AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR

This lens is amazing. I´ve used it for portraits, nature, animals, etc. Photos are sharp yet has just the right amount of bokeh around the focus point. Occasionally will search for focal point, especially in low light, but it´s nothing to really complain about. Overall it´s an amazing lens to have.

This is my 3rd foray into micro-nikkor lenses, and I just may hang on to this one!
With the VR function it is easier to use, however at really close work a tripod is pretty much required to get the best out of the lens. I got it for a D5000, and have since moved to a D5300, and it is so clear and sharp, and the colours are very rich. It helped to adjust the camera to force the lens to a higher f-stop in order to get the depth of field needed for most three-dimensional items, With a little care to the camera work, the final results are certainly worth the effort! I have a list of small valuable items that will eventually get photographed, and I´m looking forward to the results.
Attached image is mildly compressed to fit this website´s requirements.

I have taken over 400 photos of different subjects at different distances. The details are sharp clean and crisp in all the photos, except those where I failed to hold the camera steady or where I snapped the shutter before the AF functioned. A photo of a pecan laid on a table cloth snapped at a distance of about 12 inches was so sharp that the linen fibers in the threads on the table cloth were visible and all the texture on the pecan was lear. Photos of a rosemary plant at 30 ft showed the texture of the leaves. Color was correct on all subjects. specially nice is a shot of ice covered tree limbs with the sun shining through and a deep blue sky background. I have six other lenses ranging from a 50 mm prime to a 150-500 mm zoom. so far, none of them are superior to the 85mm f3.5.

I knew I wanted a macro lens. It would be my first, and as all my other lenses are Nikon made, I wanted to ´keep it in the family´. Like many, I did my research before committing to a purchase. I chose this, the 85mm after careful consideration and many great reviews on various sites. For a maiden voyage, I took it to a combo flower/butterfly show. How did it fair? Incredible, fantastic, marvelous...need I go on? I won´t say every shot was perfect. They never are, right? Yet, when I got home and had the chance to really see what I´d shot on my 27´´ LED monitor, I almost couldn´t believe my eyes. Bottom line? I´m thrilled with this lens! I feel like I´ve opened the door to a brand new world of creative possibilities. Now go get yours! I´ll try to get some of those first shots up soon!

I was looking for an 85 for portraits on my D7000, with the DX crop that would be close to what a 135 would be on a film camera. I also wanted a macro to shoot food and flowers. After some research I decided on this lens. After four months of use I can say it was a good purchase.

This is a nice lens that performs well. It does hunt occasionally, the nature of the beast, and when it does I switch to manual focus and move the camera back and forth to get what i want. For portraiture it gives a nice blurred background (I don´t like the term Bokeh).

I´ve owned the 105mm Nikon micro and for true macro photography this is better. I shoot photographs of bugs and trout flies. The ease of use, capture of color, superb image, everything, makes this THE single best macro lens for my kind of work. You can spend more, but if you´re shooting in natural light from one to three feet, don´t bother looking anywhere else. This is what you want.

The Nikkor Micro 85 mm VR is a great macro lens for the money. Quite sharp with almost no distortion at all. For DX users this is a superb addition to your kit. The VR enables good macro results hand held, and the 85mm focal length is great for general photos and portrait work (as long as you don´t need super smooth bokeh). For a modest price this macro lens opens up a whole new world of creativity.

I am fairly new to macro. Recently I found my ground and needed a good lens for a good price. I bought 40mm before this, but the distance was always an issue with me, so I ended up buying this and I know I will never regret this decision. The lens is amazing. The ergonomics are a little slow, but that could be because I am using d3100 with fewer focus points then a pro level camera, but this lens delivers! 1:1 ratio is amazing!!
Only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 because, I would have liked to see f 2.8 instead of 3.5.
I am learning and growing more into macro photography everyday because of this lens.
Very soon, I am planning to upgrade to d7000.
I hope this lens works on it. I really do !
If you are like me and make second - third decisions on everything. STOP! This is the right one. Buy this lens if you are serious about macro photography. Expand your horizons and grow. Below are some of my pictures.

I waited a few weeks before writing this review. One to get familiar with the true macro lens and to work out my kinks. I ordered this Nikon 85mm micro lens after many weeks of researching what I should get. I have used all the various attachments, i.e. magnifiers, extension rings, x times filters and the Raynox M-250 ring. Which is great in a pinch. Not to mention the macro feature of a Tamron 70-300 zoom with macro feature. They all do a really good job and I never thought I would see a big difference in an actual macro lens. As the Pro´s say, there´s nothing like a real macro 1:1 lens. I´m now a believer.

I struggled with various brands, sizes, etc. Let´s remember everyone has their own specific needs and price range. I actually wanted everything, distance, VR, internal focus, light weight, quality and because of the price, I was hoping to get more use out of this one lens, I did. I must say I almost made the wrong choice for me, but I´m glad I kept thinking about it.

After much review and study, the Nikon (Nikkor) 85mm micro lens was the one. It seemed to fit right in the middle of what I wanted, needed and could afford.

The Nikon delivers. I use this on a D7000. I have included a few pics for sampling. I found that very helpful when I was researching the various lenses. Although I not sure what size and quality the samples actual post at. The lens is sharp, fast and very responsive. I realize when shooting macro, a tripod is the way to go, but that is fine when you have a setup shot. A spontaneous moment requires that grab the camera and shoot. That´s one of the best features of the Nikon, the VR. The internal focus (so the lens does not get any longer) is also a Great feature. You can be at a very reasonable distance 9-10 inches at 1:1 for a great shot. The Infinity range of the lens takes good shots also, what a nice short telephoto lens. I´m sure going forward I will have more uses for this lens.

I won´t go on about the other brands I checked out, and I sure there are good ones out there, but I am very very satisfied with the 85mm Nikkor. I would recommend it to anyone. If I had a Full frame camera, the 105 would have been my choice, but not this time.
By the way, the samples I have included were all taken with the camera hand held. Limitation to file size though.

I hope this review helps other to make a good decision, and to find the lens right for you.