Head-to-head: Macro lenses for Nikon FX mount
Macro subjects evoke lot of interest to all people alike. The lure could be in the details that otherwise escape our vision, or the colourful world of insects. A Macro lens is one that every photographer desires to add to his kitbag. Rarely do you choose a specialist lens first and scout for a D-SLR that can go with it. Hence for lens tests, it makes more sense to compare lenses in such a way that we end up suggesting the best lens for a particular format of D-SLRs from the same brand. In this test, we compare Macro lenses that are made for Nikon FX format (Full-Frame) camera bodies and attempt to suggest the best option in the market.
For this test, we approached all prominent manufacturers that produced lenses for Nikon FX bodies and which were easily available in the Indian market. The list included Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron. Unfortunately, the Sigma distributor politely informed us that they did not have any macro lens readily available. So we were left with Nikon and Tamron. So this test is between the AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm 1:2.8G ED, AF-S micro Nikkor 105mm 1:2.8G ED VR, Tamron SP AF 90mm 1:2.8 Di Macro 1:1, and Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.8 Di VC USD Macro.
Design and Build Quality
The outer body of the Nikon 60mm lens is made of sturdy polycarbonate material, while the Nikon 105mm is made of metal and is undoubtedly the most rugged amongst the four. It is also the largest and heaviest. Both the Tamrons have polycarbonate exteriors. The Tamron 90mm VC (since both the Tamrons have near-identical designations, we would use VC or non-VC to distinguish between the two) is the second in both bulk and weight. All the lenses have metal mounts. All except the Tamron SP 90mm non-VC lens have rubber cushions near the lens mount as a weather-sealing measure.
Key Features
The following table will give you an idea of how the key features are matched. Both the Nikkor 105mm and the Tamron 90mm VC feature image stabilisation in the form of VR (Vibration Reduction) in the Nikon and VC (Vibration Correction) in the Tamron. The Nikkor 105mm offers the longest working distance, while the Nikkor 60mm offers the shortest working distance. The non-VC Tamron is physically longer at 1:1 magnification, thereby reducing the working distance. Both the Nikkors feature Silent Wave Motors, while the Tamron 90mm VC features Ultrasonic Silent Drive. The Tamron 90mm non-VC does not feature any high-speed motor.
Ergonomics
Coming to the comfort of using the lenses, the Nikkor 105mm, being heavy and bulky, induces more fatigue to your hands. The focus rings are narrower and the grips are smoother in the Nikkors compared to the Tamrons. The Tamron 90mm VC lens has the best grip, and being thinner and lighter than the Nikkor, is easier to handle. The Tamron non-VC version comes second in user-comfort, while the Nikkor 60mm takes the third place. All except the Nikkor 60mm have focus limiter switches for faster focusing, but this does not essentially put the Nikkor 60mm at an advantage since you need to turn the focus ring only about 180 degrees to cover the entire range of focus. The Tamron non-VC lens has a nice push-pull type AF/MF switch, but on the flip side, this is the only lens that does not have internal focussing and hence the lens barrel extends considerably while focussing.
Performance
The lenses were tested on a D800E body in JPEG format to keep consistency with the internal sharpening applied. VR/ IS was turned off and the camera was mounted on a sturdy tripod.
AF Speed
All lenses except the Tamron 90mm non-VC feature high-speed motors and all of them were equally fast in focussing. The Tamron 90mm non-VC was slow and noisy while focussing.
Darkening of Corners
To test darkening of corners, we kept the Vignette Control feature in the camera to ‘High’ so that all lenses were povided the same advantage. All lenses exhibited Darkening of Corners at the widest aperture. The Nikkor 105mm produced the least darkening followed by the Tamron 90mm non-VC. The Tamron 90mm VC came third.
Flare and Chromatic Aberration
To test Flare and Chromatic Aberration, we usually photograph strong sunlight peeping through branches. But the monsoon clouds spoiled our plans and hence we had to simulate the situation in the studio. A studio light was kept behind a cardboard with holes punched on it to test flare and chromatic aberration. The Tamron 90mm non-VC controlled flare better than all others, though the difference was very small. The Nikkor 60mm came a very close second, while both the Nikkor 105mm and the Tamron 90mm VC produced slightly higher flare. In case of chromatic aberration, the Tamron 90mm nonVC produced heavy purple fringing. The Nikkor 105mm also produced prominent purple fringing, but less than that of the Tamron. Both the other lenses produced slight magenta fringing. In this, the Nikkor 60mm fared marginally better than the Tamron 90mm VC.
Distortion
None of the lenses produced any perceptible distortion, and hence they all share full points.
Sharpness
Evaluating the sharpness of macro lenses at 1:1 magnification is very challenging because of the very shallow
depth-of-field. Even a fractional difference in alignment of the film plane with the subject plane can make a significant difference in the depth-offield and hence the sharpness. Because of the inconsistency in results, we did not take into account the peripheral sharpness. Comparing the centre sharpness, all the four lenses had identical sweet spots at f/11. All the lenses are manufactured to provide the best sharpness in the range of f/11 to f/32. After the sweet spots were obtained, the sharpness was again compared using a slightly lower magnification (less than 1:1) so that it provided better depth-of-field. The Nikkor 60mm, Nikkor 105mm, and the Tamron 90mm VC lenses were equally sharp (when visually observed). The Tamron 90mm non-VC was slighly soft. We also found that the Tamron 90mm non-VC lens overexposed the images. Since the same camera body was used for all the lenses, we presume it to be the slight inaccuracy in the aperture mechanism. The Tamron 90mm VC lens, however, produced the most consistent results.
Value for Money
The Nikkor 105mm retails at an MRP of Rs.60,000, while the Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G carries a price tag of Rs.40,250. The Tamron SP 90mm non-VC lens retails at Rs.28,900, while the Tamron SP 90mm VC is priced at Rs.39,800.