Make sure this fitsby entering your model number. 85mm lens ideal for close-up, nature, portrait and general photography Close focusing to 0.9 feet Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization Extra-low Dispersion (ED) element; Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
Great specialty lens. Outstanding for portrait and object photography. A little too much telephoto for rapid close quarters when using a DX format camera. If you need distance to your subject but maintain personal contact, it is ideal. The macro capability is very good and extremely useful. A wonderful sharp, very light image maker with features useful to most photographers. The only problem is that the extreme focus capability makes auto focus feature a little slow for some action photography. The auto vibration resistance feature is a good addition for all hand held photography.
DD
5
I am new to using a micro lens, but this one is a comfortable match for my Nikon D3100 camera. Size and weight is comfortable, photo clarity is excellent. I have only used it on one micro shoot with my photography group,but plan to use it frequently in the future. I believe the lens will do everything that I wish it to do as a hobby photographer.
Anthony Ruggeri
5
Ive done very extensive comparisons of this lens against other macro lenses: in addition to this new 85 DX, I also have a Nikon AF-S 60 f/2.8 micro and a Nikon 105 f/2.8 VR micro, and in the past have used a Tamron 90 f/2.8 Di and other lenses with extension tubes and diopters. I ran various tests of the 60, 85, and 105 on a Nikon D300 camera. The 85 DX has a great combination of features: fast AF-S focusing, VR, light weight, and excellent working distance of about 15 cm (the distance between the front of the lens and the subject at closest focus). The working distance is about the same as the much more expensive 105 VR, and is important to allow for natural lighting and with skittish subjects such as insects. The light weight and features make it a great macro lens for travel. I have tried 3 different copies of this lens, and one was definitely a lemon -- at 1:1 magnification (closest focus), the image quality was not good at all. I returned it and the replacement is a great performer, producing results close to those of the 105 VR. If youre not getting good results, try a different copy. The clear disadvantage of this lens is that it is strictly for Nikons DX (crop sensor) cameras. I have not tried it on an FX or film camera, but presumably it vignettes badly. The 60, 105, and 90 lenses mentioned above are all designed to cover a full 35 mm frame, and should work on 35mm film or Nikons FX digital SLRs. There is no lens for FX that has the same combination of features, compact size, and low weight.
wluffman
5
Do yourself a favor and get this lens. It performs every bit as great as the higher end lenses. This is what we use for our wedding portrait and macro shots at all our weddings we do.
Sunshine
5
I honestly do not understand how anyone can find fault with this lens. I recently purchased it for my Nikon D7000, and it is absolutely amazing (as is the D7000 by the way). My intention for this lens was macro-photography but, as other reviewers have stated, it works well for portraits and other everyday photographs as well. As an experiment (and I will try to upload the photos) I took a picture of my dogs eye which was so close you can see my hand in the reflection of it, THEN I took a picture from about eight feet away and the photo is still super sharp and amazing. I love this lens and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in macro-photography or simply wants to take amazing photographs.
Tom Nash
5
Lens performs very well. I like the length because I can shoot very small items without getting so close to them that I block the light. Focusing is very fast and accurate. I also like that focus can be adjusted manually without changing any settings. Lens is subjectively sharp, havent run any tests on it. Vibration reduction is useful when at a distance, not so useful when very close.
Spiros P Spiropoulos
5
Very well made lens as expected from Nikkor. Shipment on schedule and well packaged. I have been using it and it performs quite well. Perfect for nature shots where you cant get too close but want a close up of a single item with booked in the background.
Richard Jones
5
I bought this lens and a Sigma 105mm macro lens at the same time. I really like the working distance on the 105mm, but this lens takes better pictures and the VR really helps when having to handhold the camera for hard to get shots. When taking portraits or general photography this takes wonderful pictures, very clear, sharp and detailed. The DoF is thin but very manageable. I definitely prefer this to my 105mm Sigma. If you are looking to take portraits or macro photography and cant afford the Nikon 105mm this is the lens for you. It isnt very heavy, is easy to manual focus, the AF works very well if needed and the VR can be a real lifesaver. It takes wonderful pictures and is affordable. I really cant recommend this strongly enough.
Sacora Williams
5
At first, this lens took some time to get used to but when I made those recommended updates with the Nikon D7000 camera; then I was pleased with the results. It takes me about some weeks to submit a review because you don’t have the completed feel of the camera in less than 1 week when you are not a professional. This lens is one of the most impressive lens when you are using autofocus settings. I look forward to purchasing more zoom lens in the future.
A. Tegtmeier
5
I use this lens at my Nikon D-5000. Bought it to take pictures of the praying mantis that lives in the plants in our backyard. Auto-focus is amazingly fast and silent, and the vibration reduction gives me 3 to 4 f-stops leverage. Photographing the mantis, I dont apply the auto-focus most of the time; instead, I focus manually to the closest distance, and then leaning forward (using a mono-pod to eliminate vertical and lateral movement) until the subject becomes sharp. Works like a charm, but requires some practice. This lens has a very shallow depth of field at f3.5 - it measures in fractions of centimeters. The pictures this camera-lens combination generates are brilliant, with true colors and (provided the focus is correct) very sharp. The lens is somewhat lightweight, using predominantly plastic materials. No cheap feeling on it, though, everything is well built and works flawlessly. I like also the M/A functionality, where you can adjust/override the focus provided by the AF module manually without having to switch to the manual focus mode first; the lens has an AF/M switch, so you can operate it completely in manual mode. The minimal focusing distance is very useful and much shorter than the most critters would allow you to use anyway. One nice feature is a scale that tells you the reproduction rate for the distance you focus at. One small concern I had was the 3.5 f-stop instead of the more common 2.8. But in practical use, that difference is negligible, and would come into play only at some very limited occasions, like with portraits of people. Which, by the way, this lens also does an exceptional job at. All in all, with over 35 years of photographic experience under my belt, I have to say that this is one of the best lenses I ever had. It beats some of my $1000+ lenses, that I had with the old film SLRs. If you are in the market for a macro lens for your Nikon DX-format DSLR, look no further.
