Nikon 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED AF-S VR Micro Lens Review by Alan Trammel.
NOT RECCOMMENDED
I found this lens to be a good lens, just NOT a great lens. The pictures were flat in both color rendition and color contrast. Having this lens for a number of years I would describe the pictures as muddy.
The size and weight of this lens was really odd compared to all the other lenses I have used. It felt front heavy when mounted on the camera. The bulkiness and awkwardness got amplified when mounted on smaller DX bodies. The weight would make it impractical for any sort of hike or other expedition into the woods.
I found the lens to be well constructed and 105mm is a nice focal length. With a 157mm equivalent focal length on a DX camera this lens gives double duty as a nice portrait lens. The VR (Vibration Reduction) was useful for handheld shots of flowers, but for true macro work of insects you still need a tripod. In fact, if you read the lens manual it says to turn VR off when working in macro.
All in all I was happy with this lens for a number of years. As I started getting more serious about my photography and adding more quality glass to my lens collection my feelings about this lens starting to change. I decided to sell it and get the Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X M100.
