Hey Everyone! I hope you find this first look video useful ! I tried to test and show as many things as I could but will be doing some much more detailed videos when I get a full production unit soon ! As always thanks for watching !
Having had the opportunity to shoot portraits with this new 105 in a video we just put out on Adorama and After using the 105 f-mount about a decade this lens was honestly extremely impressive sharper and I felt had some really great color color space in the glass… as well as the price staying consistent to the previous generation while still including some nice extra stuff like the control ring and functions button. The lighter weight alone made me very excited I had a blast shooting portraits in the short time I had to work with it. Shame about the teleconverter but to be honest I never felt the need to throw on one for my work flow. If there’s any downside beyond that maybe I woulda expected it to physically be smaller however the faster focusing,quieter focusing and the drop in weight more than makes up for it
Excellent introduction to the new 105mm macro lens. Good comparison vs. the F-mount version. The discussion of the aperture change at the wide end was appropriate. With your review of the 50mm macro, I'd like to see how it works for copying slides and negatives using the ES-2 or any alternative. This is one of the relatively important features of the 60mm lens and the 105mm macro lenses do not work with the adapter. The specs for the new 50mm macro indicate it works with the ES-2. I've got both lenses on order - the 105mm as a primary macro lens, and the 50mm as a compact lens for travel, an APS-C lens for the Z50, and for copying documents and some small product shots where 105mm is too long.
Reading the comments, sounds like a video about Bellows-Factor and Magnification-Ratio would be needed. All lenses effective-aperture gets smaller the closer the focus range. Nikon autofocus macro lenses as far as I know are the only ones that report their true aperture at close focus.
Nice to see the growth of the Nikon Z lens family. Although I would have liked the announcement of a 100-400mm or 200-600mm lens more. But the quality of the new Z lenses is impressive.
Great video Ricci, as always! Great job on explaining how reproduction ratio affects effective aperture - it is stuff like this, that makes you stand apart - I can always rely that I will get great information and also learn something new, in your videos.
@@RicciTalks Great, my birthday present then! Thank you for that information as I was not able to find it on Nikon's website. You are always very helpful with the information you share.
Nikon Z7ii with the Z105mm Micro lens what a combination. Have used this setup for flower closeup photography and the results are outstanding. For general shooting its once again sharp detailed and the colours are great.
I just picked up the Z 105 macro from my local camera store today (I am glad that I put im my order early!). It is quite a bit lighter than the 105mm 2.8 F mount macro that I sold. I am eager to test it out!
We knew it was just a matter of time, Nikon killing it with optical quality. Really waiting for some longer S glass ! Shooting Z cameras is such a pleasure the ultra high quality optics complete the experience, hard to go back now! Thanks Ricci 👏😀👍
Nikon using effective aperture specifically means that exposure / flash power is mostly independent from reproduction ratio, because in A/M modes the camera will adjust the diaphragm to keep the effective aperture constant. Seems obvious, but the difference is quite noticeable (not in a good way) when using a macro/system that doesn't do this.
The macro shots are fantastic. Truly a great lens. It would be great to see it for other uses too, like a portrait shot, with bokeh. From what I have seen so far, looks to be a good addition to my bag. Not too hard on the wallet either.
Great video. Very nice office - better between plants and fungi ejaculating spores than covid coughing coworkers, I guess. It looks so natural. I did miss the ColorChecker Passport, though ;) Man, that lens is sharp! I did not hear an indicative price, but the little display hints at "serious".
Nice video and it looks like a fine lens but very disappointed by Nikon for not getting out that 100-400mm. I really think there is a lot more people waiting for that lens rather then for this 105mm.
I’m really not sure I do see lots people asking for a long zoom like the 100-400 or 200-600 but I also see hundreds of people requesting macro lenses so it’s a loose loose…. if they announced the 100-400 instead of the macro then the equally as large macro crowd would of been disappointed….. I mean it’s not like that lens isn’t coming the 100-400 is certainly on the way…. Also I want a long lens as much as anyone else so I’m with you !
Great video as always 👍 This lens is going to be Massive for Nikon, just look how many people have pre-ordered this lens in the comments (including myself 😀) just WOW !
Oh, and I have only just bought a used F mount 105 macro! Looks like I'll have to try to sell that now and start saving some pennies! Looks very nice. Thanks for the early review; useful as ever!
Pleasantly surprised that the 105mm Z macro is 'only' £999. I thought it was going to launch at something like £1299. It is the least expensive of the S line lenses so for to sport the OLED display and additional control ring. Looking forward to seeing the 50mm Z macro.
Great intro to the new lens! Hoping for focus speed and accuracy improvements, as observed with the other S line primes. Always happy when lenses are little lighter than the previous model. Looking forward to shooting wedding rings, portraits and all sorts of bugs with this newbie!
Thanks for the pics! Everyone is taking portrait pictures with this 2lenses. Who cares if they can take those pictures. This is a macro lens! No body is going to buy this for portraits. Your the first youtuber i see that use it properly. Thanks for that.
Nice “Intro” to the new NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, Ricci! As a user of the Laowa 100 f/2.8 Ultra Macro with a Nikon Z7, while it has proven to be indeed, ULTRA-sharp, I find that the Focus "throw" is quite short, making it a bit time-consuming to achieve critical focus at the exact desired focus point, hence my great interest in this new Nikkor S lens. So, do you feel that this lens has a very wide/ample focus throw (as other Micro-Nikkor have had), AND do you think that this lens will be sharper at 1:1 than the extremely sharp Laowa Ultra-Micro? Also, why did Nikon abandon the “Micro-Nikkor” designation for the “MC” designation? Thank you!
Appreciating your videos more and more, good combination of technical talk and actual hands-on insight.. One thing I use my z6 for is fairly close up stop motion. Wondering if the 50mm mc would be better for this (shorter/closer) or the 150 (longer/further away/possibly more useful in other situations)...
Thanks for the first look! I’m sure you’re probably planning it anyway, but a 50mm 2.8 MC vs 1.8 S vs 1.2 S would be quite useful. Other ideas for the next vid: Could the 50mm 2.8 replace the 50 1.8 as a photographer’s only 50 in the bag? What about the 2.8 plus the 1.2 as a combo (wedding, portrait photographers, etc.) How practical is the 50 MC as a daily walkaround lens? Film copying (I’ve seen you’ve already replied and said you plan on covering this, just wanted to add another voice seconding it and saying thanks) 105 vs 50 image quality, of course At least one shot illustrating the difference in working distance at 1:1 (sorry I know it’s a bit of a silly thing but I’ve never used a longer macro lens, and seeing the relative camera, tripod, and subject positions would be very useful. It’s like when you show the lens sizes compared to other Z and F lenses, it would really help visualize) Thanks as always, great video!
In addition to an earlier comment, here's a copy of my comment in another channel: Aperture of f/4.5 at 1:1 closest focusing distance ... lenses have their focal length and widest aperture specified at infinity. If a lens focuses closer by than infinity by being shifted away from sensor/film completely (the standard way) then its focal length changes and in fact its widest aperture too. This is laws of physics and mathematics. 105mm with f/2.8 means that the diameter of the widest aperture at infinity is 105/2.8=37.5. If this lens has a widest aperture of f/4.5 at 1:1 closest focusing distance, then its focal length has become 37.5*4.5=168.75 mm. This applies to all lenses that do not zoom and do not prevent focus breathing. Note that any "prime" lens that controls focus breathing in fact, optically is a zoom lens. Nikon showing what really happens is interesting and very correct in the sense of politically correct or PC - make that photographically correct. It e.g. means that you can use your handheld spot meter and do not need to worry about any correction for lens extension - just set the camera and shoot. Exposure correction for closer focusing extension was business as usual for all large format shooters in the past, until the arrival of the SinarSix in some studios, as it measured at the plane where the film would be, through the lens. Both the altered focal length and aperture f/number are relevant for the depth of field, though - assuming the circle of confusion does not change with close focusing.
I remember using the AF-S 105 micro of a buddy many years ago, and I remember the AF being very slow. This made the lens very much a specialist lens, and since I'm not a macro buff it was not worthwhile for me. Now this new 105 micro, apart from being very sharp, seems to have a much improved AF performance, good enough for many other purposes than close ups. This added versatility, combined with very sharp optics at a reasonable price should make this lens a winner for Nikon. I think it's not only a better macro lens, it's a much more useful lens overall as well - good job Nikon.
You had me at the title! I'm still shooting with the F-mount 105, but having collected a few Z-mount lenses and seen the better results, (especially with the spectacular 70-200 f/2.8!) I've been long for this lens to be released. I hope I can get one before summer is over, to take advantage of flowers, insects, etc.. Your photos and video are gorgeous! Thank you, Ricci! :)
Thank you for your preview, Ricci. I'm really looking forward to this beauty, and consider using it as a portrait lens. It would be great if there have any bokeh comparisons on it.
I have been using the 105 macro F-mount lens for years as one of my portrait lenses, professionaly and for big brands. No doubt you can use this one as well for portrait.
Thanks Ricci - once you get production versions of the MC lenses - 105, 50 can you do comparisons (both still and video) between 'Z' and 'F' equivalent macro lenses, e.g., 50 S with 60 AFS F2.8, 105 S with AFS F and whether the new ones are much stronger, sharp and worth the ££/$$ over used F vers.
Hi red. I have the Nikkor S 50 f/1.8, and that lens on a Z7 is Superbly sharp. I'd love to see a comparison test between that and this new "Micro-Nikkor" (MC).
@@stevelink3 Noted Steve. If I can get hold of the Z 50mm f1.8, I would do the video about it. If i can't get hold of the lens then i'll jsut review this Z 50mm macro 🙂
Great review. You picked up on lots of little interesting details as well as the headline specs of course. I like the new Nikkor S design language for instance. There were a few complaints about Z lenses looking a bit like boring black featureless cylinders.
Here's another explanation of how apertures work as well. The aperture has a physical size in real life. The f in f-stop/f-number is the focal length and the number after is the ratio of the focal length that describes the physical size of the aperture. So in this particular lens, at wide open at infinity the aperture is 105mm/2.8 = 37.5mm in diameter. Because of the heavy breathing of the lens, the focal length changes a lot. If the aperture stays the same physical size, 37.5mm but the f-number drops to f/4.5, we can get an estimate about the breathing: 37.5mm * 4.5 = 168.75mm focal length. Bottom line is, the physical aperture doesn't change, the focal length is, which results in a different f-number. If you have a 24-70 f/4 on hand, you can clearly see this effect. Set the lens to wide open, and then zoom it looking in to the lens. At 24 the aperture will be 24mm/4 = 6mm in diameter and at 70 the aperture will be 70mm/4 = 17.5mm in diameter.
thanks for the video ... hope to see new & upcoming more Z lens soon on your channel, overwall little bit disappointed by the announcement with no telephoto lens announced but fingers crossed for them to see in next couple of months
For those of us who own the F-mount 105mm micro and use it on both DSLR and mirrorless cameras (the latter with an adapter), this may be a case of "if it ain't broke..." The F-mount version has been praised for its sharpness and fast autofocus. On B&H, it has over 1,000 reviews, with an average rating of five full stars. If not all metal, it's pretty close, ruggedness that is hugely important for macro photography in the field. I'm sure the Z-mount version is even sharper, but the more photos I take, the more I ask, "how much sharpness do I need?"
It will be interesting to see how this lens behaves in the real world of video production. Thankfully the lens appears to be fast, quiet, and sharp, the holy trinity for video use.
great review - only thing I would disagree with is you said its autofocus is fast - I think its very slow. Accurate but slow, particularly when capturing a moving subject.
Hi Ricci - great video... looks like an incredible lens. I have a Z50. Am I right in thinking that this lens will give me a (full-frame) effective focal length of 157.5mm, but the magnification ratio is still 1:1 ?
Thank you! You are always the first ... seems like you are the chosen one :) I'm a little bit disappointed that they haven't added a 70-200 F4 or 70-300 to their roadmap. But I can use the 24-200 in the meantime ...
thanks Ricci, very good all around performances of the 105 macro ! yes looking forward to see the future video on the Z 50mm macro ! take care and keep on the good work
Thanks for the video, ran through it a few times. A question, I have the Z70-200S. For taking pictures of bees and dragonflies in flight etc; what are the advantages of the 105 macro over the 70-200@105mm Wide open? Curious about the focussing speed. I have a Z7 and a Z6 II, planning to use the 105 on the Z6II. Thank you.
Don’t feel too proud, you are the best testing and comparison video make. No others could be so straight forward and clearly point out the good and negative side.
I receive mine yesterday and agree with your findings -vs- the F-mount. I also agree being able to use the 105 with TC's is a real shame. The 200/4 macro is really old and slow.
No one is commenting on the Bokeh. What I can tell so far from your review is that it is quite good! Definitely a remarkable requirement for a macro lens (almost as important as over-all sharpness IMHO). Liked your explanation of effective aperture. Imagine learning all about that on a D70 shooting manual mode with f-mount AIS primes. Of course the manufacturer doesn’t matter. But, it’s quite a bit to learn as an amateur. If anything having a rudimentary body that required M mode for AIS lenses lowered the learning curve as the body isn’t helping much with anything. Nice review. Can’t wait to get my new 105 - hopefully I don’t have to wait too long.
Excellent review thanks for sharing.What is the distance from the subject on the new lens compared to the old lens at 1:1? Most of these lenses that go to one to one magnification shorten their focal length as they go closer to the subject which kills the point of using a longer lens to stay further away from the subject.
I realise this is not a concern for macro, but the change in aperture at close focus us only related to light transmission and not to DOF, right? Or is the DOF also changed accordingly? Great vid as always! :)
Great preview. Now there is no mention in the Nikon website about this lens being used for digitizing negatives, however Nikon mentions it for their 50mm version to be compatible with the film digitizer kit. I am hoping you can touch on that or even test it in your 50mm review and if it also works for the 105mm. There is a long term project I want to do to digitize hundreds of 35mm and several 6x6 (MF) film negatives and I want to make a proper purchase for my Z camera. Thanks for all you do, cheers!
The working distance of the 105 mm macros is too long for the normal slide adapters, but it's certainly possible to build your own jig to use one of those lenses to do it.
How about manual focusing? I assume it is focus by wire? If you focus an object and switch off the camera. After switching it on again is the object still in focus or do you have to refocus it? Thank you…
A subject that was not addressed is focus breathing. The section where focus is changed between the puppets shows some change view angle (focus distance). It would be interesting to compare the amount of focus breathing between the Z and F-Mount lens. Not having a 200 mm option is a bigger issue than focus breathing. I love my F-Mount 28-300 mm zoom. It has a reproduction ration of 3.9 : 1 at 300 mm (it breathes down to approx 250 mm at closest focus). But allows me to take great macro shots by hand without chasing away the bee or butterfly. Cropping the picture down to an even bigger reproduction window is no problem unless you are a pro and shoot door giant billboards. Which I obviously am not.
I just wanna point out that effective focal length at macro distances is an entirely pointless thing to know unless you want to use extension tubes or a bellows. It tells you nothing about focus breathing. Nothing at all. A lens can have the effective focal length change as focused more closely, but that doesn't tell you anything about focus breathing, because the focal length doesn't tell you anything about the picture angle unless you're at infinity focus.
That being said internally focused macros generally loose a lot of focal length when approaching their MFD while also narrowing their angle of view (= "zooming in"). You can see that in the timestamp Taipei Geek linked above. The 105S seems to breathe quite a bit less than the older F 105.
Great overview Ricci. I have always liked using this type of focal length for macro (and portraits) on Nikon's DX DSLR's. A couple of observations; I am not so keen on the bokeh highlights from the bug video footage at around 8:19. Also, it's disappointing you can't use with teleconverters-that's a bit of a missed opportunity! Keep up the good work :-)
Hey Everyone!
I hope you find this first look video useful !
I tried to test and show as many things as I could but will be doing some much more detailed videos when I get a full production unit soon !
As always thanks for watching !
would like to see in future videos with extension tube attached using this lens what kind of magnification and images can be achieved or limitation...
Apparently Jared Polin has complained that Nikon doesn’t have Caterpillar eye detect…
Brought a smile to my face this morning...LOL...
🤣🤣🤣
lol
Loool
I have already patened insect eye detect, and given it to Nikon
Having had the opportunity to shoot portraits with this new 105 in a video we just put out on Adorama and After using the 105 f-mount about a decade this lens was honestly extremely impressive sharper and I felt had some really great color color space in the glass… as well as the price staying consistent to the previous generation while still including some nice extra stuff like the control ring and functions button. The lighter weight alone made me very excited I had a blast shooting portraits in the short time I had to work with it. Shame about the teleconverter but to be honest I never felt the need to throw on one for my work flow. If there’s any downside beyond that maybe I woulda expected it to physically be smaller however the faster focusing,quieter focusing and the drop in weight more than makes up for it
Another great example of how lens, camera reviews should be done. Great work as always
Thanks a lot !
Excellent introduction to the new 105mm macro lens. Good comparison vs. the F-mount version. The discussion of the aperture change at the wide end was appropriate.
With your review of the 50mm macro, I'd like to see how it works for copying slides and negatives using the ES-2 or any alternative. This is one of the relatively important features of the 60mm lens and the 105mm macro lenses do not work with the adapter. The specs for the new 50mm macro indicate it works with the ES-2.
I've got both lenses on order - the 105mm as a primary macro lens, and the 50mm as a compact lens for travel, an APS-C lens for the Z50, and for copying documents and some small product shots where 105mm is too long.
Certainly will look at that
Came for the lens review. Stayed for the Homer shirt.
Thank you ! It’s a favourite of mine !
Reading the comments, sounds like a video about Bellows-Factor and Magnification-Ratio would be needed. All lenses effective-aperture gets smaller the closer the focus range. Nikon autofocus macro lenses as far as I know are the only ones that report their true aperture at close focus.
This proper reporting happens with my Sigma f-mount 105 macro as well when I use it on a Z camera.
Tokina 100mm macro lens also reports effective aperture
Love the new office! Thanks again for another great review. Just nabbed a Z6ii and am loving it!
I've been waiting for this lens for so long, super happy. Pretty hyped for that 50mm macro too, id love to try both
Once again the Z variant of the lens is so much sharper. Great job Nikon! Thanks Ricci!
Thanks Ricci - I’m over the moon with the news. Macro lenses are such a big part of what I do in my work as a photographer. I really can’t wait 😬
Nice to see the growth of the Nikon Z lens family. Although I would have liked the announcement of a 100-400mm or 200-600mm lens more. But the quality of the new Z lenses is impressive.
Thanks a once again Ricci. Looking forward to seeing you on the Nikon School event on June 24.
Great video Ricci, as always! Great job on explaining how reproduction ratio affects effective aperture - it is stuff like this, that makes you stand apart - I can always rely that I will get great information and also learn something new, in your videos.
Thanks for the great review Ricci! Just pre-ordered my 105!
Great video. I'll hope you will do a comparing test between Nikon Z MC 105mm and Nikon Z 85mm
Pre-ordered this and the 50 mm f/2.8 MC today! Surprise us Nikon with your fast delivery!
Should be available end of june
@@RicciTalks Great, my birthday present then! Thank you for that information as I was not able to find it on Nikon's website. You are always very helpful with the information you share.
I've always loved the 105mm focal length for portraits and I also need a macro lens for my Z Series cameras. I'm hoping this will serve both purposes.
I think so
It's not always about equipment, it's about artistic ability and your imagination.
Nice video. Looks like this Z MC 105 F2.8 is amazing.
And thanks you explaining to us aperture behavior.
How on earth did you get your hands on that! I've been waiting for mine :) NPS Priority.... thanks for sharing!!! Nice job!
He's a Nikon brand ambassador.
Stunning, this will one I’ll buy for sure. I’m still using the old D version.
Nikon Z7ii with the Z105mm Micro lens what a combination. Have used this setup for flower closeup photography and the results are outstanding. For general shooting its once again sharp detailed and the colours are great.
I just picked up the Z 105 macro from my local camera store today (I am glad that I put im my order early!). It is quite a bit lighter than the 105mm 2.8 F mount macro that I sold. I am eager to test it out!
You are right. My new Z mount 105mm macro wipes the floor with my old 105mm VR macro F mount lens!
Great video as usual. Thanks for the bug trigger warning. That new lens is amazing. Attenborough-level stuff. I can almost hear his voice ...
Thanks a lot ! Glad you like the video !
We knew it was just a matter of time, Nikon killing it with optical quality. Really waiting for some longer S glass ! Shooting Z cameras is such a pleasure the ultra high quality optics complete the experience, hard to go back now! Thanks Ricci 👏😀👍
Nikon using effective aperture specifically means that exposure / flash power is mostly independent from reproduction ratio, because in A/M modes the camera will adjust the diaphragm to keep the effective aperture constant. Seems obvious, but the difference is quite noticeable (not in a good way) when using a macro/system that doesn't do this.
The macro shots are fantastic. Truly a great lens. It would be great to see it for other uses too, like a portrait shot, with bokeh. From what I have seen so far, looks to be a good addition to my bag. Not too hard on the wallet either.
Great video. Very nice office - better between plants and fungi ejaculating spores than covid coughing coworkers, I guess. It looks so natural. I did miss the ColorChecker Passport, though ;) Man, that lens is sharp! I did not hear an indicative price, but the little display hints at "serious".
Lol! Thank you for the bug warning. I was watching this whilst eating my long awaited dinner.
can't wait to see your review about 50mm macro😍😍... please do it
Nice video and it looks like a fine lens but very disappointed by Nikon for not getting out that 100-400mm. I really think there is a lot more people waiting for that lens rather then for this 105mm.
I’m really not sure I do see lots people asking for a long zoom like the 100-400 or 200-600 but I also see hundreds of people requesting macro lenses so it’s a loose loose…. if they announced the 100-400 instead of the macro then the equally as large macro crowd would of been disappointed….. I mean it’s not like that lens isn’t coming the 100-400 is certainly on the way…. Also I want a long lens as much as anyone else so I’m with you !
@@RicciTalks Well then Nikon should have released both to really make an impact :-)
Your videos are so good for showing the quality and a demonstration of the features! Thanks for all you do!
Thanks for watching them !
Thanks for the great video!
I also took a portrait with my video
It ’s a very nice lens.
Great video as always 👍
This lens is going to be Massive for Nikon, just look how many people have pre-ordered this lens in the comments (including myself 😀) just WOW !
Preordered mine this morning. I have been waiting for this lens since I got my Z6.
I been getting into macro too and cant wait for a native macro. I have the Laowa 25mm but want either the 105 or 50 Nikkor Z. Can't decide!
Thanks for sharing this new lens. I did not plan on getting this focal length, however I have decided to get one, once released. Thanks
Glad you found the video useful
Ricci scores!!!!! Thank you for the outstanding content.
Thank you for watching it !
Ricci is certainly outstanding in his field! (Or forest 🤔)
Oh, and I have only just bought a used F mount 105 macro! Looks like I'll have to try to sell that now and start saving some pennies! Looks very nice. Thanks for the early review; useful as ever!
When the autofocus part come up, I thought I just finished watching Techmoan's video 😂
Thanks Ricci, was glad to see a notification that you posted a new video!
Pleasantly surprised that the 105mm Z macro is 'only' £999. I thought it was going to launch at something like £1299. It is the least expensive of the S line lenses so for to sport the OLED display and additional control ring. Looking forward to seeing the 50mm Z macro.
I waiting for this lens for so long. Thanks for the overview, very well explained. The aperture was not clear to me so far. Thanks Heinz
Glad you found it useful !
An Absolutely fantastic lens , can’t wait to get my hands on one...👍 👏 👋
Wow. That's just scary sharp and contrasty.
Thanks Ricci for your test! And great t-shirt !!!
Nice. Thanks Ricci! Really hoped for that 100-400. Still pre-ordered though.
Great intro to the new lens! Hoping for focus speed and accuracy improvements, as observed with the other S line primes. Always happy when lenses are little lighter than the previous model. Looking forward to shooting wedding rings, portraits and all sorts of bugs with this newbie!
I really like the look of this lens. Thank you for another excellent overview. Looking forward to your review of the production version.
Exactly what i was looking for. thanks for your video.
Thanks for the pics! Everyone is taking portrait pictures with this 2lenses. Who cares if they can take those pictures. This is a macro lens! No body is going to buy this for portraits. Your the first youtuber i see that use it properly. Thanks for that.
It's fine for portraits! Why wouldn't it be????
Nice “Intro” to the new NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, Ricci! As a user of the Laowa 100 f/2.8 Ultra Macro with a Nikon Z7, while it has proven to be indeed, ULTRA-sharp, I find that the Focus "throw" is quite short, making it a bit time-consuming to achieve critical focus at the exact desired focus point, hence my great interest in this new Nikkor S lens. So, do you feel that this lens has a very wide/ample focus throw (as other Micro-Nikkor have had), AND do you think that this lens will be sharper at 1:1 than the extremely sharp Laowa Ultra-Micro? Also, why did Nikon abandon the “Micro-Nikkor” designation for the “MC” designation? Thank you!
Appreciating your videos more and more, good combination of technical talk and actual hands-on insight.. One thing I use my z6 for is fairly close up stop motion. Wondering if the 50mm mc would be better for this (shorter/closer) or the 150 (longer/further away/possibly more useful in other situations)...
Thanks for the first look! I’m sure you’re probably planning it anyway, but a 50mm 2.8 MC vs 1.8 S vs 1.2 S would be quite useful.
Other ideas for the next vid:
Could the 50mm 2.8 replace the 50 1.8 as a photographer’s only 50 in the bag?
What about the 2.8 plus the 1.2 as a combo (wedding, portrait photographers, etc.)
How practical is the 50 MC as a daily walkaround lens?
Film copying (I’ve seen you’ve already replied and said you plan on covering this, just wanted to add another voice seconding it and saying thanks)
105 vs 50 image quality, of course
At least one shot illustrating the difference in working distance at 1:1 (sorry I know it’s a bit of a silly thing but I’ve never used a longer macro lens, and seeing the relative camera, tripod, and subject positions would be very useful. It’s like when you show the lens sizes compared to other Z and F lenses, it would really help visualize)
Thanks as always, great video!
Thanks for the review Ricci:)👍🏼
Thanks is for watching!
In addition to an earlier comment, here's a copy of my comment in another channel: Aperture of f/4.5 at 1:1 closest focusing distance ... lenses have their focal length and widest aperture specified at infinity. If a lens focuses closer by than infinity by being shifted away from sensor/film completely (the standard way) then its focal length changes and in fact its widest aperture too. This is laws of physics and mathematics. 105mm with f/2.8 means that the diameter of the widest aperture at infinity is 105/2.8=37.5. If this lens has a widest aperture of f/4.5 at 1:1 closest focusing distance, then its focal length has become 37.5*4.5=168.75 mm. This applies to all lenses that do not zoom and do not prevent focus breathing. Note that any "prime" lens that controls focus breathing in fact, optically is a zoom lens. Nikon showing what really happens is interesting and very correct in the sense of politically correct or PC - make that photographically correct. It e.g. means that you can use your handheld spot meter and do not need to worry about any correction for lens extension - just set the camera and shoot.
Exposure correction for closer focusing extension was business as usual for all large format shooters in the past, until the arrival of the SinarSix in some studios, as it measured at the plane where the film would be, through the lens. Both the altered focal length and aperture f/number are relevant for the depth of field, though - assuming the circle of confusion does not change with close focusing.
I remember using the AF-S 105 micro of a buddy many years ago, and I remember the AF being very slow. This made the lens very much a specialist lens, and since I'm not a macro buff it was not worthwhile for me. Now this new 105 micro, apart from being very sharp, seems to have a much improved AF performance, good enough for many other purposes than close ups. This added versatility, combined with very sharp optics at a reasonable price should make this lens a winner for Nikon. I think it's not only a better macro lens, it's a much more useful lens overall as well - good job Nikon.
You had me at the title! I'm still shooting with the F-mount 105, but having collected a few Z-mount lenses and seen the better results, (especially with the spectacular 70-200 f/2.8!) I've been long for this lens to be released. I hope I can get one before summer is over, to take advantage of flowers, insects, etc.. Your photos and video are gorgeous! Thank you, Ricci! :)
Thanks for watching as always !
Wow, I was waiting for this!
Thank you for your preview, Ricci. I'm really looking forward to this beauty, and consider using it as a portrait lens. It would be great if there have any bokeh comparisons on it.
Will certainly do that with the production unit compared to portrait lenses ect
I have been using the 105 macro F-mount lens for years as one of my portrait lenses, professionaly and for big brands. No doubt you can use this one as well for portrait.
@@RicciTalks I may have to sell my 85 1.8 and get this lens. Would like to see a comparison between the two lenses.
Thanks Ricci - once you get production versions of the MC lenses - 105, 50 can you do comparisons (both still and video) between 'Z' and 'F' equivalent macro lenses, e.g., 50 S with 60 AFS F2.8, 105 S with AFS F and whether the new ones are much stronger, sharp and worth the ££/$$ over used F vers.
Wow .. the sharpness on that 105mm is INSANE!!! I'm getting hold of the Z 50mm f2.8 tomorrow. Can't wait to test that out too.
Hi red. I have the Nikkor S 50 f/1.8, and that lens on a Z7 is Superbly sharp. I'd love to see a comparison test between that and this new "Micro-Nikkor" (MC).
@@stevelink3 Noted Steve. If I can get hold of the Z 50mm f1.8, I would do the video about it. If i can't get hold of the lens then i'll jsut review this Z 50mm macro 🙂
great review. Thanks. Love the office. I'm just waiting for the 200-600
Great review. You picked up on lots of little interesting details as well as the headline specs of course. I like the new Nikkor S design language for instance. There were a few complaints about Z lenses looking a bit like boring black featureless cylinders.
I wouldn't mind calling this lens my own : )
Finally a Z mount 105mm macro.. really happy🔥👍👏
Can`t wait to get mine! Nice video,Ricci.
Here's another explanation of how apertures work as well. The aperture has a physical size in real life. The f in f-stop/f-number is the focal length and the number after is the ratio of the focal length that describes the physical size of the aperture. So in this particular lens, at wide open at infinity the aperture is 105mm/2.8 = 37.5mm in diameter. Because of the heavy breathing of the lens, the focal length changes a lot. If the aperture stays the same physical size, 37.5mm but the f-number drops to f/4.5, we can get an estimate about the breathing: 37.5mm * 4.5 = 168.75mm focal length. Bottom line is, the physical aperture doesn't change, the focal length is, which results in a different f-number. If you have a 24-70 f/4 on hand, you can clearly see this effect. Set the lens to wide open, and then zoom it looking in to the lens. At 24 the aperture will be 24mm/4 = 6mm in diameter and at 70 the aperture will be 70mm/4 = 17.5mm in diameter.
Please review the ES 2 adapter on the 50 mm macro for digitizing slides.
Dreams do come true, pre-order placed.
Same here!
Same here!
thanks for the video ... hope to see new & upcoming more Z lens soon on your channel, overwall little bit disappointed by the announcement with no telephoto lens announced but fingers crossed for them to see in next couple of months
Yeh lots of people waiting for long lenses (me included) hopefully soon !
For those of us who own the F-mount 105mm micro and use it on both DSLR and mirrorless cameras (the latter with an adapter), this may be a case of "if it ain't broke..." The F-mount version has been praised for its sharpness and fast autofocus. On B&H, it has over 1,000 reviews, with an average rating of five full stars. If not all metal, it's pretty close, ruggedness that is hugely important for macro photography in the field. I'm sure the Z-mount version is even sharper, but the more photos I take, the more I ask, "how much sharpness do I need?"
It will be interesting to see how this lens behaves in the real world of video production. Thankfully the lens appears to be fast, quiet, and sharp, the holy trinity for video use.
Thanks Ricci! As always, sharp as a razor.
great review - only thing I would disagree with is you said its autofocus is fast - I think its very slow. Accurate but slow, particularly when capturing a moving subject.
Hi Ricci - great video... looks like an incredible lens.
I have a Z50. Am I right in thinking that this lens will give me a (full-frame) effective focal length of 157.5mm, but the magnification ratio is still 1:1 ?
Thank you! You are always the first ... seems like you are the chosen one :)
I'm a little bit disappointed that they haven't added a 70-200 F4 or 70-300 to their roadmap. But I can use the 24-200 in the meantime ...
thanks Ricci, very good all around performances of the 105 macro ! yes looking forward to see the future video on the Z 50mm macro ! take care and keep on the good work
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video, ran through it a few times. A question, I have the Z70-200S. For taking pictures of bees and dragonflies in flight etc; what are the advantages of the 105 macro over the 70-200@105mm Wide open? Curious about the focussing speed. I have a Z7 and a Z6 II, planning to use the 105 on the Z6II. Thank you.
Don’t feel too proud, you are the best testing and comparison video make. No others could be so straight forward and clearly point out the good and negative side.
Didn't need to convince me to get this lens.. but the video confirmed my wants :D
It’s pretty good 😉
@@RicciTalks Only pretty good? :-)
Sight sarcasm it’s literally the best 105 Iv seen might be sharper than the 105 1.4
@@RicciTalks I may or may not have pre-ordered already... :D
I receive mine yesterday and agree with your findings -vs- the F-mount. I also agree being able to use the 105 with TC's is a real shame. The 200/4 macro is really old and slow.
Yup. I want one!
No one is commenting on the Bokeh. What I can tell so far from your review is that it is quite good! Definitely a remarkable requirement for a macro lens (almost as important as over-all sharpness IMHO).
Liked your explanation of effective aperture. Imagine learning all about that on a D70 shooting manual mode with f-mount AIS primes. Of course the manufacturer doesn’t matter. But, it’s quite a bit to learn as an amateur. If anything having a rudimentary body that required M mode for AIS lenses lowered the learning curve as the body isn’t helping much with anything.
Nice review. Can’t wait to get my new 105 - hopefully I don’t have to wait too long.
Excellent review thanks for sharing.What is the distance from the subject on the new lens compared to the old lens at 1:1? Most of these lenses that go to one to one magnification shorten their focal length as they go closer to the subject which kills the point of using a longer lens to stay further away from the subject.
I'm going to pre-order one!
Just bought this lens and learned a lot from you. The examples were fantastic!! Thanks so much - and subscribed!
I realise this is not a concern for macro, but the change in aperture at close focus us only related to light transmission and not to DOF, right? Or is the DOF also changed accordingly? Great vid as always! :)
Can't wait to get mine!!!
can you please review the Z85 1.8 vs Z105 F2.8 for image quality
Thanks so much. I own the F version, will go for the Z version.
Another great video... Thanks. BTW - love the Homer shirt... I too relate to him ;-)
It’s a favourite of mine
I have held off hanging sold my Nikon kit. I will to end of year hope Nikon beats canon r5 on all areas and I will buy Nikon
Great preview.
Now there is no mention in the Nikon website about this lens being used for digitizing negatives, however Nikon mentions it for their 50mm version to be compatible with the film digitizer kit.
I am hoping you can touch on that or even test it in your 50mm review and if it also works for the 105mm.
There is a long term project I want to do to digitize hundreds of 35mm and several 6x6 (MF) film negatives and I want to make a proper purchase for my Z camera.
Thanks for all you do, cheers!
The es2 works with the 50mm so will go over that when I get the 50mm
The working distance of the 105 mm macros is too long for the normal slide adapters, but it's certainly possible to build your own jig to use one of those lenses to do it.
@@-szega will I still be able to get a 1:1 reproduction of a 35mm [negative] frame by building my own rig?
@@RicciTalks awesome, thanks!
How about manual focusing? I assume it is focus by wire? If you focus an object and switch off the camera. After switching it on again is the object still in focus or do you have to refocus it? Thank you…
Just got the 50mm 1.2S and love it, hope Nikon shoots out the 85mm 1.2S soon!
A subject that was not addressed is focus breathing. The section where focus is changed between the puppets shows some change view angle (focus distance). It would be interesting to compare the amount of focus breathing between the Z and F-Mount lens. Not having a 200 mm option is a bigger issue than focus breathing. I love my F-Mount 28-300 mm zoom. It has a reproduction ration of 3.9 : 1 at 300 mm (it breathes down to approx 250 mm at closest focus). But allows me to take great macro shots by hand without chasing away the bee or butterfly. Cropping the picture down to an even bigger reproduction window is no problem unless you are a pro and shoot door giant billboards. Which I obviously am not.
13:07 It even has the title "Focus Breathing"
I just wanna point out that effective focal length at macro distances is an entirely pointless thing to know unless you want to use extension tubes or a bellows. It tells you nothing about focus breathing. Nothing at all.
A lens can have the effective focal length change as focused more closely, but that doesn't tell you anything about focus breathing, because the focal length doesn't tell you anything about the picture angle unless you're at infinity focus.
That being said internally focused macros generally loose a lot of focal length when approaching their MFD while also narrowing their angle of view (= "zooming in"). You can see that in the timestamp Taipei Geek linked above. The 105S seems to breathe quite a bit less than the older F 105.
Great overview Ricci. I have always liked using this type of focal length for macro (and portraits) on Nikon's DX DSLR's. A couple of observations; I am not so keen on the bokeh highlights from the bug video footage at around 8:19. Also, it's disappointing you can't use with teleconverters-that's a bit of a missed opportunity! Keep up the good work :-)
Hi Ricci, another thing I am very interested in is VR performance with and without IBIS. Maybe you could test it with a Z50 and a Z7 in crop mode?
OMG 😱