Introduction
This hands-on assessment covers every part you should know in regards to the Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro, a light-weight macro lens for Nikon’s Z System. As a real macro lens, the 50mm MC is able to reaching 1:1 magnification, albeit with a brief working distance. It was introduced alongside the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 Macro in 2021, and as of this assessment’s publication in 2025, these are nonetheless the one two macro lenses that Nikon makes for the Z System.
I’d wish to preface this assessment by saying that macro images may be very close to to my coronary heart. Though I largely do panorama images today, I started my life as a photographer crawling within the dust photographing the small vegetation and bugs in my yard. On the time, as a pupil, touring to far-off landscapes wasn’t one thing I acquired to do fairly often, however I may all the time discover some macro topics to seize. At present, about 15 years later, I nonetheless take pleasure in testing macro lenses due to the brand new worlds that they open up for photographers.
In that context, how does the Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro maintain up? On one hand, a 50mm macro lens isn’t excellent on paper. As a result of the focal size is comparatively vast, you gained’t have very a lot working distance in entrance of the lens at its highest magnifications (5.2 cm / 2.2 inches particularly). Then again, this lens may be very small and lightweight, making it simpler to navigate your digital camera into troublesome spots or awkward angles and nonetheless get the shot. And the $650 value – although just a little excessive for my part – nonetheless makes this a compelling different to the $1050 Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 Macro in the event you’re on a finances.
I examined the Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro within the discipline a number of years in the past, however I solely lately had an opportunity to place a duplicate by way of our lab and measure its optical efficiency. How does it maintain up, and do you have to take into account this lens for macro images? I’ll reply that query at present in my full assessment of the Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro!
Construct High quality
The Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro is a small and light-weight lens, weighing simply 260 grams (0.57 kilos). It’s not fairly as moveable because the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 or 40mm f/2, nevertheless it’s sufficiently small to slot in a jacket pocket and carry all day with none trouble.
As with most Nikon Z lenses, the 50mm f/2.8 Macro has a plastic development mixed with a steel lens mount. To me, the plastic feels just a little totally different than on another Nikon Z lenses – I’d virtually describe it as feeling thinner – nevertheless it works simply effective in apply. There are seals all through the lens to forestall the ingress of mud and moisture. Nevertheless, the lens does prolong as you focus extra carefully, and there’s only a trace of wobble when the barrel is prolonged all the best way at 1:1 magnification.
Regardless of the exterior focusing design, this can be a well-built lens that ought to final for a few years of use. Simply watch out racking focus in wet or very dusty environments.
Dealing with
The Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro handles properly. It has a big guide focus ring which works by way of focus by wire. There’s not a further management ring, however the lens does have an A-M change and a spotlight limiter change. Each of those are rarities for a non-S lens from Nikon, and it’s good to see them right here. Particularly for a macro lens, extra methods to manage focus are all the time welcome.
One thing noteworthy about this lens is the weird lens hood. For one factor, it has a really small, much less efficient profile, as you possibly can see within the picture under. And on prime of that, as an alternative of snapping into place with 1 / 4 flip, it screws straight into the lens’s 46mm filter threads. The hood features a filter thread of its personal (additionally 46mm), so you possibly can proceed to make use of filters and a lens hood on the similar time. Nevertheless, any filters screwed into the entrance of the lens hood will, in fact, not be shaded from the solar.
Apparently, the lens additionally has a 62mm filter thread inside the outer barrel. To my data, this makes the Z MC 50mm f/2.8 the primary Nikon lens with two totally different filter thread sizes! (I’m certain somebody will right me on that; let me know if you realize of one other lens with this characteristic.) Nevertheless, notice that you simply can not connect filters straight to those outer threads; they’re merely recessed too far, even when the lens is about to infinity focus. However these threads do let you connect different equipment to the lens extra simply, corresponding to a screw-in lens hood, a hoop mild, or Nikon’s ES-2 movie digitizing adapter.
Nikon Z 50mm f/2.8 Macro Specs
- Full Identify: Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8
- Mount Sort: Nikon Z Mount
- Focal Size: 50mm prime
- Angle of View (DX): 31°30′
- Angle of View (FX): 47°
- Most Aperture: f/2.8
- Minimal Aperture: f/22
- Diaphragm Blades: 9
- Filter Measurement: 46mm
- Lens Parts: 10
- Lens Teams: 7
- Particular Parts: 1 aspherical, 1 ED glass
- Fluorine Coated Entrance Factor: Sure
- Digital Diaphragm: Sure
- Vibration Discount: No
- Inner Focusing: No
- Management Rings: Focus solely
- Perform Button: No
- Focus Motor: STM (stepping motor)
- Minimal Focus Distance: 0.53 ft (0.16m) from focal aircraft
- Most Magnification: 1× (1:1)
- Mount Materials: Metallic
- Climate/Mud Sealing: Sure
- Dimensions (Size × Diameter): 66 x 75 mm (2.6 x 3.0 inches)
- Weight: 260 g (0.57 kilos)
- MSRP: $650
- Lowest Sale Seen: $596.95 (verify present value)
Right here is the development of the lens, courtesy of Nikon:
The subsequent web page of this assessment covers the optical traits of the Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8, together with focusing efficiency and sharpness checks within the lab. So, click on the menu under to go to “Optical Efficiency”: