A conventional design
With its traditional look and feel,
the lens has a fast ring-type
ultrasonic autofocus system
with a focus-distance scale
under a viewing panelSharpness
There’s virtually nothing to
choose between the Nikon and
Sigma lenses for sharpness.
They’re both very good, and
slightly sharper than the Canon
RF 85mm lens in the cornersColour fringing
Lateral and axial chromatic
aberration are both a little more
noticeable with the Nikon lens,
compared with the SigmaDistortion
There’s a touch of pincushion
distortion in this lens, which
isn’t controlled quite as well as
in the Sigma opticPRICE:£1,799 / $2,067
Nikon AF-S
105mm
f/1.4E ED
It’smuchsmaller and lighter
thanSigma’s competing lens,
butwhatabout the quality?Theincreaseof20mm in focal length, compared with the 85mm
lensesontest,gives this Nikon lens and the competing Sigma
a littlemoretelephoto reach. There’s not a great deal in it, but
theeffectisnoticeable, and the 105mm lenses feel a little more
naturalfortighthead-and-shoulders portraiture.
Despitetheupsized focal length, the Nikon lens is actually
shorter,slimmerand lighter than the Canon RF 85mm lens
ontest.It’salsomuch smaller than the Sigma lens, and less
thantwo-thirdsof the weight, making it more manageable for
handheldshooting. However, it’s considerably pricier than the
Sigmalens.
Typicalofmodern lenses, the optical path is complex, with a
largenumberofelements – this time 14 of them arranged in
ninegroups.The design features three ED (extra-low dispersion)
elementsandhigh-tech Nano Crystal coat. Build quality is very
goodoverall,and the construction features weather-seals along
withfluorinecoatings applied to the front and rear elements.
Autofocusiscourtesy of a fast ring-type ultrasonic system with
conventionalfull-time manual override, and a focus-distance
scalemountedbeneath a viewing panel.
Aswiththecompeting Sigma 105mm f/1.4 lens on test, the
Nikondeliversthe availability of an incredibly tight depth of
field.Inthecontext of portraiture, you can have sharpness for a
singleeye,andeven the surrounding eyelashes will be blurred.
Levelsofsharpness across the frame are very good, while
bokehisbeautifully buttery, with a smooth graduation between
in-focusanddefocused areas. Axial chromatic aberration can
benoticeablewhen shooting wide open but disappears when
stoppingdowna little, the well-rounded diaphragm helping to
retainhigh-quality bokeh.1502 2292 2556 2439 2319 2088 1697
1263 1407 1470 1573 1603 1576 1414
1306 1692 1989 1954 1981 1869 1593REVIEWSREVIEWS