Nikon 105mm f/1.4E ED AF-S NIKKOR Lens

2022-08-31T12:27:42

May not be meant to excel on a DSLR but excels 10 fold on Mirrorless Z cameras. I have owned several Nikon DSLRs, D750, D300, D7200, D610 and now a Z6. I have also rented and used the 105 1.4E on D850 and D500. I found that the lens performed excellent as long as I was in single point AF, unless I fiddled with AF fine tune, then I would get good results. When I used the the Z6, it just performed they way we all expect, it locked on and remained. My local Nikon rep. explained that it is because the Z cameras have focus on the sensor which is different from contrast detection. The reason I keep this lens is because of the dreamy Bokeh it creates. There are only a few other Nikon lenses that have this magical effect and the other auto focus lens is about 5,500$, unless you want manual then there are a few less expensive options

David C.

Originally posted at

2019-12-27T07:40:22

Sharp glass

JAMES G.

2019-08-01T08:24:44

The lens out of the box feels rock solid. Although the outer material is plastic but feels very sturdy. Hand held images at F1.4 needs a very sturdy grip. At apertures higher than F1.8 the images are with no vignettes. There is minor chromatic abberations in extreme shooting conditions which can always be corrected in post. The IQ is the best I have seen till date with excellent bokeh. Made in China does worry a bit in terms of overall quality but this one is a sucker. Just buy it.

GAUTAM S.

2019-05-31T14:47:27

The photos from this lens are so pure. It is the best lens I have used.

Steve G.

2019-04-18T13:20:12

Love this lens, definitely the bokeh king!

RANDALL H.

2019-03-10T22:00:09

I have purchased this lens twice (the first copy front-focused over +20 so that AF Fine Tune could not correct it). This is an excellent lens with great color rendition and IQ, though please note that a MFD you may experience spherical distortion wide open, so it is best to step back a bit and try again. In other words, if you are seeing soft results at f1.4, check your distance to the subject; if you are near minimum focus distance, step back a bit and try again. Shooting over f2.5, however, yields very sharp results up to f11 when some diffraction begins to show. For more portraiture applications, however, you should have no problems unless you shoot wide open, which again, may require you to trade some distance from the subject to attain maximal sharpness. Overall the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED Lens is a great lens and I am grateful to own it.

JOHN P.

2019-01-04T19:00:00

I shoot both D810 and D850 cameras and own a LOT of Nikkor glass. That said, my experience with the lens has been a bit disappointing. Wide open the lens is essentially unusable unless you are looking for a "defocused" sort of look. In my copy I also see chromatic aberration wide open, and when shooting into the light there are cases of flare and blotchy bokeh. The color rendition is excellent, however, and stopped down the lens performs very well indeed. However since shooting at 1.4 was my primary reason for purchasing this lens, and since that aperture is essentially unusable, I find the lens to be disappointing, though stopped down and for applications other than portraiture the lens is okay.

JohnZ

Originally posted at

2018-11-27T07:49:58

Phenomenal lens. Great focal length for portraits and other people shots. The bokeh this lens produces is amazing and the sharpness is superb, even at f/1.4.

JOEL M.

2018-11-25T04:24:36

Pretty good glass.! Wish it be made in Japan since spending a chunk on one lens. It is worth buying if you’re doing lots of portraits and single person/object capture. Even if you capture 40-50 feet away an object is sharp. If you like your eyes to be sharp and clean then this lense is for you. Con: some people don’t like how this lens shows all little things of their face. It is that sharp if you pare with full frame and 45pix

VLADIMIR R.

2018-09-11T20:00:00

I have owned this lens for 10 months, and it is truly the best I've ever owned, even beating my Zeiss 135. Tack sharp from edge to edge and fast enough to capture stunning action and provide outstanding bokeh. For the price, I would have preferred an all aluminum body with metallic seals rather than the lightweight plastic, but I countered that somewhat by immediately getting a high quality lens coat.

RickB1

Originally posted at

2018-05-11T16:06:45

Outstanding portrait/bokeh lens for many conditions. I have also used this for some great low light condition sports shots.

Elliott G.

2018-03-14T15:25:39

Super lens.Very good dealers.

Xiangrui B.

2018-03-09T10:17:48

I use this exclusively with my D850 and have yet to have any issues. Edge to edge clarity and out of the box focus are right on. Pricey, but if you need more than a 50mm or 85mm f/1.4, this is the lens.

Elliott G.

2018-03-09T07:25:08

This is the sharpest lens I’ve ever used. Focus is fast and accurate. A fabulous portrait lens. It’s also huge, with a massive front element.

KEVIN M.

2018-02-22T19:51:10

Having had the Zeiss 135 f1.8 lens for several years I fell in love with it's sharpness, great bookeh, rugged dependable metal build, and great results with the only downside being it's manual focus. I have had this 105 1.4 Nikon lens a week now and it is definitely a step up - My reasons.. 1, Excellent control of DOF - with pleasing bookeh. In low light situations you can definitely shoot lower ISO when wide open, and your DOF can go razor thin. I give the edge to Nikon for more creative control that advanced users crave. 2. Fast autofocus - No contest there, the Zeiss is a great studio lens - or anytime you have the time for precision manual focus, obviously not so great when outdoors or live action requires. Nikon delivers. 3. Quality build. As with Zeiss, Quality Glass is obvious - heavy and sharp. However, I love Zeiss lens for their indestructibility, and metal focusing rings that make a big differenceo and excellent seals. After 2-3 years, my Nikon lenses always seem to need a rubber focus ring replacement as they start to sag I also have accidentally dropped the Zeiss lens on concrete before - with no apparent effect other than a very very slight small scratch on the metal body that is barely visible. To protect my Nikon plastic body and boost it's protection - I added a lens coat - but the protection level is just not the same. Bottom line - This is truly a fantastic portrait lens enabling full creative control over DOF down to just a few inches if desired, or enable handheld pics in very low light when wide open. and fast, accurate autofocus - as widely proclaimed. But you will want to protect your investment with added protection like a lens coat.

RICHARD B.

2018-02-01T19:00:00

Unbelievable at capturing individual and family portraits.

DarthRob

Originally posted at

2018-01-30T19:00:00

I love everything about this lens! It’s versatile and sharp.

NikonChris

Originally posted at

2017-09-30T09:03:29

Have used 85 1.8G and few other lenses. After seeing the images from this lens, could not resist my temptation and bought it. This lens produces some amazing 3D quality images where the subjects pop compared to the other lenses. At F1.4, this lens is sharp!

SHEKAR N.

2017-09-24T10:10:02

Put this on any recent Nikon FF body and you will get exquisite detail, near perfect color rendition, and gorgeous bokeh. A perfect portrait lens, and on an APS-C body, a mid-length telephoto.

Marc F.

2017-09-20T10:10:10

Very happy with this glass. Very sharp glass with beautiful colors and bokeh

QIWU L.

2017-05-05T23:25:36

This lens is amazing!!! Razor sharp and quick focus, this is a great investment. This lens is now my go to lens for my outdoor portraits. For latest images follow me on IG instagram.com/onefrozentimephotography.com

okeith w.

2017-05-03T09:32:06

This lens is an absolute marvel. All of the superlatives used to describe this lens are spot on. An absolute must have for portrait shooters. Fast focus, and creamy bokeh just melts the background away!!

JOHNNY H.

2017-04-06T20:00:00

Probably did not need this lens. But favorite lens the 85mm, 1.8 is in use by my kids 75% of the time. My 105mm, 2.8 Macro is another of their favorites. I bought the 105mm for my portrait lens and I love the clarity and great focus.

XringArcher

Originally posted at

2017-04-06T11:50:33

I really lpve this Lens and it's unique.The image's quality is amazing.I have already owned the sigma 85mm F./1.4 Art, but I'm so happy bought it. Both of them are helpful.

LI S.

2017-04-05T20:00:00

This lens is big, heavy, and expensive, but boy is it good! The contrast, sharpness, and light gathering characteristics of this lens are unsurpassed by any Nikon lens I have, and I have most of them. Below are six images with exposure data attached.

Scripps23

Originally posted at

2017-03-08T11:37:14

It is an excellent lens but needs a study hand. If the subject moves, the photo is messed up. But if all goes well, it takes brillant pictures.

ABDULLAH J.

2017-02-26T14:02:12

I love it !!! It will display bit chromatic aberration at f1.4 but almost could not tell. It's very special Nikon bokeh.

puthorn s.

2017-02-17T08:08:39

I wasn't sure this was going to be a keeper. I already have the 85 f/1.4, so this was definitely a luxury lens. Unfortunately, I love this lens. I use it all the time and now the 85 is for sale. It's sharp and separates the subject second only to the 200 f/2. My only issue with it is the swirly bokeh on the edges. It's a look that works well on some images but not on others.

Bob M.

2017-02-07T19:00:00

I purchased this lens with the intention of getting a prime lens that could achieve gorgeous detail and bokeh. It's a beautiful lens but I found that the listing of "Macro" on Nikon's website is misleading. There is nothing I would consider "Macro" about this lens. I don't necessarily need a Macro lens per say, but I wanted something that can get tighter shots than the 105 1.4 allowed. This lens requires you to be further away from your subject to focus, therefore using more pixels on background information than a Macro would. As an example, to take a photo of a lego figurine, I had to be about 5-6 feet away from it leaving way too much negative space around the figure. Any closer, and I could not focus on the lego figure. The only way to get the figure to be tighter would be to crop after in an editing program. Don't let me dissuade you from purchasing this lens if you are looking for something exclusively for portraits. It is clearly designed for that and does very well with that. I just thought I would get more versatility from it since it is listed as "Macro" on Nikon's website. I find the Macro listing misleading for what it actually does. Instead, I opted for the 85mm 1.4 as it achieves the same aperture as this but allows me to be closer to my subjects for focusing purposes. For Macro, I would consider the 105mm 2.8.

KPhoto

Originally posted at

2017-02-06T07:55:51

This is a great portrait lens. It produces beautiful tact sharp images with an excellent bokeh. The drawback is the price tag and the relative weight of the glass.

QIWU L.