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This is an addition to a series about focal length for food photography. Check out the other posts in this series, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm & 105mm.
The Nikkor 60mm macro was the first lens that I saved up for and purchased with my own money. So it does hold a special place in my heart.
The 60mm focal length is one I recommend mostly to food photographers who have a cropped sensor. But if you look after this lens, it can serve you long into your journey with a full-frame camera.
The 60mm on a Cropped Sensor Camera Focal Length
When used on a cropped sensor camera, the 60mm focal length becomes a great narrow macro lens that will capture nice, up-close details of food and will give you those pretty 45-degree shots that we all love.
With the crop factor, it becomes the equivalent of a 90mm macro. This was the reason I purchased it in the first place. I was using a cropped sensor camera at the time. I wasn’t sure if I would continue to use it when I upgraded to a full frame, but it’s my go-to lens for wider shots.
The 60mm on a Full-Frame Camera Focal Length
Without any crop factor, the 60mm focal length on a full-frame camera is a great focal length to capture wider flatlays and food scenes.
In comparison to the 50mm focal length, it’ll give you just a little less distortion when photographing larger scenes. It also has a more generous minimum focusing distance due to the fact it’s a macro lens.
For these two reasons, it’s a lens that I recommend looking after so that you can use it if and when you upgrade to a full-frame. Some of my favourite shots I’ve captured with this lens.
Lens Quiz
Which Lens Matches Your Food Photography Style?
Do You Need Both a 50mm & a 60mm?
The short answer is no.
Both focal lengths are quite similar and when used on either a cropped sensor or a full-frame the will produce very similar results in terms of your angle of view.
The main difference between the two lenses is that one is usually a macro, the 60mm, which will allow you to get closer to your subjects.
This is why I usually recommend the 60mm focal length as one of the two lenses cropped sensor users or new food photographers consider. As you can see here, this same marble board looks like a very similar size, but shot with a 50mm or 60mm.
If you don’t have either a 50mm or 60mm and you have a cropped sensor camera, I recommend the 60mm. When you upgrade to full-frame you can either, sell it and get a 50mm or use it like I do!
Now & Today: How I Use The 60mm Focal Length
When I started photographing food, I wanted to be able to capture up-close details and 45-degree shots. But on a cropped sensor camera, the 90mm – 105mm macro lenses were just too tight with the crop factor.
The 60mm was the best solution.
For the years when I used a crop sensor camera, I shot with the 60mm macro to capture 45-degree shots.
Now that I own a full-frame, I prefer to use the 60mm over the 50mm as the Nikkor 60mm 2.8 macro capture light in a really nice way and has lovely vignetting. I use it mostly for capturing wider flatflays and food stories.
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Jennifer Arce
Love this article! I also bought the 60 mm, and I’m loving it though I got the manual focus version. I want to ask you what focal length do you usually use when shooting with the 60 mm macro at 45 angle to get let’s say a cocktail in focus? I’m struggling with focus when using this angle.
Rachel Korinek
I love my 60mm too. I use it more than I use my 50mm, but that’s a personal preference. When it comes to focusing, there can be so many factors that come into play. It’s a process of elimination. It could be your manually focusing, if you aren’t tethering, it’s hard to manual focus and check that focus on a small screen. I wrote a post here on focus, so you can try to eliminate what it might be. The 60mm is the focal length, so perhaps you meant something else? Let me know so I can help you out 馃檪
Carlotta
Hi Rachel, thanks for your article!! I have a 60mm macro on a cropped sensor and I really enjoy using this lens, but I know there is also a 80mm macro (I am a Fuji user) and I wonder if it could make sense or is going to be too much, as it would be equal to 120mm on a full-frame. I am tempted to buy a good new lens (the 60mm is ok but it’s not considered one of the best) but I am afraid I won’t use it so much as 120mm is too much. Do you have any experience or advice? Thank you so much in advance. Carlotta
Rachel Korinek
Hey Carlotta! I am so glad you found the post useful. Thanks for stopping by. It can be tough as a cropped sensor user as you can be limited when it comes to the crop factor with some lenses. In my opinion, I think a 120mm equivalent is too tight. You can definitely make it work, however, you will need to have access to a lot more space in your home studio (or wherever you shoot!). One thing we have to weigh up when budgets are tight or if we use a crop sensor is budget/quality over usability. There’s no point in my mind in having a top of the line lens if the focal length is prohibitive to how you’ll create. You just won’t use it. If you can, rent the lens before you commit to buying it, (I know that’s not always easy with some of the smaller brands). What other lenses do you have? You mention you really enjoy using it, so what is making you feel like you want to upgrade?
Carlotta Zadra
Thank you so much Rachel for such good advice!!! I was worried that I will end up not using it…and you confirmed my theory. The reason why I was thinking of getting this lens is that the 60mm macro has not a great reputation, it has very slow autofocus and is one of fuji’s older lenses , so I was checking if there was a better macro option available. When I’m not using it, I go for the 18-55mm, which is OK, but it’s a kit lens. I feel it’s time to invest in a really good lens but haven’t find the right one to invest in yet, and unfortunately, Fuji is quite a close world, you cannot use sigma or tamron lens.
Rachel Korinek
Thanks for sharing that! Do you know if you can rent a few lenses before you buy? Is there say a 50mm or 45mm macro instead?
Carlotta Zadra
Hi Rachel….well eventually I did something crazy: sold my Fuji and got a full frame Sony o_O
Fuji is so great but I really needed something different and wanting to change to full frame for quite a bit now. I’ll let you know how this goes…such a big change but I hope I will be happy with it! Now I also know I will definitely buy a 100mm macro, just need
a while to recharge my bank account ahhaah 馃槈
Rachel Korinek
Woohoo! That is so exciting. I am sure you will love the new full frame. It’s such a gamechanger. I hope you have fun playing with it and let me know how it goes 馃檪