Nikon 105
Two versions of the 105mm macro lenses side by side.
A typical setup for macro photography. Here I also use a 2x teleconverter TC 20E.
If you want a macro lens, most probably this is the lens for you. It is quite expensive, and it is quite specialized. The tricky bit is that a macro lens can be used as a regular lens as well, and this 105mm is no exception. In that sense it is also a very good prime lens that you can use for landscape, portraits just as well as taking pictures of small objects, insects etc.
If you are interested in macro photography you will realize that 85-135mm seems to be the most preferred focal length, most of the manufacturers offering 105mm lens. The reason is simple, if you approach your subjects too much (i.e. with smaller focal lengths) the camera and lens combination will block a lot of the light and it will be difficult to get a proper picture. In some others (like insects) you may actually need a bit of distance not to to disturb the subject.
This lens has a minimum focus distance of a bit more than 30cm , leaving about 15cm between the end of the lens and your subject.
Versions
I had three different versions, unfortunately one was stolen.
- Manual focus only 105mm f/2.8 AI-s. If you are interested in macro photography, this is absolutely no worse than much newer versions. The auto focus and vibration reduction are not so important for most macro photography.
- There is also a slower 105mm f/4.0 AI-s. I have not seen or used this one
- 105mm f/2.8 AF, this is the one that was stolen from me.. Excellent lens. It does not have vibration reduction, which is not really that much of an issue for macro photography.
- 105mm f/2.8 VR G, this is the lens with all bells and whistles.
All three of these end up being similar in price when they are used and it is not understandable.
Note that there are also many non-macro Nikon 105mm lenses
- 105mm f/1.8 AI-s and 105mm f/2.5 AI-s are older manual focus lenses, not meant for macro use
- The highly rated 105mm f/2.0 DC, an excellent portrait lens (I describe its longer brother Nikon 135)
- A very expensive and fast 105mm f/1.4 lens that replaces the older AI-s lenses.
| Price | Expensive |
|---|---|
| Weight | Quite heavy, 750g |
| Good for | Close ups, animals, portraits |
| New or used | 1000 new or at least 500 used, does not lose much value |
This is the macro lens for full frame it works perfectly. I love visiting museums, and most of the time, this is a great lens to have to take details. It will also allow you to get very close to the glass frames in the museum to deal with the reflections.
If you are not using it for focusing close, truth to be told it is a bit on the heavy side. The Nikon 85 is half the weight and at f/1.8 is even faster, so I would not buy/use a macro lens if you do not need to use it for close-ups.
This is one of those lenses that works very well on a setup where you combine APS-C and full frame cameras. On APS-C the lens becomes a 150+ mm, without changing the minimum focus distance.
At this focal length it is also quite a long lens, and I sometimes use this as part of a two camera setup, a 35mm or wider on a full frame body and the 105mm on an APS-C. Covers more or less anything.
Gallery / see also
Most of the equipment pictures on these pages are made with the 105mm.
Mask of Sutton Hoo in British Museum, London. This is handheld and through the display case.
Microchips on a chip tray photographed using an APS-C camera and a 2x Teleconverter TC 20E, giving effectively 300mm focal length. You can see how I took this picture in File:macrosetup.jpg. Also notice the exposure time 0.625s and the aperture f/32. You are only going to get such a shot with a tripod.
A comparison picture I had on the most equipment is more than good enough page
The 105mm is on the right mounted on a Nikon D850 also from the most equipment is more than good enough page.
For equipment pictures I often use the 105mm. Here is the Nikon D700, it also has the other manual focus 105mm mounted.
Cute mascot
The Nikon 105 is taking a shot of a flower in very good light. Technically this is a macro shot as a typical lens with 150mm focal length would not allow you to come this close (<50cm).
These pages are for Amateur Photographers and not really for seasoned photographers and professionals. I have no affiliation or commercial interest with any brand/make. I write from my own experience. I ended up using mainly Nikon, so I am more familiar with this brand than others. See price for notes on pricing as well as photography related links.