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First real field test with Nikon 105mm F/2.8D.

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Testudo Man View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: First real field test with Nikon 105mm F/2.8D.
    Posted: 27 Feb 2014 at 10:24pm
Having finally got my hands on a "proper" macro lens(October 2013) for my Nikon D7000, i was itching to test it out in the field. What better subject, than wild UK reptiles.
Although this lens is not the new 105 VR version, its still a superb lens, and i was happy to locate a mint example, not 5 miles from home.
Im still testing it, getting to grips with it, but it handles superb, focuses quick, and has a high rate of "keepers".

Several shots, no flash, hand held. All taken on the 22/2/14.

All comments welcome, cheers.

This male adder pic is not cropped at all.




Some cropping to this next image, the 2nd adder seen on the day(3 snakes seen in total).




This last image is not cropped at all. An adult Common Lizard.




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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 6:45am
great photos, well done after years of using bridge cameras I sold all I owned to buy the newer micro-nikkor 105mm AF lens last year and I was not disappointed. I was expecting superb optics, but hadn't planned on it being so versatile - making it possible to use it almost as a zoom (although its a prime lens, of course) provided you can stalk to within a few metres of a reasonably large target like an adder, and then maybe crop a little as required. Like you, I'm looking forward to what the coming season holds as I only got the lens at the back end of last year, which was too late to record any decent animal behaviour (although good for dragonflies!)
Cheers

Will
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 10:40am
Depth of field could be improved, though the sharp focus on the main subject is excellent, the amount of blurring and spread I find distracting. Obviously though there is a limit with available light. We did  have a thread on this on the old forum, not sure it has survived. 

The actual shots/poses though are superb. 
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AGILIS View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AGILIS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 12:26pm
I seem to have given up on using a Canon digital slr with 200/300mm lens. and gone back to a 10x zoom compact panasonic Lumix tz series thats easy to keep in my pocket only tried briefly on Weds when I spotted a liz keith and quite pleased with the crop that i did within the camera. keith

Edited by AGILIS - 28 Feb 2014 at 12:27pm
   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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will View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote will Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 5:18pm
@Gemma - it's interesting, the whole DOF thing - I personally really like a blurred background - the whole 'bokeh' thing, which can give a snake or lizard portrait a real 3-D look, but I know some people who take this to extremes and who just want an eye to be sharp, which is too much in my view.  For hand held, in situ shots without the VR stabilisation feature I would say these are lovely portraits, but it's completely subjective, just a question of what you, as the viewer, want to see from a portrait I guess. I posted a photo a couple of years ago of a common lizard on a rock with a Welsh beach behind it which could only have been taken with my old bridge camera, since the DOF was about 1km!
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GemmaJF View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 5:57pm
I think Will macro photography of herptiles presents some interesting challenges, small head compared to elongated bodies makes them rather unique in that respect, as does the very three dimensional habitats they frequent.

Certainly plenty of room for experiment between deep and shallow focus to be explored. It's not that I don't like the pictures either, not at all. I remember similar comments when I first posted up macro shots which led to quite a lot of experimentation with DOF with my new lens and as my understanding developed of both that and post processing I was able to use DOF as composition device and also increase it when needed.

A bit of constructive criticism can at times be more helpful than a list of 'wow' what a great photo comments and Testudo Man clearly titled the thread first field test!

Be interesting to see how his work develops with the new lens. Wink

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Tom Omlette View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom Omlette Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 6:31pm
the closer you are to the subject the more dof becomes a problem. macro lenses are designed for this though and tend to handle diffraction better at smaller apertures so you can get away with using f11 and above if you need to. light becomes a problem then though and slower shutter speeds = camera shake which can be the difference between an acceptable shot and something super sharp, especially if you are hand-holding. 
i like to see a variety of shots really so isolating the eye or a particular feature can work very well, nice blurry bokeh can be really effective but shots that show the immediate habitat and even wide angle shots can work really well. 
so many things to get right in a picture - focus, dof, composition, sharpness, interest etc its a wonder we ever manage anything half decent!!!

looking forward to seeing more pics from the 105vr :)

tom

ps where are you btw?


Edited by Tom Omlette - 28 Feb 2014 at 7:00pm
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Testudo Man View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 7:47pm
Originally posted by will will wrote:

great photos, well done after years of using bridge cameras I sold all I owned to buy the newer micro-nikkor 105mm AF lens last year and I was not disappointed. I was expecting superb optics, but hadn't planned on it being so versatile - making it possible to use it almost as a zoom (although its a prime lens, of course) provided you can stalk to within a few metres of a reasonably large target like an adder, and then maybe crop a little as required. Like you, I'm looking forward to what the coming season holds as I only got the lens at the back end of last year, which was too late to record any decent animal behaviour (although good for dragonflies!)
Cheers

Will


Thanks Will, it sounds like you have taken the same path as me, however i have still kept my bridge cameras, and i still use them(especially with adding a Raynox 250 macro lens).
Your 105mm micro VR was tempting, but i couldnt justify the approx £600 for that lensWink so i bought a 2nd hand AF micro F/2.8D 105mm(which is nikons predecessor to your lens). Nikon lenses command high prices, even the used ones!!
Yes, being a prime lens, i had heard that the 105 can be used for portraits too, but i havent really tried that out myself yet.
What body do you have your 105 VR mounted to Will?

I also like to shoot both Butterflies an Dragonflies, so like you say, once they are all back on the wing, it will be interesting how this 105 lens handles, compared the my other lenses.
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Testudo Man View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 8:07pm
Originally posted by GemmaJF GemmaJF wrote:

Depth of field could be improved, though the sharp focus on the main subject is excellent, the amount of blurring and spread I find distracting. Obviously though there is a limit with available light. We did  have a thread on this on the old forum, not sure it has survived. 

The actual shots/poses though are superb. 


Thanks for your comment/input Gemma, and i must confess to liking/prefering the narrow DOF style photography myself, i also like the blurry backgrounds/bokeh too.
This lens does behave differently to what Im used to, i normally use a budget Tamron  70-300mm lens, which has a macro setting/switch between 180 to 300mm for most of my reptile photography.
But the Tamron did not perform so well for smaller creatures, such as Butterflies/Dragonflies/Bugs, so that was one of the reasons why i chose to go for a dedicated macro lens.
At between 180 to 300mm, my tamron would shoot all day at F5.6, with a nice DOF, but ive found that with this dedicated macro 105mm, im having to try different apperture settings, probably due to the closer focusing distance of 105 lens.
The photos above were shot at F8, but i could have to increase even further still? F8 on my Tamron, would not look the same as F8 on this 105 nikon len. So its all about playing around with the settings, to achieve the type of images that i prefer. Its early days yet,  but i will get thereWink
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Testudo Man View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Feb 2014 at 8:18pm
Originally posted by AGILIS AGILIS wrote:

I seem to have given up on using a Canon digital slr with 200/300mm lens. and gone back to a 10x zoom compact panasonic Lumix tz series thats easy to keep in my pocket only tried briefly on Weds when I spotted a liz keith and quite pleased with the crop that i did within the camera. keith


If Im honest, my panasonic FZ45 bridge camera, with a raynox 250 macro lens attached, is hard to beat. But there are problems with this, if the light is poor(higher ISO's needed) then forget it, a DSLR will nearly always produce better images in poor light.
When i go out for a session, i take both cameras, that way most bases are covered.

However, when i took a trip down the Kent coast last year, to capture some images of the rare Long Tailed Blue Butterflies, i took my bridge camera with raynox, instead of my Nikon DSLR!!
I wanted to travel light, it was a long walk...but i got the shots i was after, without carrying a heavy backpackWink
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