Nikon Micro-NIKKOR 2177 60mm

Ridiculously sharp macro lens with portrait-quality bokeh that punches way above its price tag. Skip it only if you absolutely need VR or weather sealing.

What surprised us most is how this lens dominates in user sentiment, landing in the 99th percentile. People absolutely love this thing. The sharpness is best-in-class, and the Nano Crystal Coat does serious work killing ghosting and flare. Autofocus is fast and silent thanks to the Silent Wave Motor, though it sits right around average in our database for speed. The real magic is in the out-of-focus rendering. With a 9-blade diaphragm, the bokeh is a standout, easily one of the best on the market for a macro lens. Just know that at 1:1, the working distance is tight, so you'll be getting cozy with your subject.

The competitors listed are mostly superzooms like the Sigma 16-300mm and Tamron 18-300mm, which is a bit like comparing a scalpel to a Swiss Army knife. Those zooms are versatile travel lenses, scoring well for convenience but they can't touch this prime for sheer image quality or macro capability. The Nikon's macro score of 88 puts it in a different league. If you need one lens for a vacation, get the superzoom. If you want to reveal the texture of a flower petal or get a portrait with a truly three-dimensional look, the Nikon is the only choice here. It's a specialist tool that happens to be a brilliant general-purpose lens.

Pricing is all over the map, from a suspiciously low $299 to a laughable $83,900. Ignore the extremes. A solid used copy is where the real value lives, often found for a few hundred bucks. For the optical quality you're getting, it's a steal. This lens delivers image quality that rivals glass costing three times as much. If you find a clean one for under $400, buy it before someone else does.

The Nikon Micro-NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G is a bit of a legend, and for good reason. It's one of those rare lenses that nails the tricky balance between being a true 1:1 macro workhorse and a razor-sharp everyday prime. The one thing to know? This glass is absurdly sharp, and the bokeh is so creamy it'll make your portraits pop in a way that kit zooms can only dream of. It's built for Nikon's F-mount DSLRs, so if you're still rocking a D850 or a D750, this is a no-brainer upgrade. Just don't expect modern features like weather sealing or vibration reduction, because this lens is from an era where optical purity came first.

If you're looking for a grab-and-go travel lens, this isn't it. The 60mm focal length is too tight for landscapes and tight spaces, and the lack of weather sealing means you'll be babying it in bad weather. Go get a versatile zoom like the Nikon 24-120mm f/4 instead. Also, if you shoot fast-moving insects handheld, the lack of VR and short working distance will drive you nuts. Look at a longer macro like a 105mm for more breathing room.

This is a classic for a reason. The Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro is a stunningly sharp lens with bokeh that will make you want to shoot everything wide open. It's a top-tier macro lens that doubles as a fantastic portrait prime. The lack of VR and weather sealing are the only real knocks against it, but they're easy to forgive when you see the results. For any Nikon DSLR shooter wanting to dive into macro or just add a supremely capable prime to their bag, this is an easy recommendation. It's a future classic you can buy today.