Why does the Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D look like it has an extra section on the front?

Asked 11/5/2013

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I’m looking at a photo of a Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D and it appears to have something mounted on or extending from the front. Is this an accessory, or is it part of the lens design?

nikon lens-design 105mm macro-lens micro-nikkor

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

2 Answers

That is an AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D lens. When focusing closely the front element extends out the end of the lens.

enter image description here

Here are two side-by-side. Notice the distance scale on each. The lens is retracted when focused at ∞, extended when focused to the MFD.

enter image description here

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

12y ago

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

On the AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D, that front section is usually just the lens itself extending during close focusing. This lens changes physical length as you focus closer, so at minimum focusing distance the front barrel sticks out more than it does at infinity focus.

So in most cases, it is not a separate attachment on top of the 105mm lens—it’s the built-in extending front barrel of the macro lens.

One community reply mentioned that front-mounted converters or close-up accessories can exist, but based on the description and the known design of this lens, the more likely answer is simply the normal extension of the AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D when focused for macro work.

Why does the Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D look like it has an extra section on the front?

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