Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras

This is an absolutely brilliant lens. First of all, it's just plain absurd to be able to have f/1.4 at the 105mm focal length, but that aside, it's not a case where the lens is useless wide open. It's an f/1.4 lens that you can actually use at f/1.4 because it is very sharp even wide open. Close it down a bit and it becomes even sharper. Being an "E" lens, it means that a number of older cameras will not be able to control the aperture, leaving the lens stuck wide open on those cameras. Personally, it makes me a bit sad that there's no way for me to use this lens fully with any film camera, but if it's going to be stuck at an aperture, I suppose I prefer this lens to be stuck wide open than closed down if I ever did decide to go down that route. As you can probably imagine with a 105mm f/1.4 lens, the size and weight are no joke. This is fairly large lens that will, at times, intimidate people on the other side of it. This is something that many people don't really think about and with people used to modeling or having photos taken of them, it may not affect them, but it might take a bit for some family members to get used to it. And as far as carrying it around for street photography—yes, I've actually tried this—be prepared to be met with suspicion like you're some sort of stalker. All joking aside, it is definitely a large lens and if you're one to be involved in long photo sessions or carry your camera around for long periods of time, I would definitely take the weight and size of it into consideration. I've found that having a sling strap has helped a lot in this regard. Probably because 105mm makes for a really good portrait length, people assume that this is a portrait lens and while it is an excellent lens for that purpose, I wouldn't necessarily pigeon-hole it like that. Its technical proficiency makes it useful for all sorts of shooting. Ironically, there is a contingent of people that dislike lenses like this for portraits simply because they feel that the sharpness starts to work against them by bringing out all of the details—read: flaws—in the skin. I can empathize with this to a degree and I agree that sharpness should not be the be all/end all of how a lens should be evaluated. That having been said, I will point out that you can soften features in post if you have a sharp lens, but if you don't have a sharp lens, you can't exactly bring detail back. On this topic, the most obvious competitor to this lens would be Nikon's own 105mm f/2 DC, which is an older autofocus design with Nikon's "De-Focus Control". The 105mm f/2 DC is an excellent lens in its own right and is a very sharp lens as well. The two lenses, however, are quite different and simply render images in a different way so even though the newer lens was likely released as a replacement, I wouldn't really consider it a a spiritual successor to the older lens. Don't get me wrong, the DC does not hold a candle to the 1.4E in image quality, but I definitely think that it has some desirable attributes that have not carried over to the 1.4E there will be different situations that each one is better suited for. I imagine part of this is due to the way we judge lenses has evolved since the advent of all of these sites that will rub laboratory tests and assign numerical performance values. While there are many technical attributes, we can measure objectively, we would do well to keep in mind that a lot of photography is subjective and there are aspects of the character of lenses that can be difficult to quantify. So if you already own the 105mm f/2 DC, I would say try out both before making a decision to "upgrade". Having gone into that, as an exercise in technical excellence, the new 105mm f/1.4E is a stunning specimen of modern lens design. Attached to a D810, the lens focuses very well and I have not needed to perform any auto-focus micro-adjustments. The speed of focusing is not super fast—there's a lot of big glass to move around—so I don't know how well it will work out for something that is looking for a lens to shoot indoor sports or some other fast action. I have tried shooting some moving animals from time to time and it's been hit or miss, but it's entirely possible that this is due to my technique given the fact that I don't really do that kind of shooting. All in all, I am very happy to have added this lens to my arsenal and it's been a solid workhorse for me since I got it. I would encourage anyone to give it a shot. In an increasingly competitive market, I really do believe that Nikon hit it out of the park with this particular release. Now if they'll just release a new 50mm and 135mm... --------------------- Update: I recently took the lens out to a soccer game and it seems like my initial concerns about the AF speed were largely unfounded as I felt that the lens performed pretty admirably overall. I've uploaded a few of the photos and while there were certainly a few misses, I ended up with a lot more keepers than I had initially anticipated. Granted, soccer is probably not the ideal sport to be shooting with this lens given the relatively short focal length in relation to the size of the field, but I just wanted to give it a real test and I would say that it passed with flying colors.

I'm a professional wedding photographer, and shoot with a bunch of Nikon primes. For years, I used the Nikon 85mm 1.4G for my telephoto, but always wanted a little more reach. Prior to the release of the 105mm 1.4E, the downside to Nikon's prime tele lineup was that their DC series (105 and 135mm) hadn't been updated since they were released in 90's. When the 105mm 1.4E was released, I was very excited and pre-ordered it. After shooting with it for 3 months in the field, here are some observations: 1) This lens is SHARP wide open. It beats the 85mm 1.4G, both in sharpness and contrast. Colors are beautiful, and spot on. Like the 58mm 1.4G, this lens has a look all its own. It can isolate subjects in a very special way, and really makes them pop in images. Nano coating combats flare well, maintaining contrast and color, which is very useful to me, since I shoot during sunset quite a bit. 2) Don't be fooled, the 105 is comparable in size to the beastly Canon 85mm 1.2. It's very large (takes a 82mm filter!) and is quite heavy, over 2 lbs. I notice its weight whenever its in my camera bag, compared to the 85mm 1.4G. This is the biggest drawback of this lens to me, because when you shoot 8+ hour weddings, you feel the weight from this piece of glass on your shoulder. It balances fine on my D4s, but feels front heavy on my D810. 3) AF speed and tracking is about 30% quicker and more accurate than the 85mm 1.4G in my experience. It's not a speed demon like the 70-200, but it's the fastest I've seen in a Nikon prime. 4) Build quality is solid, with the same polycarbonate exterior as Nikon's other nano primes, along with a gasket at the lens mount. I've shot with it in rain and it's been fine. Focus ring is large and nicely dampened. 5) Price tag is steep, but if your bread and butter is shooting portraits, and you like the telephoto look, this is the lens for you. Happy shooting!

UPDATE: I have had this lens for a while now paired up with my D850. It does take spectacular pictures and the bokeh is worth every penny! However, I would buy other lenses BEFORE you buy this one. What I mean is that if your willing to spend 2K on a genuine Nikkor lens that you should probably get the 20-70 lens or the 35, 50, or even the 85 first. This is a big lens and is not for shooting casual close up shooting. I still love this lens but it is now my third place lens. I find myself using the (2.8) 20-70 lens for family shots and my Rokinon (1.4) 35 for many of my night time and landscape shots. Just got it. Wow! I've got it paired up with my D500 for now but expect to pair it with the D850 soon. It's super expensive and I can't tell you if it's worth it yet but the pictures are spectacular. The bokeh will rock you. It's one thing to see a super clear and focused picture with awesome bokeh that someone else took but it's just fantastic when you realize you can also take fabulous pictures with the right equipment. I'm not even a good enough photographer to call myself an amateur yet but I can take some really nice pictures of people and landscape with this lens. I shot down the block and up in the sky just to see what the difference was (nighttime). It was very significant upgrade from my 2.8 16-80 zoom. I can't wait to try it out on people and some nighttime landscape and milky way shooting. Definitely need to pair it with the D850 now.

A nice and sharpness lens for portrait or even street, worth to get it.

Super sharp right into the corners and ultra fast. The slew of reviews from the professionals give more informed advice than I can give so I’ll just add some real world experience. First, do you really need this lens? I’ve found myself using it less than I imagined. I’m very happy with my 85mm f1.8 and my 70-200mm f2.8 at 200mm. So, I often don’t justify switching lenses when either of those gives me what I want. I wanted the f1.4 light but, again, found myself not needing it for most of my shooting. When you combine that with the fact that the lens is best at f4 or f5.6, did I really need it? Don’t get me wrong, the IQ is brilliant and it’s a joy to use but you need to need it, so to speak, otherwise it’s an expensive “nice to have”. The other thing I need to mention is that this is a monster lens compared to, say, the 85mm f1.8. It’s size and weight mean that carrying it around as an extra lens adds a lot to your bag and, if you have those other lenses, it just gets left behind more and more. I have disciplined myself to fit it to my D850 and leave the other lenses behind when I’m taking candid shots at a party or on the street. The bokeh is more than acceptable and your ability to isolate the subject is outstanding but, beware, at f1.4 and 105mm your focusing has got to be spot on. I love what this lens gives me but, in hindsight, would I buy it again? I won’t answer that. It’s a brilliant lens but make sure you need it; not just want it!

Es un objetivo caro, pero vale lo que pagas por el. Rápido, silencioso, preciso y nítido. Muy nítido. Una buena compra y en este caso Nikon tiene un producto de calidad y con un tamaño/peso contenido comparado con el Sigma Art que son una referencia en calidad y nitidez.

Es el objetivo perfecto para retrato, muy luminoso, bokeh perfecto, nitidez extraordinaria. En mi opinión no hay un mejor objetivo que este para retratos perfectos.

***Updates sind stets unten zu finden.*** Das Objektiv ist Nikon typisch gebaut, sehr hochwertig und präzise. Es ist so richtig dick und schwer, was aber an bpsw. einer D810 nicht wirklich stört, denn die Balance ist gut. Der Autofokus ist ähnlich wie bei anderen Nikon Portrait Objektiven und ist dem AF-S 85mm 1.8G sehr ähnlich, also eher gemächlich und nicht wirklich rasend schnell. Dennoch fokussiert das Objektiv präzise und für Portraits schnell genug. Wer allerdings bewegte Portraits machen möchte, könnte Probleme mit der Fokussierung (Objektverfolgung) bekommen. Der Autofokus ist deutlich langsamer, als man es von bspw. Nikon AF-S 24-70G oder AF-S 24-70E VR kennt. Aber, es ist eben ein Portrait Objektiv, hier muss es meist nicht so extrem schnell zugehen. Es gibt eben noch langsamere Portrait Objektive. Die optische Leistung ist überragend. Bei offener Blende ist es auch an der D810 und unter 100% sehr scharf, und zwar egal ob in der Mitte oder an den Rändern. Ich meine jetzt damit nicht nur die Eckenschärfe, denn diese ist bei diesem Objektiv abgeblendet bis an die Ränder gestochen scharf. Sondern selbst wenn man den Schärfebereich am Rand setzt (siehe Beispielbild), ist die Schärfe atemberaubend. Es ist einfach scharf, durchgehend. Die chromatischen Aberrationen sind sehr gut korrigiert und treten kaum auf. Die Verzeichnung ist gegen null. Das Bokeh ist sehr weich, Creme de lá Creme. Bei f/1.4 muss man da allerdings schon sehr aufpassen, dass man vielleicht doch nicht zu wenig im Schärfebereich hat, dann lieber auf f/2 abblenden und eine noch bessere, herausragende Schärfe genießen. Ich sehe das Objektiv als hervorragendes Portrait Objektiv, und dafür wurde es auch entwickelt. Auch bei hochauflösenden Sensoren wie bei bspw. Nikon D810 ist bei diesem Objektiv genug Potential vorhanden. Der Preis ist natürlich heftig. Wer dieses Objektiv kauft, muss aus meiner Sicht genau wissen, was er tut. Portrait Fotografie muss auf jeden Fall ganz oben im Portfolio stehen, sonst rentiert sich das Objektiv womöglich nicht. Auf den 2 Bildern (der Baum und die Taube) seht ihr zuerst das gesamte Bild, dann jeweils den 100% Ausschnitt. Beide Bilder wurden bei f/1.4 mit der Nikon D810 gemacht. Die Schärfe ist wirklich überragend. Amazon komprimiert die Bilder eventuell, sodass man die Schärfe nicht perfekt sieht, ist aber besser wie nix. Ich vergebe diesem Nikkor volle 5 Sterne, auch wenn der Preis so hoch erscheint. Wer ein herausragendes Portrait bzw. Kunst Objektiv sucht, wird hier fündig. Aus meiner Sicht ist dieses Objektiv aktuell die beste Festbrennweite für exklusive Portraits. Daumen hoch, Nikon, und weiter so! ***Update 13.11.2016*** Meine Befürchtung bezüglich bewegter Portraits blieb bis jetzt unbegründet. Die Portraitaufnahmen sind zumindest mit der Nikon D500 gestochen scharf und absolut in der Schärfenebene, auch bei f/1.4. Die Nikon D500 verfolgte das per Einzelfeld-AF und AF-C anvisierte Auge des auf mich zugehenden Models stets sehr zuverlässig. Mit der D810 habe ich bis jetzt diesbezüglich keine Erfahrungen sammeln können. ***Update 29.01.2017: mittlerweile habe ich das Objektiv gegen das Sigma 85mm ART verglichen. Meinen Test findet ihr im Netz, wenn ihr nach: sigma 85mm art vs nikon 105mm vibo photodesign googelt, oder schaut einfach in die Kommentare, dort hinterlasse ich einen Hinweis zum Test. ***Update 12.03.2017: das Objektiv ist ein purer Wahnsinn. Ich habe noch nie so eine gute, scharfe Nikon-Optik mit so einer tollen Farbwiedergabe gesehen. An der Stelle möchte ich die extrem gute AF-Treffsicherheit unterstreichen. Sowohl an meiner D810 als auch an der D500 sind die Ergebnisse perfekt fokussiert, und zwar ohne jegliche AF-Korrektur in der Kamera. An der D500 lässt die Schärfe erwartungsgemäß ein bisschen nach, ist aber dennoch sehr gut. An der D810 ist die Schärfe dagegen überragend! Fokus auf das Auge, und dieses ist sowas von scharf und korrekt fokussiert, das Bokeh ist so dermaßen schön, dass man niemals abblenden möchte. Die Farbwiedergabe ist etwas in warme Richtung ausgerichtet und sieht beim Portrait perfekt aus. Wenn man parallel Sigma Objektive nutzt, wird man es gleich merken. Die Sigmas bilden eher kühl ab, heißt aber natürlich nicht, dass sie schlechter sind. Es ist einfach Geschmackssache, wobei mir die wärmere Farbwiedergabe mehr zusagt. Die Farbunterschiede sind auch nach WB Korrektur zu sehen, es handelt sich also nicht nur um AWB Unterschiede. Die Optik ist ein Wahnsinn!