Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5 G ED VR DX

Truly Very Good Macro Glass This 85mm f/3.5 lens is used with both my D80 and my D5100, mostly the latter. I had done quite a bit of review and article reading about many Nikon, Tokina, Sigma and Tamron f/2.8 aperture prime lenses in the 60mm to 105mm range for my macro work, and then I literally stumbled on this beauty and became intrigued by it, the more I read. While I am not a pro, though have sold photos, I do have the desire to capture artistic images. I do a lot of macro photography with flowers. I have taken many excellent close-up shots with my earlier 18-105mm as well as more recently with my 18-200mm, but I find that the consistency of obtaining truly crisp images is nowhere near what this 85mm lens will do for me. The yield of top quality shots is a much higher percentage, as it should be. The auto focus is definitely fast and very sharp and this lens produces outstanding color and has a very nice bokeh. The VR function works exceptionally well for me in AF mode. I do have pretty steady hands and find that I rarely need to use a tripod for my flower macro work to obtain striking results. I even did a test, taking a dozen or so handheld shots and a similar number of tripod shots. I could really not see a difference until I was at home on my 23 inch monitor and started seriously zooming in on specific stamens. Then I could see a slight difference. Do keep in mind, however, that these images were not taken in low light, but fairly well-lit botanical gardens. Having said all of that regarding AF mode, I find I do need the tripod in manual. However, since I end up with such crisp shots in AF I find I am rarely using MF. The build quality seems quite good. Yes, lots of plastic, but that is what we live with nowadays except for the most expensive options available. The bright side of that is the weight is quite minimal and it does not feel cheap. Using the 85mm with my D5100 is a pleasure. If you don't have $1,000 to spend on a higher quality lens, and need a very good DX macro lens, this is certainly one to consider. I highly recommend this lens.Read full review

A terrific lens for macro photography and portraits. I bought this lens as part of a new program (for me) focusing on macro and closeup photography. This lens is outstanding. It lets you focus nicely on the subject without having to get too close. Image quality is terrific and the VR has saved many images for me. The lens is also nice for portraits. I have three other good lenses for my Nikon D300 but this lens has become my favorite, and I store the camera with this lens on it, so I have a quality go-to lens for anything that might come up.

This is the Lens You Need This lens is the one you need if you like sharper images than zooms, a mild telephoto for those shots that your feet cannot take you, and the mustard on the hot dog is the macro capabilities. Nikon calls them micro, but it means you can get super close to your subject and experience remarkable focus across the field. I use it as a copy lens to capture frames from 16mm film. If you like to pepper your essays with close-ups of tiny objects such as your name carved on a grain of rice, this lens is your boy. Downside is the autofocus is too slow for the world I live in, but the manual focus is fast and easy. The filter size is 52mm and a Tiffen Digital HT ultra clear filter is required armour for this lens. Never expose the front element to the world.