The 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor, or 105 Micro for short, is probably Nikon's most used macro lens. I believe the main reason for this, is that the lens can, to some degree, serve triple duty. First of all, it is a macro photography lens and it allows you to take photographs at a 1:1 reproduction ratio, which means that a 24 by 36 mm subject will fill the entire frame. Second, it makes a very good general purpose short telephoto lens. Third, it is also at least a very reasonable portrait lens. Please do not ask me why Nikon calls their macro lenses "Micro" Nikkors.
| Construction | 9 elements in 8 groups |
| Picture Angle | 23— 20³ |
| Minimum aperture | f/32 |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 (*) |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 31.4 cm / 12.2 inch |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:1 |
| Filter Size | 52mm |
| Dimensions (diameter x length) | 76.2 x 104.1 mm / 3.0 x 4.1 inch |
| Weight | 555 gram / 19.6 oz |
The 105 Micro is a professional lens from Nikon; however, it has a plastic outer shell and does not look as nice as the AF-S zooms. Still, the build quality is very good. I have used mine for 3.5 years and have not encountered any mechanical problems. It may be worth noting that the aperture ring operation is somewhat less than smooth, but certainly not problematic.
The 105 Micro is not the best portrait lens. Because it is primarily intended as a macro lens, it can be focussed very precisely at distances shorter than 1 metre. The focussing throw from infinity to 1.5 metres, however, is very short. This makes manual focussing (on the eyes of your subject, most likely) rather difficult. Other lenses are more suited for portraiture, for instance the fast AF 85 f/1.4D lens and the AF 105 f/2 DC and AF 135 f/2 DC lenses. These "Defocus Control" lenses allow you to change the appearance of out of focus elements so that they appear softer or coarser. I can find no fault with the 105 Micro when used as a general short telephoto lens taking landscape or city photos.
The 105 Micro has an inner barrel containing the lens elements. As you turn the focussing ring towards the shortest distance, this barrel extends from the outer shell. A small amount of play is normal, so you need not worry about that.
Especially during outdoor macro photography, it is very easy to bump into twigs and leaves, causing smudges on your lens. The front element of the 105 Micro is recessed, helping to prevent this, as well as flare caused by direct sunlight. It also lessens the need to use a protective UV filter.
As Philip Greenspun explains in his review of the 60mm Micro-Nikkor, the Nikon system computes and displays the effective aperture. If you set the aperture ring to the maximum aperture of f/2.8 and turn the focussing ring to the minimum distance, the camera will display f/5 and use that number when determining exposure. Note that this is intended and correct behaviour and certainly not a malfunction.
This lens is equipped with a M/AF switch: this means that you can switch between manual focus and auto focus on the lens. I find this much easier to use than the tiny switch on my F100 camera and I wish more Nikkors used this system. One may note that it also complicates the user interface, because now there are actually two switches that prevent the AF system from engaging.
Manual focussing, particularly at distances shorter than 1 metre, is very good. The focussing ring is well dampened and runs very smoothly.
The 105 Micro can deliver incredibly sharp photos. This lens enables you to capture extremely fine detail, but make sure you use the right film for the job (I prefer a fairly slow slide film, Fuji Sensia II 100 or Fuji Provia 100F). I have not encountered problems with light fall-off or vignetting, but I should add that I hardly ever use this lens wide open
The rendering of out-of-focus areas ("bokeh"), particularly highlights is somewhat less pleasing; it appears somewhat harsh and I would rather have it a bit softer.
The photo alongside this paragraph is a crop from a larger image, scanned from negative, which I believe illustrates the issue. The photo was taken at f/2.8 or perhaps f/4. Note that the effect varies with the background and that it is much less noticable if there is a darker background.
When photographing architecture with the 105 Micro and my F100, I have noticed a strange problem which makes it seem the lens is susceptible to flare. If I point the lens upwards to capture some detail of a building (often with some bright sky present), the viewfinder becomes somewhat "misty". It may just be an unlucky combination of wide aperture and the F100 viewfinder, because it is not nearly so much of a problem on the resulting slides. Nevertheless, it is best to use a lens hood and to be careful.
A note on the accompanying photo: I distinctly remember the view finder getting quite "misty" when taking this shot; the resulting slide and scan seem to be alright.
If you are interested in MTF grades and other such numbers, you are going to be disappointed twice. First, because I did not perform my own MTF tests and second, because the 105 Micro appears not to be the top performer in tests on other web sites. According to photozone.de, the Nikkor scores "excellent" with a score of 4.47. However, both the Canon EF 2.8 100mm Macro (non-USM) and the 60/2.8 Micro-Nikkor score "outstanding" at 4.57 and 4.63. Similarly, on www.photodo.com, the MTF grade for the 105 Micro-Nikkor is 3.9, while the 60 mm Nikkor scores 4.2 and the Minolta AF 100/2,8 Macro 1:1 shines at 4.5.
I am not sure what to think of such numbers. I am happy with the lens: I like the focal length, it performs very well and works with my Nikon camera.
Even when the focus limiter is engaged (resulting in a limited
focus range from infinity to 0.5 metres, or from 0,314 metres to 0,5),
this lens has a long focussing throw. This allows for extremely
precise macro focussing, but it can cause the AF system of
your camera to hunt. Using a Nikon F100
or a Nikon D1H, I find AF performance perfectly
usuable, except in low light situations where AF sometimes because
quite problematic. I do not regret the fact that this lens does not
have an AF-S ("Silent Wave") focussing motor built in.
I find autofocus useless for macro photography and strongly prefer manual focussing. That way, you can more easily determine the exact point of focus and you do not have to worry about the camera locking on a different part of the subject. Macro photography, almost by definition I would say, is a nearly endless process of manoeuvering, focussing and checking depth of field.
Incidentally, you may find this tip regarding the use of the depth of field button that I found in John Shaw's "Landscape photography" useful. Select the maximum aperture on the lens. Then press the DOF button and slowly close the aperture. By doing it slowly, your eyes can adjust to the deminishing level of light and you can better judge depth of field.
You may wish to use flash to stop the motion. My attempts at this have been rather unsuccesfull: harsh lighting as a result of direct, on-camera flash. Maybe you can do better with a TTL flash cord (SC-17) and a bouncer or reflector. Alternatively, use a ring-shaped macro flash, such as Nikon SB-21 or SB-29.
Occasionally, a right angle finder (DR-4) is useful. It allows you to look into the view finder from above and can prevent you from having to strain your neck. I have one. It works. It cost $250. It mostly sits in its box.
If you are interested in building a high quality Nikon system that is relatively affordable and easy to carry, you should consider the following: Nikon F80 / N80 body, with the AF 24/2.8 wide-angle lens, the AF 50/1.8 standard lens and the 105/2.8 Micro. They all share the same, small (i.e., relatively cheap) filter size, are a lot smaller and lighter than the professional AF-S zooms and easily perform better than the "dickless yuppie" 28-300 zooms. The entire package can be carried in the smaller shoulder bags and day packs without any problem.
The two images below illustrate a very simple setup for table-top macro photography (note that I actually use my DR-4 here!) They show that you do not need a lot of expensive equipment: a few books, large sheets of paper or cardboard and some piece of (non-reflective) fabric can be used to create macro images at home. As you go along, you will discover a lot more useful accessories: a small brush, a plant mister, pieces of string etc. Experiment and have a lot of fun (and watch out for lower-back pain!)
If you use the Canon EOS system, the Canon EF 100/2.8 Macro is probably more useful.
This lens is sold by Adorama, both as gray import and with Nikon USA warranty. It is also stocked by B&H. Please use the preceding link and enter the product code NI10528DMAF in the "Search" box. Adorama and B&H are retailers that pay photo.net a referral fee for each customer, which helps keep this site in operation.