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Author Topic: Nikon 105 f2.8 VR IF-ED Micro VRS 105 f2 DC  (Read 11605 times)

duraace

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Nikon 105 f2.8 VR IF-ED Micro VRS 105 f2 DC
« on: January 15, 2009, 07:20:59 pm »

I just got the D700, and was wondering which is the better lens for optics in portraiture.  I would value the macro capabilities on the first, over the DC feature of the second.

Also, is there an advantage to the 135 over the 105 with the full frame D700 for portraits? Can you get in close enough with the 105?
« Last Edit: January 15, 2009, 07:21:33 pm by duraace »
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KeithR

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Nikon 105 f2.8 VR IF-ED Micro VRS 105 f2 DC
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2009, 05:35:51 pm »

Quote from: duraace
I just got the D700, and was wondering which is the better lens for optics in portraiture.  I would value the macro capabilities on the first, over the DC feature of the second.

Also, is there an advantage to the 135 over the 105 with the full frame D700 for portraits? Can you get in close enough with the 105?
I think you answered your own question. I have the 105 macro VR and it is sharp. I have no experience with the DC so have no opinion. I have always liked the 105 for portraits and as far as getting close, how close do you want to go? After all it is a macro and is capable of 1:1
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duraace

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Nikon 105 f2.8 VR IF-ED Micro VRS 105 f2 DC
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2009, 12:33:06 pm »

I hadn't thought of it that way! I take portrait shots close cropped and worried about not getting close enough with full frame, but of course the 105 is macro, sooo ... As long as it can be used for portraits in is mode ( I.e. sharp )
« Last Edit: January 17, 2009, 12:35:29 pm by duraace »
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NashvilleMike

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Nikon 105 f2.8 VR IF-ED Micro VRS 105 f2 DC
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2009, 05:09:23 pm »

Quote from: duraace
I just got the D700, and was wondering which is the better lens for optics in portraiture.

Personally I feel the 105/2 DC is the better lens for portaiture - and I never bother with the DC feature.

At one time I owned three Nikon 105's - the 105/2.8 VR, the 105/2 DC, and the 105/2.5 AIS. After shooting with them I ended up selling the 105/2.8 VR since I mostly photograph people. The VR is a very good "all around" lens but I felt it's rendering just wasn't well aligned with what a portrait lens should do - it was too contrasty, too saturated, and just was a bit "too much" in terms of skin tones. Transitions were a bit "rough" and my subjective impression was there are simply better lenses for shooting skin, although it certainly wasn't horrible by any means. What is an excellent lens for one thing may not neccessarily be an excellent lens for another. The 105/2 DC, however, while not quite as contrasty or saturated in terms of colors has, in my view, a far superior sense of dealing with skin tone gradations - it just has a "way" with people that is much, much more than just how sharp a lens is or how well it measures on a test site. Ironically, in the studio at F/8, my 105/2 DC was slightly sharper than my 105/2.8 VR (although with a bit less overall contrast), which surprised me. Go figure, right?

Where the 105/2.8 VR would excel, however, is in wide open or near wide open sharpness without a lot of hassles. For some reason a lot of 105/2 DC's have problems with AF when at or near wide open. So if I were buying the 105/2 DC simply to shoot at 2 or 2.8 all the time - no, it would not be my choice. Stop it down to f/4 and it's my preferred portrait lens by a landslide, but if I were to live at 2.8, the VR would do a better job, or more likely, I'd prefer a manual focus lens like the more expensive 100/2 Makro Planar Zeiss ZF. And if you want to go cheap and manual focus, a used 105/2.5 AIS makes a heck of a portrait lens for a lot less money than either of the other two guys listed here, but manual focus isn't everyones cup of proverbial tea.

With these two lenses, though, I might suggest renting them both - maybe that lensrentals.com place or someone similar can help you out there. The rendering of these two lenses is quite different, and thus one may "speak" to you more than the other, and that's a personal choice that's hard to gauge in a forum thread.

-m

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ddk

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Nikon 105 f2.8 VR IF-ED Micro VRS 105 f2 DC
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2009, 06:56:54 pm »

Quote from: duraace
I just got the D700, and was wondering which is the better lens for optics in portraiture.  I would value the macro capabilities on the first, over the DC feature of the second.

Also, is there an advantage to the 135 over the 105 with the full frame D700 for portraits? Can you get in close enough with the 105?

I'm in agreement with NashvilleMike's assessment regarding the rendering of these two lenses, I also prefer the 105 DC for portraits but in the end I liked the 135 DC even better. The 105 DC is very close in look to the 85/1.4 afd which I had, only better, so I went for 135 DC which I really love now, more than any other portrait lens that I have. No problem shooting wide open with this lens and I do use the DC feature often.
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duraace

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Nikon 105 f2.8 VR IF-ED Micro VRS 105 f2 DC
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2009, 04:25:31 pm »

I ended up getting the 105 f2.5 VR, but found myself switching to my 85mm f1.4 on a natural indoor light portrait shoot.  I'm not regretting the 105, because I severely lacked a macro lens, and the 105 is also a champ at longer distance shots.  High quality in all respects; however, I'm inclined now to move to the 135 f2 DC for portraiture.  That will have to wait, unfortunately.

Here are some macro shots (and others) done yesterday:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/claude_photos...57612707161123/
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