Conclusion

It’s taken quite a while to introduce native macro lenses for the Z mount, but by announcing two at the same time, it leaves the consumer with a good choice.

The 105mm Macro lens is the go-to lens for those with a dedicated penchant for macro photography, who want the best of the best, and don’t mind paying a higher price, nor carrying around a bigger and heavier lens.

By contrast, the Nikon Z MC 50mm F2.8 lens is a much more versatile all-rounder. It is well-suited to a variety of subjects, and with the shorter focal length, it also makes for a great walk around lens.

Although it is obviously excellent at typical macro subjects, the Z MC 50mm F2.8 also works well for plenty of others such as portrait, street and even elements of landscape photography.

The fact that is smaller and lighter also makes it appealing as a lens for travelling, or just everyday use when a heavier lens is impractical. While not exactly a cheap lens, it is priced well considering the versatility it offers - and is certainly less of a serious investment than the 105mm option.

Of course, there are some trade offs for the cheaper price. Lack of inbuilt VR means you may need to shoot at higher ISOs / with faster shutter speeds in certain situations, so it’s something to watch out for. There’s also a lack of advanced tech, such as coatings and the like - but on the plus side, it doesn’t seem to have had a particularly obvious effect on final image quality.

Overall, there is a lot to like about this lens. It produces excellent results, impressive sharpness and is small and light enough to put in your kit bag and not think too much about it. If you haven’t already got a 50mm lens in your line-up, it works well as both a macro and general 50mm lens, being suitable for a wide range of subjects.

Additionally, as well as working well on full-frame cameras such as the Z7 II, it’s also the ideal choice for smaller APS-C models such as the Z50 and the newly-announced Z fc, giving it even more versatility.

If you’re a dedicated macro shooter, we’d likely recommend the 105mm, but for almost everybody else, the Nikon Z MC 50mm F2.8 is an excellent option.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4
Ease-of-use	5
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	4.5