{"id":6769,"date":"2024-05-11T20:47:42","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T20:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/?p=6769"},"modified":"2024-05-11T20:47:42","modified_gmt":"2024-05-11T20:47:42","slug":"60mm-micro-an-often-overlooked-gem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/2024\/05\/11\/60mm-micro-an-often-overlooked-gem\/","title":{"rendered":"60mm Micro – an often overlooked gem"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens<\/h2>\n

I’ll admit it, I’m thinking about buying photo gear again. (Spoiler alert: I’ve already bought some!) Everything seems to be moving toward mirrorless these days and I’m not (yet) a fan. Maybe I’ll cover that issue more in a future post, but I’m taking this time to re-think my DSLR kit and consider filling some holes in my lens lineup.<\/p>\n

As part of this process, I’m looking back at lenses that have served me well in the past, that might have useful siblings.<\/p>\n

I find a macro lens to be indispensable. I’m using the term “macro” broadly. I’m not so interested in a lens will magnify a small object, but more in a lens that can focus very closely. Perhaps “close-up” lens is a more correct term for my needs, but you hopefully get the idea. I don’t need to make a tiny flea look enormous, but it’s nice to be able to photograph a plate of food from closer than 8 feet.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1715344347624{padding-right: 200px !important;}”]\n

Seen here: 60mm macro shot of a butterfly I made for a story on butterfly gardens in the Midwest.<\/h5>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”6748″ animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default” margin_left=”40″ margin_right=”40″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50″][vc_column_text]When photographing small things, you need to get close. Many of my lenses have minimum focusing distances of several feet, so getting close isn’t an option.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure when I bought my Nikkor 60mm Micro (Nikon’s term for “macro” is “micro”), but I believe I’ve had it from my old film days. It’s possible I’ve had it for over 25 years and it’s been my go-to for close-up photography. You can focus as close as three inches for a 1:1 image (meaning that something that measures one inch across will also reach your sensor at one inch across). This lens is small, sharp and rugged. I often shoot it on manual focus because I find that easier when shooting very small subjects or with shallow depth of field, but the auto-focus works fine as well.[\/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”6741″ animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50″][vc_column_text]I love this lens for anything small that I need to get close to. In travel, that could mean food, small items in a museum, flowers, or any kind of detail shot. It’s also a decent portrait lens. It’s actually quite versatile and I’ve even shot landscapes and architecture with it.<\/p>\n

Realizing how valuable this lens has been to me, I’m now thinking of adding its sibling, the Nikkor 105mm Micro. It’s still 1:1 but you don’t have to be quite a close. Useful for bees, or other insects that you might easily disturb. The extra reach could also be useful for food, as I often shoot food with an 80-200mm when I have the extra space to move back. I find the compression of a telephoto to be nice for food work.<\/p>\n

Here are a few more examples of things I’ve shot with my 60mm Micro. As you can see, it works in a lot of diverse situations:[\/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”6730,6744,6740,6745,6739,6738,6735,6746,6734,6731,6733,6732,6729,6726,6728,6747,6742,6743,6727″ image_grid_loading=”default” layout=”3″ masonry_style=”true” bypass_image_cropping=”true” item_spacing=”default” gallery_style=”7″ load_in_animation=”none” img_size=”full”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”50″][vc_column_text]One other way I use my macro is to copy slides. You can read about that process in a prior post<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[49,48],"tags":[91,218,134],"class_list":["post-6769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gear","category-photography","tag-lenses","tag-macro","tag-nikon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9xwru-1Lb","jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/60micro_fnl.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6769"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6848,"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6769\/revisions\/6848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelcsnell.com\/travelphotographyblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}