 Amazingly sharp Macro, VR works, and interesting working distance |
| Review Date: December 16, 2009 |
| Reviewer: S. S. Malhotra, Norwalk, CT |
I pre-ordered this lens as a present, but examined it before I gave it away.
I didn't think I was going to want to keep it, but I'll have to admit, the lens is VERY sharp. The MTF charts hold true.
PRO's:
It's a smidge sharper than my Nikon 60mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Micro-Nikkor Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras.
What I really like the is the working distance on a DX body; it's nothing you could get on an FX body as a macro lens (FX equivalent of 127.5mm; only macro's for FX are 60 and 105 2.8). . .
The VR does work very well, but does not completely make up for fast aperture. Back to back testing in low light portrait shots, the VR gave me a about a 1-2 stop advantage (my 60mm 2.8 micro, thus, still better in that regard).
What this does offer to the DX community is one of the SHARPEST nikkor's produced in a very unique working distance.
Confirms Nikon's commitment to the DX line at affordable pricing with amazing optics.
CON's:
Only micro/macro lens in the nikon line up that ISN't compatible with FX lenses. . .would've increased the cost for sure, and weight, but would've have been nice.
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very pleased with this lens
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| Review Date: January 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: K. eiland, waikiki |
I've had this lens for a month and have taken @ 1000 shots. This is my first macro so i can't give any comparisons. All my shots are at the Honolulu Zoo. This is a great walk around lens for a zoo. The 85mm is right for the animals and the macro for bugs and flowers. Past 3 feet you don't get any magnification other than the 85mm which is not insignificant.
Pros:
1. The minimum focus distance is 5 1/4 inches from the front of the lens. This is way better than my point and shoot. That's 5 1/4 inches at 1:1 which i rarely use because of the thin dof and my shaky hands. At 1:2 it's 9 inches and you can fill the frame with a bee.
2. The lens is plastic but feels solid in weight and construction. The mount is metal. It sticks out 4 1/2 inches from the front of my d40. Really a tidy package considering all it can do.
3. Very sharp images, sharper than my 18-55 and 55-200, which do not have vr so that contributes.
4. The focus switch. Two positions, M and M/A. The M is manual of course and mostly what i use. I have to use manual with the larger magnification ratios (1:2,1:1.6,1:1.4,1:1.2 and 1:1). On auto the lens freaks out due to slight changes i make in camera position. The M/A is auto focus with a manual override. The auto focus works great with anything over 3 feet and the override is useful for slight changes in subject position. If you are steady or an old hand at macro maybe the auto focus will work at closer magnifications.
5. The scale window. It is on top of the lens and easy to read. It shows magnification ratio and distance to subject in feet and meters. When i want a macro shot i choose 1:1.2, 1:1.4 or 1:1.6. On manual focus i focus by moving the camera and as long as i don't touch the focus ring the ratio stays put. This is important to me because i'm not a big fan of bokeh and want as much dof as possible. Once my exposure is set i can concentrate on focus and composition.
Cons:
Like i said, this is my first macro lens so i don't know if i'm missing a feature other lenses have. There is nothing about this lens i do not like.
I made this purchase because of the 85mm and the brand. I bought from amazon because i knew if there was a problem or if i didn't like the lens returning would be easy and painless. I do reccomend this lens as a first time macro user. |
Just what the DX ordered.
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| Review Date: March 12, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Marc Ruby™, Warren, MI USA |
It took me some thinking to come up with a criticism of this lens, which is, after all, sharp as a tack, light of weight, 'relatively' inexpensive, and the perfect working length for a DX camera. I finally decided that my only issue is that Nikon did not throw in an 85mm 1.4 as a two for one deal. Speed is nice sometimes, although crisp shots at infinity to 1:1 is really much nicer. And let's face it, 3.5 isn't all that much slower than 2.8 (Nikon's standard aperture for macro lenses). The decision to make this a 3.5 means a much lighter weight (and slightly lower price) than Nikon's flagship 105mm.
I already own the 60 and 105 macro nikkors which are usually mounted on D300s's. The 60's short working distance get's in the way too often when it gets used on a full frame camera, though. The 105 is a wonderful lens but I find that my aging wrists complain after a few hours hand holding. So it tends to stay in the studio on a tripod. The 85 solves these problems and, as an added benefit, takes wonderful photos.
I'm not going to go into analyses of sharpness or contrast - there are better sources for that. And everything Nikon says about the lens is true. If pushed into a corner I will admit that the 105 seems to have a VERY slightly snappier image (and it should), but for general utility on a DX camera, the 85mm 3.5 is the one to own. |
Perfect travel macro lens
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| Review Date: March 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Anthony Ruggeri, Harleysville, PA USA |
I've done very extensive comparisons of this lens against other macro lenses: in addition to this new 85 DX, I also have a Nikon AF-S 60 f/2.8 micro and a Nikon 105 f/2.8 VR micro, and in the past have used a Tamron 90 f/2.8 Di and other lenses with extension tubes and diopters. I ran various tests of the 60, 85, and 105 on a Nikon D300 camera.
The 85 DX has a great combination of features: fast AF-S focusing, VR, light weight, and excellent working distance of about 15 cm (the distance between the front of the lens and the subject at closest focus). The working distance is about the same as the much more expensive 105 VR, and is important to allow for natural lighting and with skittish subjects such as insects. The light weight and features make it a great macro lens for travel.
I have tried 3 different copies of this lens, and one was definitely a lemon -- at 1:1 magnification (closest focus), the image quality was not good at all. I returned it and the replacement is a great performer, producing results close to those of the 105 VR. If you're not getting good results, try a different copy.
The clear disadvantage of this lens is that it is strictly for Nikon's DX (crop sensor) cameras. I have not tried it on an FX or film camera, but presumably it vignettes badly. The 60, 105, and 90 lenses mentioned above are all designed to cover a full 35 mm frame, and should work on 35mm film or Nikon's FX digital SLRs. There is no lens for FX that has the same combination of features, compact size, and low weight. |
One of the best lenses for Nikon
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| Review Date: June 12, 2010 |
| Reviewer: A. Tegtmeier, Northern Alabama |
I use this lens at my Nikon D-5000. Bought it to take pictures of the praying mantis that lives in the plants in our backyard.
Auto-focus is amazingly fast and silent, and the vibration reduction gives me 3 to 4 f-stops leverage. Photographing the mantis, I don't apply the auto-focus most of the time; instead, I focus manually to the closest distance, and then leaning forward (using a mono-pod to eliminate vertical and lateral movement) until the subject becomes sharp. Works like a charm, but requires some practice.
This lens has a very shallow depth of field at f3.5 - it measures in fractions of centimeters. The pictures this camera-lens combination generates are brilliant, with true colors and (provided the focus is correct) very sharp.
The lens is somewhat lightweight, using predominantly plastic materials. No cheap feeling on it, though, everything is well built and works flawlessly.
I like also the M/A functionality, where you can adjust/override the focus provided by the AF module manually without having to switch to the manual focus mode first; the lens has an AF/M switch, so you can operate it completely in manual mode.
The minimal focusing distance is very useful and much shorter than the most critters would allow you to use anyway. One nice feature is a scale that tells you the reproduction rate for the distance you focus at.
One small concern I had was the 3.5 f-stop instead of the more common 2.8. But in practical use, that difference is negligible, and would come into play only at some very limited occasions, like with portraits of people. Which, by the way, this lens also does an exceptional job at.
All in all, with over 35 years of photographic experience under my belt, I have to say that this is one of the best lenses I ever had. It beats some of my $1000+ lenses, that I had with the old film SLRs. If you are in the market for a macro lens for your Nikon DX-format DSLR, look no further. |
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