What is there to choose between the different makers of macro lenses?
There is a wide choice of auto focus macro lenses that will work with the Nikon system; in addition to the 60mm, 105mm, and 200mm Nikkors there are also lenses made by the big name 3rd party lens manufacturers (Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina). In addition, there are numerous manual focus macro lenses that can still be used with Nikon SLR bodies. The good news is that, without exception, macro lenses are optically excellent. The factors that come into the choice are therefore more about build quality, price, and features than they are about optical quality. At the present time, there are “true” macro lenses available for Nikon cameras that range in focal length from 35mm (the Tokina 35mm ATX Pro-D) to 200mm (the 200mm Nikkor). Some examples of differentiators: The Nikon lenses generally tend to be better built than the 3rd party lenses; a possible exception is the current Tokina 35mm and 100mm AF ATX Pro-D lenses, that are very solidly built indeed. If all you are using the lens for is macro
