Nikon 105mm F/2.8 Z Lens Review: Incredible for Macro Photography!
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- This is a review of the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Z lens, an utterly outstanding lens for macro photography, portrait photography and video.
I have been using this lens for over a year now and am always impressed with the images I can get with it - it's a real corker!
This video was shot and reviewed on both the Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 cameras.
Chapters --
00:00 Bees!
00:32 Introduction
01:11 The Review Begins
03:02 Using the 105mm in the field
07:35 Image examples / Conclusion
-----
Why not subscribe to my channel: / @blinsaff
Check out some more reviews: • Gear Reviews
Follow me on:
Instagram - / blinsaff
-----
#nikon105 #nikonz8 #macrophotography
[this is not a paid or sponsored review] - Krátké a kreslené filmy
I'm thinking about getting this lens. Thanks for the very informative video, and the diffuser you used works extremely well - great results. Cheers!
Thanks for watching!
Agree. Superb lens. Have used it in the garden but also for portraits.
Good review thanks. yes I have this lens and it's really sharp right across the frame and renders beautiful colours and image quality. I actually thought the price wasn't too bad for what you get. Weather-sealing, auto-focus specially adapted for macro with limit switch, great VR and optical excellence. I love this lens.
Complimenti! Bel video! Grazie! ❤️🇮🇹❤️
Being an "S" line lens identifies it as top quality. The shorter Z macro lens is not. There are a few more things to say bout this lens. It's ideal for portraits and when used outdoors will give very nice background blur (AKA bokeh - a common Japanese word meaning "blur").
So when your sitter does better with a bit more distance (causing a bit more perspective compression), then this lens is great.
Another thing is the LCD. What it illustrates is that the number in f/number is not fixed, but varies with distance. This always has been the case in classical lens designs in the past 150 years or so.
What 105/2.8 tells us is that at "infinity focus" the diameter of the maximum aperture of this lens is 105mm/2.8=37.5mm. When you set aperture to that, at infinity, and turn the lens to 1:1 focusing distance (about 29cm from the sensor plane) then lens shows you what the actual aperture "AS FRACTION OF FOCAL LENGTH" is. Now we can do the following:
105mm/2.8=37.5mm=Xmm/4.2 = IIRC the lens becomes f/4.2 at 1:1 and now X=157.5mm
So at its closest distance to the subject the lens is about 160mm.
That's a mere fact we got taught in photography school and shooting large format was why we applied a "bellows extension factor". Everyday photography has forgotten about this because we measure exposure through the lens and are not aware this may happen.
I call this "aperture breathing" and it is the other side of the "focus breathing" coin. They come together.
Not an issue, not a problem, but a fact of optics life. Part of the "S" lenses suppress focus breathing and consequently will suffer less or not at all from aperture breathing. This macro lens trades all that for being extremely sharp - yet smooth - at the macro end of focusing.
You cannot address all optical challenges, and arrive at an affordable lens.
Note that shooting portraits with a longer macro lens like this is an age old insider "secret" with portrait pros shooting 35mm film. Classical designs have been optimised at infinity focus and the optimisation becomes less when focusing closer by. Not so in the case of macro lenses that used to be optimised closer by - ideal for portraits.
This 105, though, great overall - really "S" class.
How about for portraits/landscape? I don't do much macro ( I could ) but looking for a longer lens to compliment the 50mm.. I feel like my 50mm and 85mm are actually too close in use case where I don't bring both of them together. Most shooters who like 85 often pair it with 35mm instead, but I don't want to do that. Esp on high res body where I can crop in a bit if needed. Where as the bigger separation and difference of the 50 and 105 I would bring both.
I wanted the lens dimentions Length and Diameter, on Nikons website the say 85mm D x 140mm L are your measurements correct. I need these for a Macro Diffuser I'm ordering and they need to be spot on. Cheers
Well, who would've thought that a macro lens from Nikon was going to be good at macro photography? Thanks for clearing that up! 😬
Glad to help!!!!
As this lens is significantly better than the old F-mount macro lenses, part of your sarcasm is anachronistic now. What used to be "good at" has become "better".
I'm thinking about buying this lens to use with my Z6II. But is this diffuser and flash always necessary to obtain good results?
No not all. That setup is because I’m shooting at f/11. This lens is really versatile and takes beautiful images at f/2.8 as well
Were those eggs lined up in a U shape? If so, they're probably Lacewing eggs. I'm really tempted to get one of those diffusers. I tend to lean toward hand-held macro, which it's perfect for.
Ahh interesting, was wondering what would have laid them.
The diffuser is really great, highly recommend!
I've never used flash doing macro, how powerful of a flash do you recommend with a difusser like that. Thanks
Any camera flash will do. I use a cheap Godox TT600 to give you an idea
I am using Nikon Z6 with this lens to shoot a flying bee like this, but I have a hard time to get the focus right. It seems the auto focus is pretty slow, maybe because nikon z6?
Might be easier to try it with manual focus, as it gives you a bit more control when shooting a smaller subject
Z8 got insect tracking like Sony A93?
No dedicated insect tracking, but it’s not too bad using animal detect. Bees are recognised and track pretty well
But it is so expensive.. I stick to F 105 + FTZ adaptor
I bought same pack today
All my pics with this lens get blur 😣
Maybe turn off your VR/stabilisation. I have had this issue occasionally
I have this lens and most of the time it's blurry in most spots. I have gotten some good portrait shots though. Most stuff I see online is shilling this lens, probably because they're paid for it.
I have had that issue on occasion. Try switching off VR and see how it goes. Doesn’t happen that often, but enough to annoy
Wow is this a terrible macro lens. I'm taking better photos with my 150-600 sigma and my 50mm prime. Collosal waste of money with that setup if that's the best it's delivering. Time to try a sigma.
Hmm not sure I agree, but I’m glad your setup is working for you. That 150-600 is an absolutely amazing lens. One of the greats. I find the Laowa lenses are better for macro but the 105 here is great for video
Have you seen the reviews and spectacular photos this lense makes! I do a photographie course mate.
You scream in your sleep, huh?
I've been very pleased with mine, as well. 🐝🦋🪲👍