an F-5 body, Swiss ball head, off lens flash bracket and mid sized tripod, it can be a chore to handle. But Even so, I would never be without the 200mm
Nikon AF macro. This lens is absolutely fabulous for animal and bird portraits, giving near 3-D results. I strongly
recommend this lens for anyone wanting truly first class results. The first feature you will notice is the good working room you will have in front of lens, as it gives you
a safe distance from things that bite and plenty of room to
light up subject, and it all goes uphill from there. When
it comes to the macro world, this lens is a nature photographers dream come true. It just does not get any better. Use it once and you will never switch lenses for macro work. Several items that work very well with this lens
include the Kenko Uniplus tube 25, an auto focus extension tube
that when attached between camera body and 200mm macro will
give you an increase in magnification and still preserve all
of the electronic functions, although I never use the auto focus with macro work as to focus manually will give
consistently better results. I also like to use the latest
Tamron Sp 1.4 AF pro converter to give an increase in focal length to 280mm at a loss of only one stop in lens speed. You will not lose any quality with this converter, it is
excellent. Too bad that Nikon does not have one. It too
provides all of the electronic functions. For those who own
a 5-T close up lens, it too will work well but must be
reversed for best results.
I find that the 200mm macro focal length works better in
the field than the two shorter macro lenses. The 60mm is an
excellent lens but you get too close to be useful,and the
105mm again, a truly excellent lens, also gets you a bit too close to skittish subjects. The 200mm also gives you a
more pleasing background blur than shorter macros. Flare is
also well controlled, a big help when dew is on your subject. The results are near 3 dimensional. I think you will truly enjoy the use and results of this remarkable lens. Good luck and happy shooting.


Recommended: Yes