Nikon Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4 IF - Manual (Page 17)

NOTES ON FOCUSING
To avoid camera shake, close-up photog­
raphy poses several problems not encoun­
tered in general photography. One of these
is sensitivity to vibration: the magnifica­
tion of the image on the film makes even
slight image displacement prominent and
results in a blurred image. Therefore, for
best results, mount the camera on a tripod
or on rigid supports, and use a cable release
to trip the shutter.
At extremely close working distances, depth
of field decreases to the actual focused
distance. This can be partially compensated
for by stopping down the lens. But at very
close distances an extremely narrow depth
of field is inevitable. Careful placement of
the subject, if it has depth, will be neces­
sary to ensure that the important surfaces
will be in the same zone of sharpness.