Nikon Micro-Nikkor P.C Auto 55mm 3.5

As time passed, I went through almost all the popular lens mounts, adapting lenses from them to my Sony A7. Nikon was the third to last. Throughout the years I saw Nikon lenses, read about them, got confused by the variations of the lens mount, and dropped it. That is, until I stumbled upon a Micro-Nikkor P.C Auto 55mm 3.5 on a website I occasionally shop on. I had a lens the owner wanted and browsed his stock, deciding it was about time to dip my toes into the Nikon world.

Now, a few things that I didn't get from the start: older manual Nikon lenses use the Nikon F mount. The metal "ears" on the lens are an easy giveaway that a lens is Nikon F. Pre-AI lenses used that tab to couple the lens to the camera's meter. Now, while most Nikon lenses have the pre-AI tab and are backwards compatible (they can be used on older bodies), a pre-AI lens won't work on an AI body. You can figure out if a lens is AI with some research, although a pre-AI lens like this one, converted to an AI one, might be trickier. It's all about a small indent next to the lens mount and the aperture ring. While thinking and researching which Nikon lens to get, I avoided the usual 50mm 1.8s. AI versions can be used on digital Nikons, which inflates their price. This lens was a tad cheaper, and after reading some reviews about its stellar performance, I decided it was time to say "see ya later" to my Vivitar 100mm plastic macro, for a (hopefully) better lens.

The build quality on older Nikons is stellar. I really like the consistent silver-and-black styling. The Micro-Nikkor I got had already been converted to Nikon F AI, which is why I got it. I use it on my digital Sony A7 and a lovely Nikon FM2n. It balances well on both cameras and feels like a well-built lens. The focus throw is long, which is fine for macro. The focus ring isn't as smooth as I would like, most likely due to a CLA around the time the lens mount was corrected. The front element is recessed enough that I've not had to worry about a lens hood.

I'm happy with this lens, and it's now become my go-to lens for macro work and scanning negatives. Sharpness is awesome in the center. Stop down and you get good corners, just as expected. It's perfect for photographing negatives with your digital camera. Colors are on the more neutral side. They don't pop, they aren't muted, they feel faithful to what you see. Contrast is good, no complaints there. One thing to note about flare: while side light wasn't much of an issue, directly photographing negatives on a light table tends to produce both ghosting and flare. It's a niche situation, but keep it in mind.

This is the lens that stays on my Nikon FM2n, and the Nikon lens I'm keeping. It's now become my go-to macro lens, outpacing the Vivitar 100mm 3.5 plastic macro. I'd recommend this lens to anyone looking for a vintage macro without breaking the bank and splurging on (say) a Tokina 90mm. It works well on both digital and film.