Nikon Macro Photography: Getting The Right Lens

Macro photography is all about getting right up close to your subject, so having the best lens for the job is vital. Nikon makes one of the very best macro lenses – called a micro with Nikon – and it is the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens.

One of the difficulties involved when shooting in macro mode is that of camera shake. As the image is considerably magnified, any slight movement from the camera operator or the subject will result in a blurred image. This is where this lens comes into its own, it was one of the first lenses to have an integrated optical stabilizer built-in, for which it won a prestigious TIPA award for Best Professional Lens. This system is called VR or Vibration Reduction, therefore if you are attempting to take handheld shots, i.e. without a tripod, there will be a certain amount of image stabilising taking place, compensating for the shake.

The lens is a medium telephoto micro lens, perfect for extreme close-up as well as portrait work. Fitted with AF or auto focus, it is able to work great distances from infinity right up to life-size (1:1). Another feature is the IF or Internal Focus, which enables quiet and speedy focusing while retaining the subject distance through the entire focus range.

It really is packed with top features, another is the extremely high optical performance and high-resolution with Nano Crystal Coat and Extra-low Dispersion or ED glass elements. This greatly reduces flare, which are those awful bright spots you can accidentally get when too much light enters the lens that can ruin a picture. As a result images will have better contrast, color and clarity.

Equipped with SWM or Silent Wave Motor, the auto focusing on this lens is very quiet and smooth for many different shooting modes. you are able to shoot fast action extreme photography to sports and wildlife. This is a technology that works by converting ‘traveling waves‘ into a rotational energy, which then drives the focusing optics.

There are a number of accessories available which accompany the lens, notably a soft lens case, a lens hood, snap-on front lens cap and rear lens cap. And of course, there are many extras that can be purchased to suit your requirements, such as a circular polarizer or soft focus filter or even a snap-on lens hood.

This Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens has absolutely everything that the enthusiast or professional photographer would ever need, to be able to produce high quality macro images. I rate this as the best lens for Nikon macro photography available.