NIKKOR Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review
Lightweight Macro and More
The New Z mount 50mm Macro lens is an excellent lens for everyday use and especially for Macro work, it is lightweight, compact, and mounts directly to your Nikon Z mirrorless Camera Body.
I love using mine as a carry lens with the added bonus of 1:1 macro capability with extreme sharpness and image quality.
BackStory: I have been busy converting my legacy F mount lenses to the newer Z mount as the Z lens as they become available, the upgrades will be ongoing until I convert all my legacy F mount lenses to the newer Z mount lens. Unfornatually this comes at a cost but optically is worth the investment. The biggest benefit is the new Z mount lenses mount directly to your awesome Z mirrorless camera and offer superior overall performance over the legacy f lenses. You also get a boost in the corner to corner image quality.
Build Quality: Weather and dust sealed, Mostly Plastic with a chromed brass mounting flange. The front lens barrel appears to be made of plastic. Not as robust as the legacy F mount 60mm Macro but offers the benefit of being lighter and more compact.
Image Quality: Exceptional - Exceeds the awesome 60mm Legacy F mount lens in all aspects of optical performance.
Focus Performance: Acceptable in low light and excellent focus performance in bright light outdoors or overcast days.
Filter Threads: The Nikon 50mm MC f2/8 S lens has two filter sizes available - One is for a traditional filter in 46mm size such as an ND filter or UV filter and screws onto the inner lens barrel - the one that moves in and out as you focus, the other is 62mm and is useful for mounting your R1 or R1C1 macro flash setup to. I was pleased Nikon thought of having a 62mm mounting option for the Nikon R1/R1C1 macro system.
Pros:
- Small, light, and Compact Macro capable lens
- Edge to Edge sharpness
- Exceptional Image quality - Color - Contrast and Sharpness
- Fluorine Coatings
- Near Silent Operation - great for videos
Cons:
- The barrel extends as you focus - Its a pumper
- *No VR
- No Function Button
- No Digital Read-Out
- No programmable function rings
*VR is available when used with a Nikon Z camera body that supports in-body stabilization.
50mm MC Z vs 105mm MC Z: If you are primarily interested in doing Macro photography I would suggest getting the 105mm over the 50mm MC due to the greater working distance the 105mm offers. If you love compact and easy-to-carry light lenses with a stunning macro capability then the 50mm MC Z is one fine example of a general-purpose all-day carry Macro lens.
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