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The AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 G IF-ED is a relatively old Nikon lens, launched in
2006. “Old” by smartphone standards, but quite recent for a dedicated 1 to 1 macro,
it was the first true macro lens to feature a built-in stabiliser, helpful for framing
hand held shots at close distances. Also the first Micro-Nikkor to feature Nano Crystal
Coating, it’s a total revamp over older formulas.
At 8.4 by 11.7 cm solo, and 9.5 by 19 cm with the lens hood attached; all at about 720 grams
of plastics and metal, the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G, impresses by its premium build quality. In
a time when polycarbonate is used at the expense of durability, this lens feels like a proper
tool, with a metal mount and metal rear barrel, like top-of-the-line f/2.8 zooms. In your
hands, it sits comfortably around your left fingers, and the shorter size makes it very
precise for aiming at your subject. The switches are to the left, and within reach of your
thumb, all with a unique tactile feedback.
Inside the AF-S, SWM, is silent, and by far the fastest I’ve ever used from Nikon. I
can only say “wow”! It is really fast from infinity to MFD, and there’s even a
limiter switch for infinity to 0.5 meters. You see, this macro lens can also focus at
infinity, and you can use it as a regular telephoto. So the limiter gets rid of the
macro distances, keeping the focus travel at about 90º, instead of 220º in FULL mode.
It takes one third of a second to drive from one end to another, and it feels very fast.
One thing I didn’t like, and a no brainer from Nikon: the manual focusing ring is bad,
and its movements aren’t smooth. It feels like it is not damped, so it “jumps” from
point to point, making it harder to pinpoint focus. It’s ridiculous to have a bad MF
ring on a macro lens, but Nikon managed to do it. It’s a shame because the Canon L
is much smoother and, again, I was expecting the same. Notice it’s not unusable, and
most photos featured on this video were manually focused. But I strongly recommend testing
your copy before purchasing, so you know what you’re getting into.
Another thing that work-but doesn’t, is the VRII. Rated at 3.5 stops, it helps at
any distance, and I recommend leaving it ON at all times when shooting hand-held. However
it looses its efficiency the closer you get to your subject, typical behavior for a macro
lens, being a bit pointless on a Micro. It does a better job when you’re using this
lens too shoot portraits.
At the front, the 62mm filters are much larger than the first optical element, good to avoid
vignetting with thick glasses. The plastic thread is a step backwards, compared to the
previous all-metal 105mm, but on the other hand it doesn’t moves back and forth. The
supplied HB-38 lens hood, attaches to its own thread and is very sturdy. Some people
don’t believe in lens hoods, but it makes a world of difference, when you’re shooting
inside a well lit product table, even with Nano coated lenses.
Overall, the VR, AF-S 105mm, f/2.8G, is a very fine lens, and belongs on the higher-end
spectrum of Nikkor’s working tools. This is not your amateur glass, and Nikon knows
it. The build quality is very premium, and something you won’t understand from looking
at internet images, as it looks the same as other AF-S. But it is not! The auto focus
is awesome, making me question all previous AF-S I’ve used. However I can’t get past
the bad manual focusing ring, and it won’t cut for the type of work I do.
With a 14 elements in 12 groups formula, one ED glass and Nikon’s Nano Crystal coating,
the AF-S 105mm f/2.8G, is the newest member on the highly regarded, Micro-Nikkor lineup.
With a heritage of high performance lenses, like the 90’s 105mm f/2.8 AF or AF-D, and
the 80’s Ai-s, the news is the built-in stabilization group, that added four glass
pieces from the previous 10 elements blueprint. But it keeps the overall sharpness, contrast
and aberration handling intact, and it’s one of the highest resolution, AF-S G lens
we’ve ever seen.
Organic matters featuring smooth surfaces and low contrast, are the perfect showcase
of the 105 f/2.8G prowess. Images are colorful, high resolution and aberration free, perfect
for flowers. Wide open, the bokeh enhances the hues mixture, for saturated opposite color
compositions, and stopped down the diffraction doesn’t kicks in up until f/22, for sharp
single exposure shots, with plenty of depth of field. It’s somewhat soft at the 1 by
1 ratio, but not enough to really impact the details.
For portraits, it keeps the same level of greatness from the maximum aperture to optimized
ones. It shows a slight softness wide open, reducing the contrast on facial hair, but
with plenty of resolution, in spite of the very shallow depth of field. Stopping down
is a must for reflective accessories, that will bloom or provoke chromatic aberrations,
and improves resolution. It’s a pleasure to work with, and the focal length is very
flattering for the human face.
Wide open, 1 by 1 product shots, are not advised as longitudinal chromatic aberration is visible,
on printed lettering, chromed metal and glass reflections. Lateral aberrations is also present,
and the aforementioned lack of sharpness is very noticeable on textures. It requires major
stopping down, from f/16 and above, to get the best of its glasses, but still shows some
signs of lateral aberrations, on the edge of sharply cut metal. It works for Nikon shooters
but trust me: the newer Canon EF 100mm, f/2.8L, shows way less optical shortcomings, and higher
resolution at 1:1 ratio.
And for landscapes, this is by far the sharpest Nikkor I’ve ever tested. From edge to edge,
the details far surpasses all digital sensors, and the VRII makes a great job allowing at
least 3 stops of compensation, so leave your tripod at home. Lateral chromatic aberrations
on buildings edges, are nowhere to be seen. However the nine blade, rounded aperture,
hardly generates highlight stars, so older lenses might be cooler for night, urban long
exposures with longer stars.
Overall the AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G ED makes a good case for Nikkor’s specialty Micro
lineup. The build quality it second to none, with an all-metal rear barrel, and plenty
of girth to comfortably fit your hands. The AF-S is superb past the macro distances, and
the manual focusing ring takes a bit getting used to. The VRII module works as advised,
but makes a very annoying click when engaging, something I’m getting used to with this
module. Finally the optics are pristine, and I would gladly keep it on my working kit.
It just won’t because I already use the excellent Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L I S USM, and
there’s no reason to downgrade to an older model. Anyway it’s highly recommended for
Nikon users. If you’re looking for a lens that demands creativity, and can set your
portfolio apart, this is it. Nice shooting!