![commercial photography in West Yorkshire commercial photography in West Yorkshire](https://www.johngardnerphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/sheffbot011.jpg)
Nikon Professional Support kindly sent me a brand new Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 AFS-VR macro lens absolutely free of charge by way of a sweetener for some issues I had with their service recently. This is a £600 state of the art lens designed for close-up photography and is the latest in computer designed optics and nano coated lenses and, boy, is it sharp!
Having had a busy week I haven’t had time to test the lens until today when I went with the family for a walk round Sheffield botanical gardens. Althought there were plenty of subjects to test the lens on, the weather was dull with occasional rain showers, so the low light conditions would certainly put the image stabilisation of the lens through its paces. I’ve heard a lot about this lens, it’s becoming legendary, but nothing prepared me for just how sharp this bit of glass is! Shooting with ISO speeds of 800-1200, the lens performed flawlessly at all apertures from wide open to f/32 and the VR (vibration reduction) certainly does appear to work, allowing me to get really sharp shots hand held at shutter speeds as low as 1/15. This is going to be an impressive addition to the kit bag when shooting weddings and portraits as well as a whole raft of wildlife scenarios. All the images in this blog entry were taken at the botanical gardens today with the 105 lens.
Thank you Nikon!
![West Yorkshire Commercial Photographer John Gardner Mammillara bombycina](https://www.johngardnerphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/cactus21.jpg)
Mammillara bombycina
![Commercial photographers in Wakefield Agave leaves](https://www.johngardnerphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/agarve.jpg)
Agave leaves
MikehSounds and looks like the 105 is a winner, should I trade my Tamron? Mmm.
Mike