Nikon Micro-Nikkor 105 mm F/2.8 AF-S ED G IF VR Lens (2160)

I bought two of these (ebay) lenses, one for me and the other for my wife, for general use but especially for wildflower photos. They are the sharpest of the several Nikon lenses that we own and that we use on our Nikon D300 (DX) cameras where the 105mm becomes effectively a 158mm lens due to the "cropping factor". This 158mm focal length provides a convenient object-to-front-of-lens distance. The 1:1 magnification capability is very useful at times. We use the lenses on cameras mounted on tripods, so we do not really need the VR of the newer versions of this lens. The lens is light enough and the maximum aperture (f/2.8)is large enough that the camera can be hand held when necessary. I highly recommend this excellent Nikon lens.

Until the release of Nikon's newest Macro 105mm with VR this year, this was THE macro lens to own in the Nikon line. The 55mm and 65mm were good, but gave you a very short working distance (the distance from lens to subject). The 200mm was superb but required a mortgage on the house to purchase and the 70-180mm macro zoom had a slow maximum aperture and never really caught on.
Everything about this lens is top notch. Build quality is excellent, AF performance is good (if a bit slow) and image quality at all levels of magnification from 1:1 to infinity is excellent. Nikon has packed more optical engeneering into this package than just about any lens in the line and the results speak for themselves.
So if you've ever found youself wishing you could get "just a little closer", or if you need something to take quality images of your coin collection to sell on eBay, look no further.
With any luck, now that a VR replacement has come out, these will start showing up at attractive prices used.

With the choice of the 60, 105 or 200mm Micro Nikkors, it depends for the most part on what kind of subject-to-lens distance you require. Most tiny creatures become alarmed at the close working distance of the 60, but the 105 and 200 provide needed separation. The lens is claimed to be optically superior to the earlier MF version, but I have not proven this to myself as yet. It also tests exceptionally well on resolution targets taken at 25X focal length. The Nikkor 105 Micro is a favored lens by John Shaw, and his results speak louder than anything I could say. It could also serve as a portrait lens for full-frame use, since its F.L. is ideal. Build quality is fairly good, with silkscreened (not engraved) features on a black painted barrel. Autofocus is slow, but this "feature" is seldom of value for macro work. A lovely "must-have" lens for any Nikon user, and it's certainly one of my favorites.

This used lens arrived in perfect condition. It is NOT the latest version, so it does not auto-focus with my Nikon D5000 digital camera. A-F is not as necessary with macro photography, where the photographer pre-sets lens magnification at 1:1, 1:2, etc. The photographer then minutely moves the entire camera/lens set-up to properly position the plane of focus. I use this lens with my Nikon SB-600 flash unit, and my O-Flash ringlight attachment (BOTH purchased on eBay). The O-Flash provides 3/4-circle flash, which allows modeling of cylindrical & spherical objects, often lost with full-circle flash rings.

ADDENDUM: Since writing this article at the end of 2009, I have experienced a great deal of wasted time & photographs relying on my 60-yo eyes to properly focus through my D5000. In late summer 2010, I purchased a new Nikon D90, which will auto-focus my Nikkor 105D. Eureka! What a difference! Quicker image capture, and fewer images needed for crisp, in-focus photos.

SUMMARY: I am very pleased with my 105-mm macro lens, SB-600 flash, and O-Flash ringlight.

What a lens! This lens is tack sharp and built very well. I have been using mine now for about 3 months on my D700 and the results are outstanding. For micro shooting I would recommend a good tripod or plenty of light. I have also used it in my studio for portraits and the results are great. The lens is somewhat bulky to carry around and with a doubler its about as long as a 200 mm lens. This is not a cheap lens but its worth every penny if your into close-up work or micro stuff. You can pick one up for around $400+ on ebay but the newer NIKON AF-S 105mm VR Micro f/2.8 will cost you over $800.