Hey everyone, I just got my hands on some new toys like the Canon EF 8-15 f/4L fisheye zoom lens and the Olympus EP3 mirrorless camera. While I'm testing them out, I thought it would be cool to have one of our customers review a product. In the future I hope to do this more and if you are interested, please contact me, [email protected]. Penelope is one of our favorite customers, she has attended many of our seminars and is very to the point. Some may say she is too opinionated, but that's what I like about her! In this over-saturated (bad pun intended) world of photography, you need to be brutal! So without further blabbering on my part, please enjoy Penelope's Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G VR lens review!
Some Thoughts on the Nikkor 105 VR f2.8 by Penelope Taylor
Many thanks to Mike Z for sharing UP’s blog space! I am a long-time serious amateur photographer and UP customer. Photography is one of my creative outlets even though I do not have a formal education in the subject. My introduction to photography began when my Dad taught me how to use his Olympus Pen F half-frame SLR in the early 1970s. I made the move from film to digital in the early 2000s with top-of-the-line point and shoots, first from Sony then from Nikon. When the Nikon D90 made its debut in 2009, I was an early adopter. Within 6 months, I added a D300s. I also made the decision to go with Nikon’s pro lenses, knowing with that choice, I would take those lenses to newer bodies as the “computer technology” made advancements. I recently have gone old-school and I am moving away from the variable focal-length lenses (“zooms”) and returning to the “primes” of my photographic youth. I can remember having the zoom vs. prime debate back in the darkroom days at the college newspaper. I will admit that I am the first to blame myself and not the equipment, and after working with my four Nikon zoom lenses, I am ready for a versatile prime. [caption id="attachment_4502" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="D300s ISO 200 f/8 1/500s"]
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When the situation in Japan resulted in equipment shortages back in March, I was disappointed to find I was unable to locate a Nikkor 105mm VR 2.8 Macro lens to purchase. I had a few photo workshops booked in 2011 that would involve flower photography, and I was itching to get familiar with the lens before my trips. A favorite subject of mine to photograph is a flower in bloom. When the breeze isn’t blowing, close-up photography provides a valuable tutorial for studying depth of field through various aperture settings. I like to set my camera to ISO 200, Aperture priority, manual focus, and try a range of f-stops. I use a wonderful piece of software from Nikon called View NX. It comes in the box with the camera body and provides all the information about every image from camera body and lens to aperture, shutter speed, focal length, and even if VR was on or off the lens. Gone are my days of carrying pen and notepad to take frame by frame notes of the camera settings. This software is better than Bridge, which displays generic metadata. If you get a chance to review your images close to when you took them, this information should help you to figure out what you did right (or wrong). I saw there was an upcoming UP location class at the Upper Montclair Presby Memorial Iris Gardens and I really wanted to work with that 105mm Macro Nikon lens. By mid-May, it still wasn’t in stock. So I decided to rent one from UP. Renting is a great way to decide if any lens (or camera body) you have on your wish list is all that you hope it would be. And UP’s Weekend Rental program (pick up any time on Friday, return it before noon on Monday) gives you lots and lots of time to play. UP makes it so easy—simply email ([email protected]) to reserve the lens, pick it up (you have to give them a valid credit card as collateral), and HAVE FUN! Did you know that if you rent the same lens over a period of 90 days, and then you decide to purchase that same lens, UP will credit you 50% of the rental fees towards your purchase? It’s a great “test drive” program for trying out lenses or bodies you don’t have. [caption id="attachment_4518" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="d300s ISO 200 f/11 1/60s Where I took my shots"]
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To make the most of close-up photography, here are a few things that I make sure I carry into the field. First, you really need a good, solid tripod and head. While the 105mm is Nikon’s mid-length Macro (they also have a 60mm and a 180mm), the 105mm has some heft to it weighing in at 28 oz. You don’t want your camera and lens tipping over with a lightweight setup (I will save my rant about tripods and heads for another day). I also pack a diffuser and a couple reflectors (my favorite is the mixed gold-silver). A cable release is a must have item. The self-timer on your camera is also an option, but for me, it’s just one more thing to do. I need to simplify and a cable release does that for me. Last, but not least, I can’t live without my Hoodman to check for blinkies, depth of field, and the histogram. I read a lot of photo blogs and look at as many images as I can to study light source and composition. Recently I was reading a blog that I regularly follow. Bob Towery was writing about an image he took with his Canon 180mm Macro lens. But the shot was one of a barn… Bob was presenting the image as an example of how a telephoto lens compresses the subjects (in this particular case, the silo and the barn). Wait a minute. That’s a macro lens. Rather embarrassed, I had an “ah-ha” moment. I realized that any macro lens isn’t just for close-up photography. That means the Nikkor 105mm, on my smaller sensor D300s, is a wonderful mid-distance telephoto. The 105mm becomes approx a 150mm which is pretty close to a 135mm. Back in the day, the 135mm was my favorite all-around lens for my film camera. Those of you who enjoy the full-frame D700 or D3 series will have a lovely portrait lens using this 105mm. The added bonus is the capability of close-up photography. [caption id="attachment_4519" align="aligncenter" width="543" caption="D300s ISO 200 f/3.0 1/2000s"]
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After years of getting rather spoiled by zoom lenses, some might find using a prime lens rather frustrating because you have to “zoom” with your feet. It’s not so bad if you flip on the VR and take the lens off tripod to move around easily to compose at will. However, when you bolt that camera body onto the tripod, and you are negotiating a tight space, uneven terrain (such as a flower bed or rocks), at the same time trying to avoid tripping over the tripod legs, all in the effort to move an inch, you will need patience. I guarantee the end result is really worth the trouble. I can hear you say, pull back, re-comp the shot, and crop closer in Photoshop. I know it’s just me, but I still crop in camera. I can’t help it. I am not from the school of “shoot wide, crop later” in post. I build my composition in the viewfinder. Hard to stop a 30-year habit. For me, I need to put the lens in the place where I want it to be. I did some tests of the auto-focus of this lens. The D300s has a 51-point focus area, making it easy to move the AF focal point to exactly where you need that sharp contrast in order for the AF to work. However, the 105mm seems to get rather confused and has a mind of its own when you are within 18” of your subject. It’s slow to auto-focus, a quirk of the lens, and rather than get frustrated, I turned off the autofocus and prayed my eyeglass prescription and the viewfinder diopter setting was “good enough” for manual focus. Truth be told, the 105mm’s AF behavior is similar to my 70-300mm Nikkor lens, which also gets confused about the focal point I want and is slow at times, seeking endlessly. Some photographers might find this to be a deal breaker. That is why renting before you buy can help you discover these issues. [caption id="attachment_4511" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="D300s f/13 1/180s The lens can be used for non-macro shots as well"]
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Remember when you read the specs about minimum focal distance of any lens, that the given measurement is from the subject to the camera’s sensor, not from the subject to the end of the lens. An approximate tape measurement from the glass end of the 105mm to the sensor in the D300s takes up 7” of the 12” minimum focal distance. That means you can get the end of the lens no closer than about 5” from your subject. And if that subject is a 3” or so dimensional object, such as a flower, depth of field becomes critical. The parts of the flower in focus can be dramatically different given a mere waurter of an inch! Also try tipping the plane of the glass parallel to the flower otherwise you might have a shot resulting in a tiny circular area being in focus, and the rest of the image soft. After my first day and review of my shots, I decided to refrain from shooting wide open at f2.8, and give myself a better chance at f5.6, f8, even f11. A week later, I returned to UP, rented the lens again, and went back to the Iris Gardens. I was happier with more of the blossom in focus while the background remained blurry and out of focus. When all conditions were just right, the lens really shined. I would like to pat myself on my back, but alas even a blind squirrel finds an acorn. As with any discipline, it takes time, dedication, patience, and a lot of practice. [caption id="attachment_4515" align="aligncenter" width="543" caption="d300s ISO 200 f/8 1/350s One of my favorite shots"]
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Close-up photography is a wonderful opportunity to try shooting the same shot set-up (here is the benefit of a tripod) beginning at f2.8, then f4, then f8, f11, f18, and so on. Experiment and then look at your images closely. Without changing your focal point, and only changing your aperture, when reviewing your images, notice what is in focus and what is not. Fortunately, digital film is cheap and the feedback is instant. [caption id="attachment_4506" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="D300s ISO 200 f/3.0 1/4000s"]
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Unfortunately, the Iris Gardens are only blooming for about 2 weeks each year. You can keep up with “the bloom” on their website. However, if you’d like to practice your flower photography, consider visiting the NJ Botanical Gardens in Ringwood State Park (www.njbg.org), where the gardens are in bloom through the seasons and are open daily 8am to 8pm. PS: The Nikkor 105mm VR 2.8 lens is back in stock at UP! Yes—I ran over and purchased one!