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Rent NowThe Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D is a dedicated macro prime lens designed for Nikon F-mount cameras, delivering true 1:1 life-size magnification along with the versatility to double as a short telephoto portrait lens. It’s aimed at entomologists, botanical and product photographers, and portrait shooters who want a single lens capable of both extreme close-up work and flattering headshot or environmental portrait framing.
Optically, the lens offers a 105mm focal length with a maximum aperture of f/2.8, achieving true 1:1 magnification so subjects appear life-size on the sensor or film frame. The 105mm focal length gives photographers a meaningful working distance even at full macro magnification, keeping the lens far enough from delicate or skittish subjects like insects to avoid casting shadows or disturbing them. The f/2.8 aperture pulls double duty, offering reasonable low-light capability along with clean subject-background separation when the lens is used outside of macro distances. Internal focusing keeps the physical length of the lens constant throughout the focus range, so the front element never extends toward the subject.
As a D-type lens, it transmits distance information to compatible Nikon camera bodies, improving the accuracy of 3D Matrix metering and i-TTL flash exposure calculations, a particularly useful feature for macro and product photographers working with speedlights or commander-mode flash setups. Autofocus is driven by Nikon’s screw-drive mechanism, powered by a focus motor built into the camera body rather than an internal AF motor within the lens itself, so autofocus functions only on Nikon bodies equipped with a built-in focus motor; bodies lacking this feature will require manual focus. Focus speed is comparatively slow relative to more modern AF-S macro lenses, though widely regarded as reliable and well suited to macro work where many photographers prefer manual focus regardless.
Build quality reflects Nikon’s respected AF-D era construction, with a substantial metal-and-glass barrel that gives the lens a somewhat larger, heavier feel than newer compact primes despite its modest overall size. It does not include Vibration Reduction (VR), consistent with its design era, and accepts a 52mm filter thread.
As an FX-format lens, the AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D delivers its full angle of view on Nikon full-frame F-mount bodies while remaining compatible with Nikon DX-format APS-C cameras at a narrower, telephoto-equivalent effective field of view, and it retains compatibility with Nikon’s autofocus film SLR bodies in addition to digital SLRs.
Key Features
– 105mm f/2.8 macro prime lens for Nikon F-mount
– True 1:1 (life-size) macro magnification
– D-type lens (transmits distance information to camera)
– Internal focusing (constant barrel length)
– Screw-drive autofocus (requires camera body with built-in focus motor)
– No image stabilization (VR)
– 52mm filter thread
– Versatile for both macro and short-telephoto portrait use
– Compatible with Nikon full-frame (FX), APS-C (DX), and film SLR F-mount bodies
