The Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S is one of the best macro lenses on the market right now, and frankly, one of the highest-performing lenses in general. Very few lenses match the sharpness, bokeh, chromatic aberration, distortion, and flare performance of the Z 105mm f/2.8 Macro. And this lens does it while also focusing to 1:1 magnification and opening up an entire new world of photos you can take.
There aren’t very many issues with the Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S. That said, if you don’t care about macro capabilities and you just want a great telephoto, you’d get equally good optics with Nikon’s Z 85mm f/1.8 S instead (or the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S). Every lens has its tradeoffs. This one trades a bit of size, price, and light-gathering ability in exchange for focusing to 1:1 magnification.
Here’s how I’d sum up the pros and cons.
Pros:
- Best-in-class optical performance in almost every regard
- Fast autofocus (especially for a macro lens) with good low-light focusing capabilities
- Excellent build quality with tight tolerances and no external moving parts
- Advanced weather sealing that should survive anything other than a dunking
- Nikon’s most advanced handling features like an extra control ring, a function button, and an EL display
- Great value and lower than expected price
Cons:
- Focus-by-wire is not the ideal match for manually focusing a macro lens
- Incompatible with Nikon Z teleconverters
- No “distant subjects only” position on the autofocus limiter switch
- A longer focal length would have offered more working distance for skittish subjects
If you’re thinking that the pros sound a lot more substantial than the cons, you’d be right. With the Z MC 105mm f/2.8, Nikon has combined some of its all-time best optics with its top-end features and build quality. Yet they kept the price to a reasonable level that is actually cheaper than the F-mount 105mm f/2.8G VR when it launched, accounting for inflation. (Best as I can tell, that lens launched for $830, which is about $1220 in today’s dollars.)
The one feature that didn’t make either of the lists above is weight. The Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S is not the lightest macro lens out there, nor is it especially small. But it’s also not the heaviest macro lens you’ll find, and it’s noticeably lighter than its predecessor. Ultimately, I think weight and size are neutral factors this time around.
Where does that leave us? With a great, versatile lens selling for a surprisingly good price. The Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 S makes a lot of sense if you’re interested in macro photography, and it could even replace another telephoto in your arsenal for non-macro photos. No matter where you look, you won’t find any major flaws with this lens, whether optically or in terms of its construction.
Considering that, maybe it’s no surprise that the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S gets our highest rating of 5.0 stars, making it only the second lens ever to do so (along with the Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S). Yes, there are minor areas where it could be improved – for example, I wish that Nikon had found a way to make it compatible with teleconverters. But the fundamental quality of this lens is as good as it gets, and Nikon is selling it for a very good price on top of that. I have no hesitation recommending it to any Nikon Z photographer who wants a macro lens.
I hope that you found this review of the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 to be helpful in making your decision! If you want to purchase the lens, you can thank Photography Life for all the work that went into this review by using the link below:
The next page of this review has some more sample photos from the Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 VR S, followed by reader comments on the final page. So, click the menu below to jump to the section you want:
Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro
- Optical Performance
- Build Quality
- Value
Photography Life Overall Rating
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