Micro-Nikkor 200mm 1:4 AI-S Lens Review

The 200mm Micro-Nikkor AI-S 1:4 IF is a telephoto lens that can focus as close as 2⅓ feet (61cm) while reproducing a 1:2 image on film or a full-frame sensor.

It was a birthday gift from my brother, which he sent along with a couple of extension tubes for even closer focusing. So thoughtful!

In this review, I’ll explain what this lens is for, how it came to be, and what its modern analog is. Expect lots of samples, a full recollection of what it’s like to shoot, and whether you should get one, too.

In this review: What is this lens? Specifications. Ergonomics & build quality. Image quality: macro. 200mm Micro-Nikkor with extension tubes. Image quality: telephoto. Where to buy your Micro-Nikkor AI-S 200mm 𝒇4 lens. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

What is this lens?

The 200mm Micro-Nikkor AI-S 1:4 IF is Nikon’s last manual-focus telephoto + macro lens, which was in production until 2005. It was succeeded by the 200mm Micro-Nikkor AF-D IF ED, an autofocus lens that can get up to 1:1 macro magnification.

Of course, this lens is dual-purpose; it can also function as a normal telephoto. Unfortunately, Nikon no longer makes this type of lens — neither the manual focus nor the AF variant.

When these lenses were still new, they were highly regarded for their versatility, build and image quality. From what I could find, the series spanned 200mm 1:4 Nikkor-Q (1961-1976), the 200mm 1:4 Nikkor AI (1977-1981), the 200mm 1:4 Nikkor AI-S (1981-1996), the 200mm 1:4 Micro-Nikkor AI-S (1978-2005, the lens I’m reviewing here), and, finally, the 200mm Micro-Nikkor AF-D (1993~2014).

Specifications.

The 200mm Micro-Nikkor AI-S 1:4 IF uses 9 elements in 6 groups with Internal Focusing (IF). Internal Focusing ensures that the lens does not change its length or rotate the filter ring as you focus. The lenses are multicoated via Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC).

There are 9 straight aperture blades that can stop down to 𝒇32 via full-stop clicks.

Focus & macro capabilities. Its maximum reproduction ratio is 1:2 at the 21”/500mm working distance (from the front of the lens, hood retracted). The closest focus distance of this lens is 2.34’/0.71m. A red dot on the distance scale indicates the focusing shift for infrared film.

Size & dimensions. The lens uses a 52mm filter thread; it’s 66mm/2.6” wide, protrudes 172mm/6.8 from the mount, and is 180mm/7” long. It weighs 824g/29oz with the tripod collar or 635g/22oz without.

Ergonomics & build quality.

Given its focal length and macro capabilities, this lens is surprisingly compact. But it’s not exactly light, as it’s made of mostly metal and glass (though you may remove the tripod collar, which will shed ~200g/7oz).

Because the front element does not rotate and the barrel does not extend when focused, it can be used with graduated filters and is convenient for macro shots (as closing up the focus won’t accidentally bump the front of your lens against anything). This was a significant innovation when this lens was released.

The focusing ring is very easy to grasp and has a focus throw of about 320°. That’s quite a bit of twisting to get from the closest focus distance to infinity — a necessary sacrifice of speed for precision, as the 200mm focal length on 135 film has a depth of field that’s so shallow, zone focusing is impossible at 𝒇4, even at distances that all normal lenses consider infinity:

The above photo of a stork taking off was shot with the lens set to infinity; the bird appeared about ~50m/160’ away. If you’re reading this on a large screen, you’ll notice that the bird is out of focus. (I still used this image for an article about overexposing film.)

On the distance scale, the lens shows values in metres (white), feet (green), and reproduction ratios (orange). The reproduction ratio effectively tells you how large the object that occupies the entire view in the viewfinder will appear on film.

Image quality: macro.

There’s very little to complain about when it comes to image quality with this lens. Keen-eyed viewers may notice some colour fringing; some tests show slight vignetting at the widest apertures — but in practice, there’s very little to be picky about.

The sharpness will generally depend on how well you can focus with such a shallow depth of field and the camera shake that can add blur at shutter speeds slower than 1/250 when not mounted on a tripod.

The bokeh is smooth with just a slight swirl around the edges. Being a long lens, there’s no noticeable barrel or geometric distortion.

You can extend the built-in hood; however, this lens almost never flared for me (though I didn’t try to point it directly at the sun).

200mm Micro-Nikkor with extension tubes.

Macro extension tubes let you focus at closer distances, the downsides being some loss of light and the inability to focus at infinity.

I’ve got 27.5mm and 14mm extensions, which can be stacked to extend the focal length by 41.5mm.

Based on the formula (R = Ex / F / M + 1), the 41.5mm extension increases the maximum magnification ratio by 41.5 / 200 / 0.5 + 1 = 1.415x. This isn’t as much as the later 200mm Micro-Nikkor variant (which had a ratio of 1:1), yet it’s still very effective for extreme close-ups:

If you’re using a manual Nikon camera without through-the-lens metering with extension tubes, you will need to compensate for the loss of light using this formula: EV = (F + Ex) / F.

(Where F is the focal length of your lens, Ex is the total length of the extension tube(s), and EV is the amount of exposure loss in stops. Everything is in millimetres.)

Image quality: telephoto.

While the slight fringing was still there on photos taken a few metres away, the swirly bokeh is no longer there to demonstrate the lens’ slight imperfections. The 200mm Micro-Nikkor performed well without issues or any additional distortions.

Astro photography. Some photographers have created impressive images of star clusters with this lens.

Of course, being a telephoto lens, the focus adjustments need to be made at almost all distances; hyperfocal distances are absolutely not a thing at 𝒇4, whereas 𝒇32 (its maximum aperture) may cause diffraction.

Where to buy your Micro-Nikkor AI-S 200mm 𝒇4 lens.

This is an affordable Nikon telephoto lens that produces excellent image quality with no barrel extension and minimal flaring. The price range is currently $100-200, depending on the condition. See this guide on how to shop for used camera equipment.

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Nikkor AI-S 200mm 𝒇4 lens purchase using this link  so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!