Nikon AF-S DX 85mm f/3.5G VR Micro £460/$525 Th e more sensible of Nikon’s DX options

Physically, this DX format lens is 50 per cent longer than Nikon’s 40mm offering and naturally has more than double the focal length. The minimum focus distance is more like that of FX format 90-105mm macro lenses, at 29cm and unlike the Nikon 40mm, it has an internal focusing system so that the front element doesn’t extend. The upshot is that the working distance for full 1.0x macro shooting is greatly improved, at 14.5cm compared with the 40mm lens’s 3.5cm.

Further good news is that this lens features VR (Vibration Reduction), as well as an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element, both of which are lacking in the 40mm lens. One downside is that the f/3.5 aperture rating is two-thirds of a stop slower than in most competing macro lenses, although it’s of no real concern when it comes to extreme close-up shooting.

Performance

Sharpness is uninspiring at f/3.5 but better at medium to narrow apertures. Overall performance is good, and manual focusing is more refined than in the Nikon’s 40mm lens. Even so, we prefer the FX compatible lenses from Sigma or Tamron, even for use on DX cameras.