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Zeiss ZF.2 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar T*

Comparison to Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR

Here are compared the Zeiss ZF 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar and the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, using the 24-megapixel Nikon D3x.

Making the comparison

Both lenses had multiple trials (5 for Nikon, 3 for Zeiss), in fact the Nikon lens had the benefit of contrast-detect AF in 10X Live View mode. The Zeiss was focused in Live View mode manually, the only option. The best series for each lens was chosen, but there was so little difference among the series for each lens that only subtle nuances could be seen— the sign of a good test series.

While focusing the two lenses in Live View mode, the reduced contrast of the Nikon 105/2.8G VR was readily evident right on the screen of the D3x, a finding confirmed by the resulting images. Nikon could have omitted the extra VR lens group in favor of a higher performance optical design. Such is the marketing appeal of VR that decisions in that direction won’t happen.

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