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Nikon 105mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor
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Review Date: May 25, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $700.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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build, bokeh, color rendering
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Cons:
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can focus hunt, heavy
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Probably my favorite all around lens for my d300s. Cheap enough (particularly used) that it's within range for a budget conscience photog (I was a grad student when I bought this). Plenty of availability used too.
Lens is sharp, colors are rendered perfectly. Works as an outstanding portrait lens with great bokeh (where VR is a plus) and obviously as a dedicated macro lens. This is my favorite lens to "city walk" with (I don't have a prime 50mm or 85mm just yet, so we'll see) where it doubles as decent telephoto, while also allowing for some interesting macro city abstracts.
The only downsides are that it's large and heavy (and ridiculously so with the hood on)--when I travel, I would probably prefer something like the 60mm macro. Also, although it's a fast prime, it tends to focus hunt a great deal in low light (even with the limiter on).
Still, if you can get this lens for a reasonable price, do it.
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Tokina AT-X 124 AF PRO DX 12-24mm f/4
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Review Date: May 25, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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build, price
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Cons:
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color rendering
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This is an outstanding lens for a budget conscience photographer. Built like a tank but not so large that it's cumbersome in the field. Accepts standard width filters (though i was told there would be vignetting without a slim polarizer, this does not seem to be the case).
My copy seems to give a slightly warm color cast to most of my photos (on a d300s) which is noticeable enough in many photos to mark my overall rating down to an average grade of 7. However, this color cast can be removed fairly easily in post--but it's still one more thing added to my workflow.
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