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105 VR Macro

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Might have to get one of these. Been looking at Quentin's images for the last three days and can't get em out of my head.

Dammit. :banghead:
 

mark1958

Member
Jack.. You are welcome to try mine.
Here are a couple of shots I took with mine and the D800. The tulip was a handheld shot. I love the lens but I tend to use the 85mm PC lens more often nowadays because of ability to tilt.
 

aztwang

Member
Jack, I use the 105 quite a bit in the studio. It's a great compliment to the 85 1.4 for portraits.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Jack, I use the 105 quite a bit in the studio. It's a great compliment to the 85 1.4 for portraits.
And I have the 105 DC too... So I'd have 3 85's and 2 105's and then a zoom that covered those too. :facesmack::facesmack::facesmack:
 

aztwang

Member
Actually because your having such a hard time deciding if you want to add another 105 to your quiver, you should just ante-up and buy my Zeiss 135 f2 that is in the Buy&Sell...LOL
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I know it's a great lens, just never been a huge fan of the 135 focal-- and if I was, I'd want af ;)
 

robmac

Well-known member
Had it, contrary to many, never loved it.

My ZF2 135 (Holy Mother of God) and adapted Mamiya 120/4 (I WISH, WISH it was auto-aperture on Nikon - utterly brilliant glass on D800e for stupid-cheap $) shamed it, my 85mm/1.4 was handily sharper at F8-11.

Wicked autofocus hunt when in tight, say 24" or so. CA control not so great vs. 85/1.4G and (obviously) anything APO or ULD. Also preferred the output (color, detail) from my properly tuned 105 DC (stupidly sold).

It's a NICE lens, worth a try, but personally, never did it for ME.
 

vjbelle

Well-known member
Its difficult to find any testing for this lens and whatever there is doesn't show a very good lens. I would certainly rent before buying.

Victor
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
How is the AF speed of the VR 105 Micro compared to the 105 DC? I'm struggling with an aging 85mm f/1.8 that is a bit too short and much too slow focusing.
 

robmac

Well-known member
At normal distance, I'd put the VR as faster (but I never found the DC as slow), but once you get in close (under 3'), it can either focus fast - or have an utter brain-fart from shot-to-shot.

I do a lot of animal-centric advertising work for vets and picked the lens up to avoid cropping in post with tighter head shots of smaller critters and get under the MFD, with AF, of my beloved 85/1.4G.

The 105VR cost me one too many tight 'moment' shots because it decided to lose the plot (for no apparent reason) in AF terms from one shot to next. This would be at app. 36-24".

Also, when it does it, it's not a minor adjustment in MF to quickly fix - it goes through the whole focus range. Next 6 shots fine, same 7th shot - bye bye baby, rinse repeat. D800e or 3s, same issue.

With other shortcomings vs. my existing lens kit, sold it and just decided to try and find a longer (AF) lens with say an 3' or so MFD that will enable a tighter frame - or, maybe, just maybe a future 135/2G. If I were doing static macro, I'd stick with my M645 120/4 - or pick up one of the premium manual focus Nikon-mount macros. Maybe the just announced 85mm Schneider unit ;>

As for the 105DC - kicking myself I sold it, so keeping eye open for another. In MY opinion, nicely beat the VR in terms of IQ.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Interesting comments, thank you all.

Unlikely I'll ever sell my 105 DC, it's one of my landmark favorite look lenses, AND focal length. Maybe that's all the answer I need ;)
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
Might have to get one of these. Been looking at Quentin's images for the last three days and can't get em out of my head.

Dammit. :banghead:
Well that's a heck of a compliment there, Jack :D

Its a good lens and not that expensive. Seems to get written off as a prosumer lens, but its better than that.

Quentin
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I can't log onto FM, Fred banned me the day I started GetDPI without a word of discussion. Which admittedly is weird on its own and I never understood it, but hey, life is too short to worry about triviality. Anyway, I refuse to lie about who I am and set up a false account just so I can view threads there -- I'm simply not interested in being where I'm not welcome.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I can't log onto FM, Fred banned me the day I started GetDPI without a word of discussion. Which admittedly is weird on its own and I never understood it, but hey, life is too short to worry about triviality. Anyway, I refuse to lie about who I am and set up a false account just so I can view threads there -- I'm simply not interested in being where I'm not welcome.
You don't miss out on much. FM looks more and more like the dpr forum.
 
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