New Digital Camera

DX-format medium telephoto Micro NIKKOR lens is ideal for extreme close-up and general photography with continuous autofocus from infinity to life-size (1:1).

User Reviews about Nikon 85mm f 3.5G AF-S DX ED VR Micro Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

I'm having doubts about this lens. This is the first non-pro nikon lens that I have and I'm having trouble getting used to it. It does not have the feel of a nikon lens, especially the focusing. I would have gone with the older model but this one is supposed to be sharper - I certainly hope so. Service from Amazon is excellent. -- I'm not real sure about this one, yet. . .

I use this lens at my Nikon D-5000. Bought it to take pictures of the praying mantis that lives in the plants in our backyard.
Auto-focus is amazingly fast and silent, and the vibration reduction gives me 3 to 4 f-stops leverage. Photographing the mantis, I don't apply the auto-focus most of the time; instead, I focus manually to the closest distance, and then leaning forward (using a mono-pod to eliminate vertical and lateral movement) until the subject becomes sharp. Works like a charm, but requires some practice.
This lens has a very shallow depth of field at f3.5 - it measures in fractions of centimeters. The pictures this camera-lens combination generates are brilliant, with true colors and (provided the focus is correct) very sharp.
The lens is somewhat lightweight, using predominantly plastic materials. No cheap feeling on it, though, everything is well built and works flawlessly.
I like also the M/A functionality, where you can adjust/override the focus provided by the AF module manually without having to switch to the manual focus mode first; the lens has an AF/M switch, so you can operate it completely in manual mode.
The minimal focusing distance is very useful and much shorter than the most critters would allow you to use anyway. One nice feature is a scale that tells you the reproduction rate for the distance you focus at.
One small concern I had was the 3.5 f-stop instead of the more common 2.8. But in practical use, that difference is negligible, and would come into play only at some very limited occasions, like with portraits of people. Which, by the way, this lens also does an exceptional job at.
All in all, with over 35 years of photographic experience under my belt, I have to say that this is one of the best lenses I ever had. It beats some of my $1000+ lenses, that I had with the old film SLRs. If you are in the market for a macro lens for your Nikon DX-format DSLR, look no further. -- One of the best lenses for Nikon

I've done very extensive comparisons of this lens against other macro lenses: in addition to this new 85 DX, I also have a Nikon AF-S 60 f/2.8 micro and a Nikon 105 f/2.8 VR micro, and in the past have used a Tamron 90 f/2.8 Di and other lenses with extension tubes and diopters. I ran various tests of the 60, 85, and 105 on a Nikon D300 camera.

The 85 DX has a great combination of features: fast AF-S focusing, VR, light weight, and excellent working distance of about 15 cm (the distance between the front of the lens and the subject at closest focus). The working distance is about the same as the much more expensive 105 VR, and is important to allow for natural lighting and with skittish subjects such as insects. The light weight and features make it a great macro lens for travel.

I have tried 3 different copies of this lens, and one was definitely a lemon -- at 1:1 magnification (closest focus), the image quality was not good at all. I returned it and the replacement is a great performer, producing results close to those of the 105 VR. If you're not getting good results, try a different copy.

The clear disadvantage of this lens is that it is strictly for Nikon's DX (crop sensor) cameras. I have not tried it on an FX or film camera, but presumably it vignettes badly. The 60, 105, and 90 lenses mentioned above are all designed to cover a full 35 mm frame, and should work on 35mm film or Nikon's FX digital SLRs. There is no lens for FX that has the same combination of features, compact size, and low weight. -- Perfect travel macro lens

It took me some thinking to come up with a criticism of this lens, which is, after all, sharp as a tack, light of weight, 'relatively' inexpensive, and the perfect working length for a DX camera. I finally decided that my only issue is that Nikon did not throw in an 85mm 1.4 as a two for one deal. Speed is nice sometimes, although crisp shots at infinity to 1:1 is really much nicer. And let's face it, 3.5 isn't all that much slower than 2.8 (Nikon's standard aperture for macro lenses). The decision to make this a 3.5 means a much lighter weight (and slightly lower price) than Nikon's flagship 105mm.

I already own the 60 and 105 macro nikkors which are usually mounted on D300s's. The 60's short working distance get's in the way too often when it gets used on a full frame camera, though. The 105 is a wonderful lens but I find that my aging wrists complain after a few hours hand holding. So it tends to stay in the studio on a tripod. The 85 solves these problems and, as an added benefit, takes wonderful photos.

I'm not going to go into analyses of sharpness or contrast - there are better sources for that. And everything Nikon says about the lens is true. If pushed into a corner I will admit that the 105 seems to have a VERY slightly snappier image (and it should), but for general utility on a DX camera, the 85mm 3.5 is the one to own. -- Just what the DX ordered.

We received this product earlier than expected. I have not taken any pictures with the lens yet, but everything came with it and it was new in the box. I do not expect any problems. -- nikon camera lens