35mm f/4.5
Macro-Nikkor

65 mm f/4.5
Macro-Nikkor

120mm f/6.3
Macro-Nikkor

5

(FX: D3)

Firstly, the "E" feature entails the lens (or rather, the aperture) needs power to work. So this lens is strictly intended only for VR-capable cameras. In fact, on most cameras except for D3 and D300, the shift mechanism will be restricted in its upward travel by the overhang of the finder head.

Secondly, you should NOT employ full shift along the major axis of the frame, since this will give severe one-sided vignetting. About 8 mm shift is a sensible limit on the D3. If you shift along the minor axis, the full 11.5 mm shift can be employed if the camera finder doesn't restrict the movement. There is no problem with the tilt on any of the cameras I've tried so far.

Thirdly, the centre for shift (and tilt) is slightly offset from the optical axis, about 0.6mm. This complicates applying the movements, but might reduce the need for having shift and tilt in parallel.

Finally, although the 24 PC-E has a remarkable flat field and superb image quality even wide open, it does have barrel distortion that becomes very evident when the lens is focused towards its 21 cm near limit.

On th D3, I obtained very sharp and crisp images with vividly saturated colours like with so many other ED-glass designs. Set wide open there is a slight corner fall-off on the FX format, much less so with a DX camera. Sharpness is excellent all the way up to f/16 on the D3 and even f/22 appears to be very useful. Chromatic aberrations are kept well under control. Flare and ghosting are likewise kept low. There is some barrel distortion that increases if you move in very close to the subject, but for most applications this should be of minor concern.

3
(distant, D200)

4
(close-ups, D200)

UV:

4.5
(DX: D70, D200 modified, Fuji S3Pro UVIR)

It is a manual lens and the aperture is set in front of the lens. Build quality is nice but nowhere near that of most Nikkors. The legend and numerals tend to wear off over time too.

The 35 Noflexar was offered in various mounts, most are found today in Exacta mount while F-mount versions are rare. The rear section protrudes into the camera throat and on some bodies can jam the reflex mirror (no issues on D200 and Fuji S3, though).

Its UV performance is excellent and the very reason I own this lens today. I even have had it CPU-modified.

5
(F5)

3
(D1X)

Delivered with tilt/shift axes perpendicular to each other, the 45 PC-E signals its quality by a golden ring in front and a sturdy construction elsewhere. The nano-coating technology improves image contrast substantially and the ED glass makes - as usual - colours vividly rich and vibrant. The propensity to flare and ghosting is reduced but not entirely eliminated in this design. Sharpness is as expected high straight from the wide-open setting and beyond f/11-f/16, where diffraction starts to soften the imaged details. Chromatic aberration is almost negligible and only with the lens shifted to its extreme could I detect some insignificant vestiges of CA along high-contrast transitions. If you need the very best image quality, setting the lens anywhere from f/5.6 to f/11 will yield excellent results.

The "Micro" designation lives up to its promises by giving a superbly flat field of view and very low levels of geometric distortion. On its own, the lens focuses to 1:2 scale.

The "E" stands for electromagnetic aperture operation, which entails a need for power supplied from the camera in order for it to operate. In practice this means any Nikon camera that supports VR. It is entirely feasible to use the lens on non-VR-enabled cameras, but setting the aperture becomes messy and a bit of a kludge. On the newest Nikkon DLSRs, such as the D3, D300, and D700, the lens won't interfer with the overhang of the finder; on other models, you might not always be able to utilse the full range of tilt and shift in all positions the lens can be set to. The lens can be modified at a Nikon repair facility to align the axes of tilt and shift to be parallel.

3.5

(F5)

3.5-4
(DX: D2X)

IR:

4
(DX: D200 modified)

Recently, Nikon introduced a follow-up to this old-timer, viz. the 45/2.8 P Nikkor. Look under Normal Lenses for a review.

(yes, f/0.75)

5
(pictorial results)

This speed monster has "exotic" written all over it, from its 8 cm wide front element to a fixed f/0.75 aperture and lack of a focusing collar. The image circle is too small to cover the 35 mm format at infinity, but this is of no consequence because the short back focus wouldn't allow mounting the lens for infinity focus anyway. Thus, the only possible use on an SLR is for shooting at close distance, which suits me just fine.

Pressing the Heligon into a non-optimal shooting position, far from infinity focus, simply means you are "rewarded" with extreme curvature of field and huge amounts of spherical aberrations. However, these side effects also makes the lens extremely "pictorial" to work with, so in terms of imaging enjoyment, it surely deserves a top rating! Indeed useful images can be obtained at f/0.75.

(F5)

5
(D1X, D2X)

Be aware that using this lens way outside its optimum magnification range will induce severe spherical aberration, flare, and changes in field curvature. All these alterations may or may not be desirable for a given task.

5
(D1X)

5
(D2X)

I recently modified this lens to give it a matrix metering capacity. Read about the conversion here.

Some confusion exists as to which Micro-Nikkor is the one with adjusting aperture. Partly this is due to the term "Micro-Nikkor P" used in Nikon literature, whilst the lens itself only is engraved "Auto". At least my sample is. Since there is an immediate successor without the compensating feature, but "P" designation, identifying this model is not easy. However, a lens with chrome barrel, magnification factors printed in light blue, and hill-and-dale focusing and aperture collars likely is the real thing.

4

Nikon gave it a better image rendition for shooting distant objects, meaning there had to be some quality sacrifice for close-ups. Since most users didn't use it for really close-up work anyway this modification was a comprise that made most users happy (not counting me, I continued to use the older model to this day ..). Maximum sharpness needs an aperture setting of f/8. Beyond f/11-f/16, sharpness rapidly deteriorated.

4

5
(FX: D3)

5
(FDX: D300)

IR:

2-3
(DX: Fuji S3 UVIR, D200 modified)

Compared to the predecessor, the new 60 Micro convinces by offering much better performance at the wider apertures and at distance, both areas in which the older lens didn't do too well. Colours are rendered vividly saturated and image contrast is high all the way up to f/16.

The new lens is slightly bigger than the older model but since it is an IF design, it doesn't get any longer when focused to its near limit of 18.5 cm or life-size reproduction (1:1) . Obviously it can do this trick only by shortening its focal length. Free working distance (FWD) then is only 5 cm, so you have to remove the HB-42 lens hood in this case. The FWD in fact is approx. equal to that of the older model.

As becomes a Micro-Nikkor, geometric distortion is negligible and the flatness of field is excellent. The sophisticated nano-coating (N) technology provides good resistance against flare and ghosting, but since the front element now is no longer recessed, always using the lens hood is recommended.

IR: Unfortunately, this lens does not work well for IR. There is a weak but clearly visible IR hot spot, and sharpness suffers.

4.5
(close up)

3.5
(distant)

IR:
2-3
(DX: Fuji S3 UVIR, D200 modified)

IR: This 60 mm lens is not a good candidate for IR work. There is an obvious hot spot, and sharpness declines too.

5
(FX: D3)

5
(DX:D200)

IR:
5
(DX:Fuji S3 UVIR, D200 modified)

UV:
5+
(DX: Fuji S3 UVIR, D200 modified)

The optics are so well corrected that sharpness extends all over the field and there is virtually no field curvature. A very slight darkening of the corners of the frame can be detected with FX and f/4, just so that also the nit pickers of this world are pleased. Stopping down to f/5.6 or beyond deprives them of this small pleasure.

According to the designer, Dr. Brian Caldwell, the theoretical maximum performance occurs already at f/5.6. My field tests bear out this, but since the lens already wide open is an excellent performer, you can feel free to shoot it at any sensible aperture setting. Stopping down provides excellent sharpness up to around f/16 depending on the camera format (FX, DX), but further down towards the f/45 minimum the quality gracefully declines. At least with the D3, I'd say f/45 shots are entirely acceptable (given you add some USM to the output, to offset the inevitable loss of contrast).

Bokeh is nice although the rather short focal length means the background can begin to intrude when you stop the lens way down.

To balance all the merits described above, there is a very healthy price tag to ensure this superb lens may not be found in all photographer's gear kit. Given you are into specialised photography in fields such as forensics and law enforcement, industrial applications, medicine, archeology, science etc., you would appreciate the quality and go to some length to get funding for the purchase of this outstanding lens. It ranks amongst the very finest lenses in my possession and is indispensable for any serious work with "invisible" light.

IR and UV: Since the lens is specifically addressing the UV and IR bands, it should come as no surprise that this lens is a truly superb performer when used outside the visible spectrum. Noteworthy also is the good suppression of flare and ghosts in UV and IR. This product ranks as the modern reference lens for UV and IR photography.

5
(F5)

UV: 3
(DX:D200 modified)

4
(D2H)

UV:
4.5
(D1H, D70, S3Pro UVIR, D200 modified)

The 63 mm lens is remarkable by being constructed to give imaging into the UV area, and is specified to pass the entire 350 - 700 nm spectral range unimpaired.

Since UV-capable lenses are so hard to come by, the 63 EL is a most welcome addition to my lens arsenal. I've built a focusing mount for it and it will easily focus to infinity mounted on my Nikons. I keep another sample of this lens for use on a bellows in order to do close-ups.

Visible light: Image quality is quite excellent, but not stellar and this wouldn't come as a surprise since the lens orginally was designed to cover the much bigger 32 x 42 mm format.

However, when used just for UV, image quality really springs to life and you can get impressively sharp images with it.

3.5
(F5)

3.5
(D1X, not modified)

4.5
(D1X, modified)

4.5-5
(D2X)

4.5
(FX: D3)

IR:

5
(DX: D200 modified)

The tripod collar is way too small to support a heavy camera such as the F5. Incidentally, this was the sole reason for my not buying the 70-180 ED.

After a few more years, I finally bought the 70-180 Micro and reconfirmed the issue with a poor collar. However, this time being the owner of said lens, I now could sink my drill into it at strategic positions to add steel bolts to the collar. Adding a big locking screw instead of the skimpy one originally provided and I was ready to obtain amazingly sharp images with my D1X camera. The lens now is rock steady on my Sachtler tripods. This only shows what is lost in image quality due to poorly designed tripod collars.

A nifty feature of the 70-180 Micro is that the optical design actually prevents light fall-off when the lens is focused closer. So, the effective and nominal aperture are identical even at the near limit. No other Micro-Nikkor behaves like this.

The 'bokeh' of this zoom Micro is unfortunately far less convincing than its other advantages, so watch you background carefully and use the DOF preview frequently to discover any issues and take preemptive measures.

IR: The performance in the IR band is excellent and I haven't seen any hot spot issues with it. The focus shift in IR is small, a welcomed property since there is no IR focus mark on the focusing scale. However, the shift isn't constant along the zoom range so using an IR camera with LiveView (eg., Fuji S3 UVIR) is a must.

2
(image sharpness)

4
(pictorial value)

5

(D1X, D2H)

5
(D2X)

5
(FX: D3)

Images, even with the lens set wide open, have a crispness and bite that makes you wonder where the optical evolution is headed these days, since 30+ year old designs could give these stunning results.

It makes a perfect macro setup for field use with or without a 1.4X TC added to it. Another application is deploying it as a relay lens for various non-retrofocus fisheye lenses (6, 7.5, 8, and 10 mm).

5
(FX: D3)

Whatever the story, the lens feels sturdily constructed and has a much better and smoother focusing action than its predecessor. Again, as in the case of the 45 PC-E, nano-coating brings with it high contrast and a reduced tendency to showing flare and ghosting issues. Despite the alleged non-ED design, colours are rendered with high saturation and details are crisp and sharp. My tests suggest that the new lens is a little sharper than the old one at the wider apertures, about equal around f/5.6-f/8, and - perhaps a little surprisingly - not quite as sharp when it is stopped way down. The nw lens also goes "only" to f/32 whilst the predecessor went all the way to f/45 (effective f/57 at the near limit).

All the considerations about the PC-E mechanism are as for the 45 PC-E, and the 85 PC-E shares the same near limit magnification at 1:2 scale too.

5
(F5)

5
(D1X)

5
(D2X)

5
(FX: D3)

IR:
5
(DX: D70, S3Pro UVIR, D200 modified)

It is a stunning performer on the D2X, yielding images with superb sharpness, high contrast ,and virtually no CA issue. All these nice characteristics continue to be seen on the D3 too.

Since it is a manual lens and has the tilt and shift features, you need to learn how to handle it in the field. Not difficult, but you do need the practice. It can be set up for tilt and shift planes in parallel or at 90 degrees (factory default) to each other. Each configuration has its merits and drawbacks. I often realign the orientation of the tilt and shift in the field on my 85 PC, since all you need is a little patience, and a good screwdriver.

IR performance (DX): Not surprisingly given its simple yet highly optimised optical design, the 85 PC delivers the goods equally well in the IR range. I have yet to observe any hot-spot issue with any of the various IR transmitting filters I have used with the 85 PC.

4

4.5 (F4, distant)

4 (F4, close-ups)

4.5
(D70, close-ups)

5
(D2X, distant)

4.5-5
(D2X, near subjects)

IR:

2
(D1H, D70)

IR performance: Rather unexpectedly, this Micro didn't perform well with IR. This results because of severe hot-spot issues.

4
(F4, F5)

4
(DX: D2X)

IR:

2
(DX: D200 modified)

IR: There is a persistent tendency for a hot spot. Thus, this lens is not recommended for use in critical IR photography.

4 - 4.5
(DX: D2X)

4
(FX: D3)

Like the predecessor it uses the trick of shortening the focal length during focusing meaning that in a distance from slightly less than 40 cm to 31.4 cm (near limit), the magnification changes dramatically from 1:2 to 1:1. Fine if you hand-hold the lens, hopeless if the camera is on a tripod since you cannot adjust focus ever so slightly without altering the framing of the subject in a major way. This in fact was the very reason I dropped using my 105/2.8 AF and reverted to the manual f/2.8 and f/4 models instead.

Colours are rendered better than the old 105 AF and the bokeh is much better. The "nano" coating probably gives crisper images as well. However, the optimum aperture range is still f/5.6 to f/11, and the IF design gives a some longitudinal CA, indicated by slight emphasis to reddish fringes in the foreground and the complementary greenish ones in the background of the focused zone. Lateral CA isn't very obvious, much less so than with the older AF version, but you can observe slight vestiges of it on the D2X.

AF action with the TC14E is slow and slightly erratic, and with the TC17E just a bad joke. True, Nikon warns against AF with TCs and evidently for a good reason. You do get VR with the converters, CA isues are added, and sharpness declines a bit. But the lens will give greater than life-size images with the converters. In fact, as long as there is no "G" compatible extension ring in the Nikon product line, this is the only way of going beyond 1:1 with the AFS 105 VR lens (I'm not familiar with possible third-party offerings).

Is the 105VR Micro a good lens? The answer likely depends on how you intend to use the lens. Obviously a lot of engineering efforts have gone into the new design and for many this will be a dream lens, in particular for portraiture or the casual close-up snapshot . I'm lukewarm and have no immediate plans of purchasing one for myself, although my aim of owning each and every Micro-Nikkor conflicts a little with this decision.

OK, so I eventually yielded and added it to my line-up of Micro-Nikkors. Just proves I'm human, yes? Well, I proved my sanity by selling off the lens a few months later, replacing it with the Voigtländer 125 mm APO-Lanthar.

On the D3, the 105 VR gives high contrast images and excellent colour rendition, but similar to what I observed on DX models, the image isn't entirely convincing unless the lens is stopped to f/5.6 or so. Field flatness is excellent as expected from a Micro-Nikkor, though. CA seems to be under strict control, but can occur in the near range for high-contrast subjects.

4-4.5
(D2X)

UV:

3.5
(D1H, D70)

IR:

5
(DX: Fuji S3 UVIR, D70 modified, D200 modified)

UV: Probably because of its single coating and the non-complex optics , UV response is adequate. Don't expect miracles in terms of sharpness, though.

IR: I was surprised to learn how well this lens performs in IR. Excellent sharpness and a lack of hot spots is a winning combination. However, there is a significant focus shift involved with IR, so you do need to conduct some tests of correct focus, or use a LiveView-enabled camera.

4.5
(F2, F4)

5
(D2X)

5
(FX: D3)

UV:

2
(D1H, D70)

IR:

5
(DX: D200 modified)

A terrific macro capacity can be given this lens by mounting the short-mount Bellows 105mm f/4 onto its front thread. The lens head should not be reversed in this case, contrary to usual practice, and is easily attached to the 105 Micro by using the K3 ring. This setup yields 1-2X magnification without any light loss at all so effectively equals a 50 mm f/2 lens! The viewfinder is brilliantly clear and focusing the package is a joy compared to other setups I've tried. I have obtained my sharpest insect photos ever using this combination. The only drawback is that the working distance can be a little on the short side for shy objects.

On the D2X, you are assured superb image quality for near subjects (distant scenes not yet tested). Images are crisp and clear across the entire frame at f/4 and get even better when the lens is stopped down. The field flatness is remarkable and no ills from CA can be detected. Quality holds up well even at f/16 on D2X.

IR: Very good. No problems detected, no hot spots. There is a focus shift that largely can be taken care of by refocusing according to the red dot on the focusing scale.

5-
(F5)

5
(D1X)

5
(D2X)

UV:

5+
(D1, D1H, D70, D200[mod.], S3Pro UVIR)

IR:

4-5
(D70, D200, S3Pro UVIR)

Towards 1:2 it nearly doubles its physical size, but as no shortening of focal length occurs a long working distance is kept. It reaches life-size 1:1 when the PN-11 tube is added. The lens coating is optimised for the UV range and is less effective for visible light photography so flares quite easily when it is used for ordinary pictures. For visible photography the use of a UV filter (L37C) is imperative. At f/5.6 to f/11 it delivers outstandingly sharp images even for ordinary photography. However, the magnificent optical quality is fully unleashed only when it is employed for recording UV images.

High-resolution digital cameras, such as Nikon D1X, will also display the superb optics of the UV-Nikkor. What a pity this lens now is discontinued, because UV recording by D1X is a breeze using it. Mind you, "discontinued" does not entail "obsolete"....

If you do broad-band photography with this lens (Nikon rates it for the 200 to 900 nm range, which is huge indeed), be aware that its UV and IR focus are slightly different, so one needs to stop the lens down quite a bit to keep good sharpness. Also, if focus is adjusted for UV/visible light and there is a high proportion of IR light entering the UV-Nikkor, some colour fringing (due to IR) can be found. The remedy is using a more efficient IR-attenuating filter, refocusing for better IR focus, or concentrate on IR only.I have reduced its rating for IR because of the focus shift. Ignore this if the focus shift doesn't bother you.

Surprisingly, a new UV 105 mm with identical spcifications to the old classic has been released in the autumn of 2005, made by Tochigi Nikon, an industrial subsidary of Nikon. So UV freaks may now have another go with this elusive and expensive optic.

4
(D1X)

This lens is really not suited for use on D1- or D2-series bodies, if you want to balance the ring flash with the background. However, for the quick and reliable close-up shot, you could hardly find anything more convenient.

5
(DX: D2X)

5
(FX: D3)

IR:
1
(DX: D200 modified, Fuji S3 UVIR)

The optics are superbly corrected, renders vividly satured colours and high-contrast images all the way from infinity to the close limit at 1:1. Focusing is by a quite narrow collar, but the focusing itself is remarkably silky-smooth. The Voigtländer is equipped with an aperture ring and thus easily can be combined with extension tubes or a bellows unit. The click-stops on the aperture ring are very precise unlike most Nikkors.

The lens barrel does extend signficantly when the lens is focused closer, but since the rear element stays put, some kind of focal-length change in conjunction with CRC wizardry must be in play. Still, the free working distance at 1:1 is 19 cm, which is much better than with most 105 mm close-focusing lenses. Flare is well controlled but you can provoke it to give some ghosting. The filter thread is 58 mm and the lens came with an unusual quadratic lens hood that bayonets to the front.

This is the lens that has replaced the 105 VR as my all-round lens for close-ups on DX and FX cameras.

IR: The 125 mm APO-Lanthar is unsuited for IR photography, since there is a huge hot-spot present in IR no matter what aperture is used, or whatever filtration is used. Sad but irrefutable true.

3.5
(F2, F4)

UV:
3.5-4
(D70)

5
(6x9 camera)

UV:

4.5
(D70)

4.5
(S3Pro UVIR)

It projects a huge image circle, so obviously cutting out just a tiny bit of this with the DSLR cannot really match the quality from DX/35 mm dedicated lenses. However, used for UV photography, the results are very crisp and clear even with the D70, and are remarkable on any larger recording format.

There is - of course - no focusing means of any kind here, but its 58 or 62 mm threads can be used for step rings to make mounting the lens on a bellows feasible. The design is perfectly symmetric and its optical performance hence holds up quite well towards infinity, despite the lens being designed for close-range work.

It's much better, and simpler, to use the close-up lens 4T for attaining this magnification. Note however that 4T must be mounted in a reverse position in order to give good image quality (the AF Micro 105 behaves in the same way). This is easily achieved by mounting 4T onto a 52/52 mm thread reversal ring. You can glue together two Cokin adapter rings or similar in a piggy-back fashion to get a makeshift solution. Cheap - but it works. The reason why reversal gives better quality is likely linked to improved control of spherical aberration. Alternatively, the close-up lens is designed to correct field curvature, but a Micro-Nikkor is designed as a flat-field lens so adding a close-up lens might overcorrect thus creating unsharp corners. Try out for yourself.

Evidence of CA is more pronounced when this lens is used on a DLSR. On the other hand, since the current "DX" format of Nikon DSLRs is smaller than 24x36mm, you get less trouble with softening of the image corners.

5
(D2X)

IR:

3
(DX: D200 modified)

Many AF 200 Micro Nikkors develop a problem with the A/M collar. It has a poor plastic construction, is too wide, and hairline cracks eventually develop around the mounting screws. On my sample, the collar broke apart after 6 years of not being used. Secure the collar with tape from the onset and forget about AF, which is useless for close-ups anyway.

IR: The 200 AF is troubled by IR hotspots, so is not recommended for critical IR work.

2

Image quality cannot match modern close-focusing designs, though. You only have fixed reproduction rates which are achieved by combining members of a set of dedicated close-up lenses. The lens itself has no means of focusing.

However, it's my preferred lens for ant photography (not joking; ants do produce unpleasant acids and a long working distance is needed!)

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Last Update 27 August, 2008