REVIEW: NIKON105MM F/2.8D
The Lens I Never Knew I Needed Until Now

There’s not a single photographers I know that doesn’t love to window shop for our next gear “Wish List” item.  So after the holidays, I decided to pop into my favorite local camera store – Unique Photo – to check out the 85mm f/1.4 that I’ve been dying to get my hands on. I noticed that they changed the layout of the store and as I was exploring, I discovered the “Used” window display.  Perhaps it’s been there the whole time, but this was the first time I noticed it. I immediately started looking around for the 85mm, but no such luck .  However, I did spot the Nikon 105mm f/2.8D among a couple of other  lenses.  I always knew that I’d eventually get a macro lens (perfect for photographing details and ring shots at weddings), but it wasn’t a priority since I was making due with my 35mm f/1.4. It originally costs about $900, but since it was lightly used, it was marked down to $350! I knew if I didn’t snag it right then and there, it would be gone.  Luckily, I had some holiday gift cards handy which help bring down the out-of-pocket cost and I was able to walk away this amazing lens at such a great price.

I don’t shoot a lot of still life or macro photography, hence not being at the top of my priority list, but now that I have it and see what a fabulous job it does with portraits (I’ve been using it exclusively for the 52 Faces Project), I wish I had gotten my hands on this sooner. For starters it’s tack sharp! Even hand held, it yields some amazing results.  It does take a little longer to focus than my other prime lenses,  but once it locks in, it’s golden. The bokeh is so soft and creamy! I will say that it does take a little practice learning to focus tiny details like diamond rings, but the more I use it, the more I love this lens. Here are some recent shots taken with the 105mm f/2.8D: