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Photo Forum / Digital Photography / DSLR Cameras / June 2006Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR vs. Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D
After using the new Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR for almost two weeks and pitting it against the tried and true classic Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D I came to the following conclusions. For me, I like both equally well and would never part with either one. From an optical standpoint I'm not 100% convinced yet that the newer VR is any better. I can see slightly better bokeh in the newer one in certain situations, but this is highly subjective on my part. The AF on the new VR version is awesome and lightning fast compared to the older model. This is great since the 105mm f/2.8D Micro would take a bit more time "hunting" in some circumstances. The VR works great at longer distances and diminishes on close macro shots, which is to be expected. For close-ups and macros the AF on the new model is much better and quickly locks in. For all my close-up macro shots I use manual focus so either lens is equally suited to the task. And if you are wondering how the AF performs on this lens with the TC-20E II, it does work OK. The speed is a bit slower, which we expected anyway. And surprisingly the AF does function on this combination up to f/9. If I get a real close focus it will stop at f/9 and not recover. The AF is basically working as it should and will recover up to f/8. So, don't be afraid to use a TC with this lens since the only time you'll experience this problem is when the subject is about 6" in front of the lens. As for having to do it over again, that's a real tough call since both lenses are magnificent and either one won't disappoint you. If you shoot a lot of portraiture than the newer VR version is slightly better with bokeh (subjective) and the AF is quicker. Really, other than that it really boils down to your shooting style. If your needs are for a lens for really close up macros and nothing more I would consider a mint condition used 105mm f/2.8D Micro on the market for an exceptional price and I would recommend going that route instead of the latest and greatest. The bottom line if you are starting out new in macro I would suggest you go with what you can afford. Rita Interesting post. I have an older 105 AF 2.8 non-D and do a lot of portraiture. I have been considering upgrading to this VR version. I wonder if you tried the VR hand-held or on a tripod (on or off)? Does the VR help say hand-held at 1/125 second? 1/250 second? Tien > After using the new Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR for almost two weeks and > pitting it against the tried and true classic Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D I [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Rita > Interesting post. I have an older 105 AF 2.8 non-D and do a lot of > portraiture. I have been considering upgrading to this VR version. I > wonder if you tried the VR hand-held or on a tripod (on or off)? Does > the VR help say hand-held at 1/125 second? 1/250 second? Yes, I used it with VR (ON) handheld and VR (OFF) when on a tripod. The VR works great under normal use and at 1/125 and 1/250th it is really hard to tell. VR for the 1:1 macros really isn't practical since, at least for my handheld shooting style, my images occasionally suffer from the same IN-OUT movement as the non-VR version instead of up-down-left-right movements where VR is more practical. Rita > The VR > works great under normal use and at 1/125 and 1/250th it is really hard to > tell. Thanks for your answer. Considering I would be using this for portraiture in a non-studio setting, I doubt the VR option would be very useful. Even if it reduced camera movement at 1/60s or 1/30s, my subject`s movement would come into play at those speeds. I was hoping that it could improve images at my usual hand-held 1/125s or 1/250s speeds. Tien Don't discount VR on those grounds. I've found that the 18-200 VR can track a moving object.  SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly Rita Ä Berkowitz wrote: > The VR > works great under normal use and at 1/125 and 1/250th it is really > hard to > tell. Thanks for your answer. Considering I would be using this for portraiture in a non-studio setting, I doubt the VR option would be very useful. Even if it reduced camera movement at 1/60s or 1/30s, my subject`s movement would come into play at those speeds. I was hoping that it could improve images at my usual hand-held 1/125s or 1/250s speeds. Tien > Don't discount VR on those grounds. I've found that the 18-200 VR can > track a moving object. It doesn't "track" anything other than pitch and yaw movement. -you- track the subject. Cheers, Alan Signature-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm -- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm -- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin -- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch. The lens detects panning and stops adjusting for that direction. SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly : > Don't discount VR on those grounds. I've found that the 18-200 VR can : > track a moving object. : : It doesn't "track" anything other than pitch and yaw ovement. -you- : track the subject. : : Cheers, : Alan According to Joan <Joan@home.t2>: > The lens detects panning and stops adjusting for that direction. That sounds more convenient than the switch which I have seen on a Canon lens equipped with their VR equivalent. That switch turns off the horizontal correction -- but you've got to remember to turn it off. Hmm ... what happens if you rotate the camera to "portrait" orientation? Does it still detect panning in the horizontal direction and turn off the correction? Enjoy, DoN. SignatureEmail: <dnichols@d-and-d.com> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564 (too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero --- Should be OK. It just detects the direction of movement. This was taken when I'd had the lens for a week. Hand held and standing up. http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=89248995&size=o SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly : According to Joan <Joan@home.t2>: : > The lens detects panning and stops adjusting for that direction. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] : Enjoy, : DoN. > Should be OK. It just detects the direction of movement. > > This was taken when I'd had the lens for a week. Hand held and > standing up. > http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=89248995&size=o You might want to allow viewing on that one if you want anyone to see it. Signature--John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net) http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly/89248995/ Sorry, I didn't realise the public couldn't see the full size. Try this link or try the other one again, I've just changed an item in my profile. SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly : > Should be OK. It just detects the direction of movement. : > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] : : You might want to allow viewing on that one if you want anyone to see it. > http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly/89248995/ > Sorry, I didn't realise the public couldn't see the full size. > Try this link or try the other one again, I've just changed an item in > my profile. At 1/1250th of a second you would be better turning VR off as it is of no benefit. Shots like this with such a high shutter speed do not benefit from VR and could actually suffer from it's use. If I can get a fast shutter speed I always turn VR off. I do the majority of my shooting handheld. Rita >http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly/89248995/ >Sorry, I didn't realise the public couldn't see the full size. >Try this link or try the other one again, I've just changed an item in >my profile. According to the exif this is taken at f=200mm with a shutter speed of 1/1250sec. VR has no positive effect whatsoever on this type of shot. In fact, you'd most likely be better off turning it off given my experience with the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens. -- Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardG.Ruf.com) http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html You may all be right, but I remember while taking that shot, the plane appeared to move around in the viewfinder when I started to look at it and then steadied as I followed it. SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly "Ed Ruf (REPLY to E-MAIL IN SIG!)" <egruf_usenet2@cox.net> wrote in message news:vpfm925jtq0lupleedi1n68t9hvtsbdkcv@4ax.com... : : >http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly/89248995/ [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] : Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardG.Ruf.com) : http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html >You may all be right, but I remember while taking that shot, the plane >appeared to move around in the viewfinder when I started to look at it >and then steadied as I followed it. Two different things. You're not seeing a very short exposure like the sensor did. So you see a lot greater camera motion. Like Rita I do most of my shooting handheld and a quite a bit of it is wildlife photography using the 70-200 f/2.8 with a TC-20E attached doubling the fl. -- Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardG.Ruf.com) http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html > The lens detects panning and stops adjusting for that direction. Please Don't snip atrributable replies. You said: "Don't discount VR on those grounds. I've found that the 18-200 VR can track a moving object." I said: "It doesn't "track" anything other than pitch and yaw movement. -you- track the subject." Cheers, Alan. Signature-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm -- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm -- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin -- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch. If you want to have one of those "I said", "You said" arguments, have it with yourself. I'm not here to argue, I'm here to discuss and to learn. SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly : > The lens detects panning and stops adjusting for that direction. : [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] : Cheers, : Alan. > If you want to have one of those "I said", "You said" arguments, have > it with yourself. I'm not here to argue, I'm here to discuss and to > learn. You want to learn. Then pay attention: 1) Do not top post 2) Do not snip attributions and relevant content 3) _read_ before you reply 4) Have a nice day Cheers, Alan. Signature-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm -- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm -- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin -- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch. When I was a child my father taught me never to give advice that wasn't requested. SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly : > If you want to have one of those "I said", "You said" arguments, have : > it with yourself. I'm not here to argue, I'm here to discuss and to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] : Cheers, : Alan. >When I was a child my father taught me never to give advice that >wasn't requested. But he wasn't giving advice on how to get along in a community that has conventions. Usenet was started as a question and answer format. Putting a little time into crafting your replies and selectively quoting to what you are replying to helps others follow the thread. Of course this takes a little more effort than a simple top posting. Maybe you're too lazy to answer posts here correctly? Or are you just stubborn? Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom). I'm not a luddite. SignatureJoan http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan-in-manly : >When I was a child my father taught me never to give advice that : >wasn't requested. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] : : Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom). > I'm not a luddite. Please see http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm and read. To add to what Don said, usenet in general has a use style which includes: -leaving attribution (who said); -leaving relative content regarding what you're replying to (what was said); -bottom posting (posting below what was said so things are in a logical order). The above for clarity and readability as well as saving people from having to review prior posts to see what's up. Cheers, Alan Signature-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm -- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm -- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin -- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch. > After using the new Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR for almost two weeks and > pitting it against the tried and true classic Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > From an optical standpoint I'm not 100% convinced yet that the newer VR is > any better. It's unlikely to be better as the addition of the VR adds more glass to the lens and hence increases the optical deficiencies. OTOH, for hand held shooting it will obviously be better than the non VR lens at all but the fastest shutter speeds. OTOOH, IIRC the VR lens has a different glass formulation (not sure if it's all elements) that possibly compensates a bit for the losses in the VR. Cheers, Alan Signature-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm -- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm -- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin -- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch. |
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