Re: Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
CanadaMark wrote: Matthew C wrote:
Thanks for those links. Maybe I've been too hard on the Nikon lens. I'll have to re-evaluate.
Have you used it much at macro distances on your D850? You like the results?
The auto-focus stacking is a nice feature but not necessary for my work. I believe, but could be wrong, that it only works with AF-S lenses.
I've used it a lot more on the D810 than the D850 as my D850 is fairly new but I am happy with the results. I use it mostly at macro distance, where it performs a lot better than it does as a general lens. It also works well for portraits.
The automatic focus bracketing actually does not stack the images for you, a third party piece of software (Photoshop, Helicon, or something else of your choice) is required, but it works extremely well and puts the images in a separate folder on the memory card for you for easy access. The 105 VR is an AF-S lens so it definitely works with the auto focus bracketing.
All the 90,100,105 lenses are really quite excellent, I think you would need lab equipment to tell a difference in image quality barring any major sample variation. My preference for the Nikon 105 is mostly due to how good the AF and VR are at macro distances, I often don't need a tripod if light is sufficient for easier subjects. It also is compatible with Nikon's macro accessories like the R1C1 ring light. If you remove all the features and look only at image quality, I think manufacturer sample variation is greater than the optical differences between any of these lenses, especially stopped down to macro apertures. If you just want a bare bones macro lens, you could save a good chunk of money by going with something like the Tokina 100 which is $349 USD (still $100 cheaper than locally after FX).
I have had the chance to play the 105 f2.8 this afternoon and I am very impressed.
Re: Macro lens for botanical photography on the D850
CanadaMark wrote: Matthew C wrote:
Thanks for those links. Maybe I've been too hard on the Nikon lens. I'll have to re-evaluate.
Have you used it much at macro distances on your D850? You like the results?
The auto-focus stacking is a nice feature but not necessary for my work. I believe, but could be wrong, that it only works with AF-S lenses.
I've used it a lot more on the D810 than the D850 as my D850 is fairly new but I am happy with the results. I use it mostly at macro distance, where it performs a lot better than it does as a general lens. It also works well for portraits.
The automatic focus bracketing actually does not stack the images for you, a third party piece of software (Photoshop, Helicon, or something else of your choice) is required, but it works extremely well and puts the images in a separate folder on the memory card for you for easy access. The 105 VR is an AF-S lens so it definitely works with the auto focus bracketing.
All the 90,100,105 lenses are really quite excellent, I think you would need lab equipment to tell a difference in image quality barring any major sample variation. My preference for the Nikon 105 is mostly due to how good the AF and VR are at macro distances, I often don't need a tripod if light is sufficient for easier subjects. It also is compatible with Nikon's macro accessories like the R1C1 ring light. If you remove all the features and look only at image quality, I think manufacturer sample variation is greater than the optical differences between any of these lenses, especially stopped down to macro apertures. If you just want a bare bones macro lens, you could save a good chunk of money by going with something like the Tokina 100 which is $349 USD (still $100 cheaper than locally after FX).
I have had the chance to play the 105 f2.8 this afternoon and I very impressed.
Jan 06, 2018 at 06:09 AM
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