105mm DC vs. 105mm micro

Hi UF!
I have shot the 105 Micro only once - I borrowed it from a colleague at work. It's a nice lens. However, I have no own photos to offer as I have stored those on my office PC.
Look at this gallery to get an idea of the bokeh:
http://www.pbase.com/ccraft/nikon105mm2

The 105 DC is an outstanding lens for sure. I would like to have it for portrait work. Wait a moment - I have to go for my anti-LLD pill immediately :shock:

See you later

 

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105, 105, what 105 ???

Frank :


Travelling right now for work without all my photo files, but I can offer some thoughts.

I have both lenses. Both are excellent lens for different tasks. Having said that...

The 105mm DC f/2 is without question an incredible lens. The bokeh without using the detent is wonderous, and the effects of the detent are incredible. Bjørn Rørslett's review convinced me to buy this lens, and if anything, I've found his comments almost restrained in what a fine lens this is. When I want to shoot people with a bit of distance available, this is every bit as much fun as the famed 85mm f/1.4 (although quite different obviously).

The 105mm Micro is a nice lens. I really enjoy using for macro work (although most of my shooting with this lens has been for incident investigation, not fun insects or flowers). But... I can't say that I fire shots with the 105mm Micro with the excitement of the 105mm DC. It's an extremely good lens, but just not in the class of shooting with the 105mm DC.

FWIW.


John P.

 

DC is a specialist's lens...A jewel... I see it fit on your cam, UF!

 

UF

All I can say about the 105 micro nikkor is this. The talk about its not so great bokeh is well, talk.



The bokeh may not be as good as the 85 f/1.4 or the DC lenses, but it is as good as it gets otherwise.

You are making a bigger compromise here. The 105mm micro nikkor focuses very slow, by design. [That is why the new canon EF-S macro sounds very interesting HSM in a macro lens].

I have tried to walk around with the 105mm, but it can take a while to lock focus and for general walk around, the subject might have moved by then.

anand

 

Good choice, UF.

As much as I hate to admit it (denial), I think one eventually needs a 85 f/1.4 for portraits [seen the MTF charts for this lens? It is less sharp than f/1.8 and that is one of the reasons it is popular  ]

The 70-200 VR is all good and dandy, but when I look at my pattern of photography, more than 80% happens when I walk around with family. And between my 14 month old and the 70-200, I can carry only one and that is a very obvious choice  

Lastly, consider the 180mm  , that may be your answer for a walk around tele lens. [Again, I am in denial here]

 

UF the previous poster is right - look at the 180/2.8. It has many of the characteristics of the 80-200 and is probably even sharper, especially at that length. Beautiful boke, but a bit slow on the autofocus. But check out its size and weight - would really suit you for length and quality. Does lovely portraits as well.

 

My most lusted-for lens is still the 135DC as a walkaround candid lens. As much as I love the 70-200 is still seems to attract attention. Last night I was shooting my 8th grade daughter at a party with my 70-200 they'd stare at me, while my 85.1.4 and D2X set on HSC gave me a "virtual 127mm" f1.4 and no one glared at it. A 135DC would give me, similarly, a "virtual" 200 f2?
I'm gonna get one but, at I type, my AMEX bill for the D2X is on my desk. Ouch.

I'm going to my daughter's graduation tonight and you've inspired me to shoot some shots of the grads with my 105-f2.8 micro. I'll let you know how it does. I've read it's not that great at distance.

micro-bokeh? 105mm 1/90th f18

 

Unlce Frank said, "My kit consits of the 20mm/2.8D, 60mm micro, 28-70/2.8 and 80-200/2.8. I'm more than pleased with it, except it's quite a load to cram into my backpack. Also, the 60mm doesn't get much play, because the 28-70 is excellent in its own right for closeup work."

Uncle Frank, don't give up on the 70-180 micro lens. Even though it is not a super fast lens, it has some great versatility. This photo of my daughter is probably not my best shot, but it is a good one that I took early on with my D100. The D2x gives it new life. The second shot is simply a snap with the D2x that I took in the spur of the moment. I had been using the lens for table top photos of another lens I was selling on ebay (for which it is very good) when I saw the critter outdoors trying to get into my house.

It is almost fast enough to chase birds with..and I easily give it the quality of the 180mm f/2.8 on the long end. I think Nikon discontinued it because they didn't want to compete with their own AFS 70-200 VR. So now it is 'secret' power and lightness.

Regards,

Paul