The New Standard - one macro photographer's thoughts on Nikon's MC 105/2.8 S macro lens

The New Standard
Thinking about getting a Z8, or the MC105 f/2.8 VR S? You can check them out using these links (which are affiliate links, meaning if you make the purchase, we make a few bucks, at no cost to you).
The camera - at Adorama - adorama.rfvk.net/NkQz22
Or at Amazon - amzn.to/42QRXsW
The 105 lens - at Adorama - adorama.rfvk.net/Y9q12j
And on Amazon - amzn.to/3Xln2DL
The R1C1 is available through amazon - amzn.to/3qTxK8z
Here is a link to the SB5000 - amzn.to/42U2SlF
**I suspected I was seeing some lag in the manual focus mechanism of this lens. But I was quick to write it off to my own inexperience with “fly by wire” control loops. Well as it turns out, there was some real lag but it is fixed with a simple firmware update, so I did not put that footage back into the video as manual focus lag appears to have been corrected**
Enjoy the review - this is a killer lens!
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[@madst7521]

For ultra close shooting, I don't use the AF. Instead I go manual and rock myself back and forth to get focus.

[@virtualwarp]

Hah! I've seen myself using this exact technique more often than not.

[@d.k.1394]

Same

[@jonbarnard7186]

Nice insect shots Allan! I'm now glad this thing is made from plastic. I use it with a full-size hot-shoe flash and a rather large diffuser. This setup can get pretty front heavy after a while, and rather hard on the wrists. As for the focus, no it's far from perfect, but it is a macro lens. It's best to use manual focus for macro anyway. For portraits and other non-closeup work, it works well enough for me. I assign image review to the function button, which allows me to review the last image without moving my eye or my hands.

[@havefunwithmacrophotograph3839]

very nice video my mentor i have suggestion , video like that very helpful and will gain more viewers ...about lens vibration reduction its very helpfull in natural light macro photography at lower f stops light creates a soft, dreamy quality to your images with very nice blur background .and has function to stabilize vibration when look in optical view finder or live view byy press half button shutter(this is how work in my tamron)...best regards Kasem

[@michaelk6957]

How does it compare against a Sigma 105mm macro with an ftz adapter? The Sigma can be found new at 450€ or 350€ used while the Nikkon Z 105mm macro costs 1100.

[@DavidBrown-if8vn]

Oddly, I liked running the transcripts as I watched this one Allan.

[@user-jf9mh1vr9n]

Сколько слов... можно всё сократить до 10 минут максимум. Вам, коллега нужно научиться излагать свои мысли кратко, просто.

[@madst7521]

Have had my copy since the release day. Has been a joy all the way through. Planning to take it out for the first time with the Z8. Also bringing my 90mm Laowa for its 2x macro.

[@d.k.1394]

Lovely

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Nice to have my amateur opinion validated by a real pro! I love the lens and have used it mostly for macro abstracts.

[@richarddutton6849]

Great review - always good to hear your views. I wonder if you had your Tamron SP90 F017 adapted to Z ? - or, in any case your thoughts on the MC105 versus that lens? Tamron used to do a hardware upgrade for Z compatibility but have stopped now. My copy has been upgraded and I have tried it on a Z6. In MF its fine of course but a bit iffy in AF-C at close up ( well away from 1:1 ) if one is trying to grab snaps outside in good light ( without a flash ). I read, on the forums, that the Tamron works much better with the faster AF of the Z8/9. The Tamron also works pretty well as a general purpose mid tele. I suspect that I will get the MC 105 in any case - I was just checking your review of it before doing so.

[@jpdj2715]

Metal v plastic? That's a debate we hear everywhere and nobody knows what they are talking about. Carbon fiber has greater tensile strength than steel. Ideal to build bridges and pressure cabines in aeroplanes (because tensile strength), very bad under pressure in submarines. Generally, plastics don't rust but some can decay through UV light for example. Some metal alloys can have "self lubricating properties" and some plastics too. Where plastics may outperform metals is in their linear coefficient of expansion. And that's very important in a lens. Yes, generally plastics have less density than metals or alloys, too, so the end result may be less heavy. In the 1950s, GM had an advertisement for their "plastic" car (glass fibre reinforced) and the movie showed a contemporary metal bodied car driving through a brick wall. It was unrecognisable after that. Then the "plastic" car drove though an identical wall. Its chrome plated steel bumpers got deformed but other than that, the "plastic" body was still fine. That was a Corvette sports car, by the way.

[@mwchestnut1]

Most excellent review, sir. Thank you.

[@travellingjoey]

Thank you for making this informative video 👍

[@yophotodude7693]

I'm not sure "Plastic" is a good term for the lens. It's certainly not metal, but I suspect it's some composite material that's much stronger than plastic.

[@timwhite8500]

Yeah agreed. Plastic has connotations of cheapness and throw away. I for one am pleased it’s made of polymers or whatever they use. Metal is a pain, it’s heavy and it dents. Polymer is more durable.

[@d.k.1394]

Yes pro plastics

[@MLJ7424]

Nice review Sir, Do you use any filters on it ?

[@marilyngiannuzzi9867]

I have this lens & really like it with my Nikon D 750!

[@martinhild]

Actually I have a hard time shooting it. Optically it is very good, but coming from a 150 Sigma, which felt like a cheat code to me, I have a hard time getting used to 105 Nikkor. Although I have shot good pictures with it, I kinda struggle, but then I used the Sigma for years and experience probably plays a huge role.

[@lstrunk2]

😀@12:33 - As you are talking about bugs going somewhere cooler, there is something flying between your face and the bushes..

[@MarcelloBranca]

🤣

[@DK-ys2cw]

I LOVE my 105 Z. My F mount 105 was no where near as sharp and I actually like the composite construction. It always feels lighter than I expect.

[@roybixby6135]

love the 105 MC Z lens - Pity Z bodies dont have a focus stacking preview ... 🦘

[@Reddepex]

How is the manual focus action? I ditched my last focus by wire macro lens, cause it got more annoying the more I shot. And I shot it a lot, so in the end I just left it at home, and after some time sold it. How about this lens? Is it identical to old school macro lenses when focusing manually?

[@sparkeyjames]

The R1C1 kit should come with clip on diffusers for the flash heads.

[@brianleeming8895]

It does. One for each flash unit.

[@mylucksmiles]

I found that macro is in it's self a difficult task. What aids my mirco photography shooting with the Nikon Z 105 is spending the extra £300 .oo on a top of the range flash and high end flash recharge rate batteries.The elements such a wind ,low light also because of the shade some insects are found, along with the natural speed and movements they make, let a lone their size. ...I failed more without a flash than I have using one. Flash a cheap battery won't do the job. The speed of recharge along with the number of photos the flash and battery can be the difference between missing and hitting the moment. The 105 z for all other types of work in normal light is great but the Auto focus is not it's best feature. I won't sell or change this lens. I have to learned to learn it's strengths and weaknesses. It's a tool, your right I think to say it multi tasks great at must things. My tipe is to get a TTL flash that cand work in low light at f a16 this will be a game changer.

[@JRodPhotoArt]

I always do enjoy watching your videos Allan. I have the 105 and I only use it for macro. I would love to see a new 200mm Macro MC lens from Nikon. As you stated, the older 200mm F4 is a bit sharper? Always informative ! Have you heard about the insect plague in the western parts of the US? Lots of bugs there !

[@jonc8561]

Have you tried photostacking with? How bad is the focus breathing?

[@JRodPhotoArt]

@@jonc8561 I have tried photo stacking a couple times but it takes some practice to get it right

[@MarcelloBranca]

allan do you think that a z9 would make any sense at all for macro photography??, or would the z8 be the perfect macro camera? right now im saving up to upgrade from my d810 to a nikon mirrorless camera and given that the z8 has almost literally everything the z9 has, which one should i go for?? the z8 costs less but is basically almost as good as a z9, z8 all the way????

[@MarcelloBranca]

based on your z8 video i would go z8, but, do you think a z9 is even better?, just ignore the veeeeery high price tag 😅😅

[@jpdj2715]

Yes this lens is an order of magnitude better than anything I tried in the past almost 50 years with Nikon. And yes, the AF occasionally sucks too. That's not the lens but Nikon's AI interpreting the phase detection ans sensor imaging. Yes, it hunts with my Z 7ii in the studio too. Yes, focusing should work down to -4EV maybe, but that means nothing w.r.t. "auto" focusing that maybe becomes stable as of 4EV. And, Nikon's AF parameter settings (menu options) are distributed in a way with non-transparent dependencies between them that "we" have a hard time to get AF to do what we expected from the brochure, before we bought it. Look at birder Jan Wegener or wildlifer Steve Perry and both have invented a way to work around the focusing problems "in their use-cases". But that does not work in my portrait studio. These complaints are about the Z camera's/cameras' firmware and have nothing to do with the lens. This lens is great. Incredibly so. I bought a bunch if the cheapest UV filters (aluminium rings), took the glass out and stacked the rings into a tube, then added brass rings to the front and back of the "tube" (from slightly more expensive UV filters) and this lens-front mounted extension tube modifies Nikon's slide copier into being able to get 1:1 with this lens. Wow. I have to say that Nikon's inversion firmware for colour negatives in the D850 should have been available to the Z cameras too. And the slide copying adapter could have been more Nikon worthy because as it is now, meh.

[@doxfie.]

17:05 plan your photoshoots instead of going out randomly

[@mikelyon5595]

Thanks!

[@tomingrassiaimages8776]

upvote and subscribed

[@raybeer5213]

Way too much talking.