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The Nikon 105mm f/2.5 Ai-S is a macro lens for FF and APS-C, manufactured from 1981 to 2000 (discontinued). The focus is done by Manual Focus, it does not have image stabilization. The average price, when it has been added to the JuzaPhoto database, is 200 €;
51 users have given it an average vote of 9.6 out of 10.
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Cons: absolutely nothing... well, minimum focus distance could have been a bit shorter maybe.
Opinion: This lens consistently yields good to excellent pics, if I may say so. Of course, photographers make good pics (or not), but this lens sure helps a lot.
I have three version (105/2.5 AI, 105/2.5 AIS and the very similar, but obviously bigger 105/1.8 AIS). They are +/- equally excellent, with following nuances:
- 105/1.8 has a flatter field and is best against bright lights, but full aperture is rather weak (sharpness and bokeh) so it is in reality a f/2.5
- 105/2.5 AI has a slightly better bokeh (rounded blades)
- 105/2.5 AIS is most convenient for street/travel (sliding hood)
All three are quite sharp at f/2.5, so handheld shooting in low light is an option (e.g. details inside churches). Top sharpness is provided from f4 already, until f/11 (included). Very nice range.
The version I do not have is the earlier sonnar version (the above all have a 5-lens xenotar formula, AI and AIS sharing exactly the same); the sonnar has a good reputation for portraits but is less of an allrounder.
Of all manual focus lenses, this one is maybe easiest to focus on modern camera bodies.
Nikonians, and especially Df huggers, complain that those Nikkor 105/2.5 never come off their cameras.
Pros: Parfait,netteté,bokeh magnifique, solidité,on sent a peine son poids.il est dans ligné des best de nikon
Cons: Rien à dire.....
Opinion: Un vrai bijoux pour les portraits.c'est de l'auteur de la fameuse photo de la jeune fille afghane de Steve mac curry.je le recommande fortement pour les portraits.il est superbe sur mon Nikon d700,un super couple.agreable au toucher,du verres et du metal...
Je l'utilise pour les shooting portraits ,parfait. Mais il se débrouille très bien aussi en paysage.
Un vrai bonheur...
The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.
Pros:Sharp, small, built-in lens hood and wide-aperture bokeh, color fidelity, vignetting.
Cons:Chromatic aberrations, backlit reflections
Opinion:After more than 20 years I bought it again finding an excellent specimen: fluid mechanics, immaculate lenses, centered diaphragm blades, snappy and clean. Sharing almost all the comments of those who preceded me, I will briefly comment on the impressions that this perspective has (re)aroused in me. For the record, I specify that my lens has the 7 diaphragm blades already straight but not yet the SIC anti-reflective treatment that will then be used starting from the serial number 103XXX. To the touch, with its mass in a small volume, it immediately gives a feeling of robust and balanced construction. The mechanics are fantastic, fluid and precise with the focus ring that with its 140° rotation allows precise (but also merciless...) measurements. In the shots, the extreme sharpness over the entire frame even at f2.5 and the same even at infinity (which is not obvious for a lens devoted to portraits and therefore with prevalent use at short-medium distances) and the lack of vignetting immediately jump out at the eye. The colors are very natural, never exaggerated as unfortunately more and more often happens in modern optics. In my opinion, given its good relative brightness, its optimal use is from the maximum aperture up to f 4.5: the result is a considerable detachment of the planes and a blur in my opinion beautiful, almost dreamy. Only when it is used for landscaping or architecture will it be convenient to close it just a little more for a greater p.d.c. and a slight increase in contrast. From f 5.6 onwards, the geometric shape of the diaphragm begins to be distinctly noticed in out-of-focus bright spots. Despite the very comfortable built-in lens hood, it is necessary to avoid inserting light sources into the frame under penalty of a marked arc reflection and a consequent drop in contrast. Speaking of the latter, it is present in the form of micro-contrast especially in fine details and contributes greatly to the sharpness of images. At the most open apertures, in the small out-of-focus details that stand out clearly on homogeneous backgrounds, chromatic aberrations-fraying of spherochromatism may appear. Let's now leave the word to the images: as usual, in line with the other tests I have published, I have not intervened on any parameter (sharpness, saturation, contrast etc...) limiting myself only to the conversion from RAW to Jpeg with the proprietary Nikon NX-D program. The lens was used with a Nikon D610 at the full resolution of 24 Mpx and 14 bit.
user164243
sent on December 14, 2024
Pros:Fairly bright optics, with no apparent viggent even at full aperture, metal, excellent focus range and relative fluidity, filter diameter in line with the entire AI series, i.e. 52mm
Cons:Sharpness and backfocus with sensors above 24MP, ghost and flare if shooting backlit
Opinion:The review is for the AI version, deliberately sought for the fact that the diaphragm blades are rounded and return a blur in my opinion more pleasant. I find the lens hood uncomfortable (I would have preferred the AI-S one but you can't have everything). As it happens, the Nikkor 105mm is quite famous in its own right, having been the lens that shot the famous cover of "Afghan Girl" for National Geographic in the 80s. Some lenses have become famous because they are rare and/or expensive. Nor is this the case with the Nikon Nikkor 105mm 2.5 Ai. In fact, from the early 70s to the mid-80s, Nikon made a lot of them, it was by far their best-selling short prime teles. Because? And are there still good reasons to use this lens today? There have been a plethora of versions of Nikon's 105mm 2.5 lens. The first pre-Ai lenses used a Sonnar design, while the latest pre-Ai versions, as well as this Ai and also the latest Ai-s version, use a Xenotar design. But if you want to know more about the development and history of this lens, you should first check out Nikkor – The Thousand and One Nights – No. 5: Nikon 105mm 2.5. Nowadays no one makes new 105mm f2.5 lenses anymore, because now it is possible to make more "open" portrait lenses with high image quality at affordable prices. So today no one really gets excited when they see a 105mm f2.5 lens. The huge advantage of these fairly moderate specs: in the 70s it was actually possible to produce a high-performance lens with these specs. But here the donkey falls a bit, on the acuteness. There's a bit of focus shift with this lens, but probably not enough to worry about when using a camera at a resolution within 24Mp or even film. If you are using a higher resolution camera (I did some tests with the 36 and 45Mp), it might be a good idea to double-check the focus at the working aperture in the range of f/2.8 to f/4.0 with liveview, if possible; But even so, zooming in on the shots on the screen you will notice that the focus is always a little further back than where you focused. That you should not trust the indications in the viewfinder " >or< "? In any case, if pointed slightly against the light, it flattens the images, which is well known; the soft color of the old AI and AI-S lenses, on the other hand, is wonderful. A lens to have if you love manual focus but also as an "iconic" lens, one of those that has made Nikon's history (and which still maintains a good value on the second-hand market).
Cons:The price (you have to look for the right offer, wait a few weeks/months)
Opinion:Intrigued by the reviews about Juza I waited some time and finally found it on the bay at a more "human" price than average. Someone here said that it is among the best lenses ever produced by Nikon and after a few weeks of testing I can only confirm, it really has an amazing yield. I use it in landscaping and astrophotography and in both fields it has given me great satisfaction ... It also mounts 52mm filters. Try
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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.
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