Jost are you using he lens primarily for closeups, or would you say the above is true at/near infinity as well?
Thanks,
I use the ZF 100mm only outdoors (but a lot) with various distance settings, it's focal lengths and handling just seems to fit my shooting style.
I find the quality of the files this lens produces simply outstanding, having used it on the D3 for over a year and now with the D3x since December.
Compared to other lenses, it produces sharp images even at f2 all the way into the corners, vignetting can easily be removed.
Contrast and resolution improve slightly by stopping down, maximum is reached at f5,6 and is maintained very well to f11. I even use it at f16 if dephts of field is absolutely required, never mind the diffraction effects, which start to show at f11 already.
Because it's distorsion free, I use it for stitched images quite a lot, even handheld and on infinity.
For macro work, the max. 1:2 suits me well enough, I haven't done much testing comparing it with other lenses at close up distance settings.
For reproduction work (indoors) I have been using the Micro Nikkor 2,8/60mm D with great success and have now switched to the 60mm AFS, which suits my other needs very well.
It's shorter focal lenghts is of advantage since I have to reproduce an artists work on a regular base. Her paintings vary from 12"x12" to 40"x 50".
But outdoors, the free working distance of the 60mm AFS is often too small for certain closeups.
I also use the ZF 2/28mm which is a fine lens but it shows quite extreme curvature of field.
The ZF 100 doesn't show any sign of this.
I am a subscriber to diglloyd (
www.diglloyd.com) , who has a comprehensive review of the whole ZF range: Highly recommended.
Some of the ZF lenses have also been tested by SLRgear (
www.slrgear.com) and Photozone (
www.photozone.de).
Using the ZF lenses is kind of old style, but they complement zoom lenses very well.
I use the 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-300mm VR by the way and am looking forward to a new version of the 80-400mm with AFS, VRII and Nanocoating very much.
I hope Nikon will introduce such a lens this year, it would be a of great use for outdoor and travel photography.
And together with my ZF 100mm, it would make a great combination.....
Hope that helps.
All the best
Jost