Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm F1 4E ED Review | 54 Data compared

The Photography Life review identifies the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED as a top-tier, professional short telephoto lens, boasting exceptional sharpness from f/1.4, superior contrast, and smooth bokeh for profound subject isolation. It features robust construction with weather sealing and a precise, quiet autofocus motor, though its large, heavy, 985-gram build with a 82mm filter thread makes it less portable. While optically stellar, the lens displays noticeable wide-open vignetting, longitudinal chromatic aberration, and minor 0.84% barrel distortion. Despite a premium price tag and a plastic lens hood, the lens is lauded as an essential, high-performance tool for professional portraiture.

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED as an exemplary short telephoto prime, delivering extraordinary central sharpness from f/1.4 with a, smooth, and superior bokeh. Key features include solid weather-resistant build quality, effective nano-crystal coatings to minimize flare, and a fast, silent autofocus motor. However, the lens is heavy and bulky, which may cause user fatigue, and it produces noticeable vignetting at maximum aperture. Its high, premium price tag is justified by top-tier optical performance suitable for portraiture and landscape work.

The Nikon 105mm f/1.4E ED is highlighted as an exceptionally fast telephoto lens, designed for superior portraiture and astrophotography with remarkable sharpness and smooth, creamy bokeh across the entire frame, even at f/1.4. Key technical advantages include an electromagnetic diaphragm for precise exposure control, an effective instant manual-focus override, and durable fluorine coatings on the lens elements. Conversely, the review notes significant drawbacks, including a high price tag and a "plasticky," China-produced build, representing a departure from traditional Japanese manufacturing. Furthermore, the lens is physically bulky, requires large 82mm filters, lacks image stabilization (VR), and its electronic aperture is incompatible with older Nikon cameras.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 105mm f/1.4E ED is a professional-grade, ultra-fast telephoto prime lens optimized for portraiture, delivering exceptional sharpness and smooth, painterly bokeh through 14 elements and a 9-blade aperture. Its key advantages include superior subject isolation, a 3D pop effect, and an electronic aperture for consistent exposure during high-speed shooting. Conversely, the lens is heavy at 985g with a large 82mm filter thread and lacks built-in optical stabilization (VR), requiring steady handling or high shutter speeds. It also exhibits some vignetting and lateral chromatic aberration at the maximum f/1.4 aperture and carries a high price point.

The Nikon 105mm f1.4E ED is a unique, high-end short telephoto prime lens designed for full-frame bodies that delivers exceptional image quality and easily earns a "Highly Recommended" award. Evaluated on a high-resolution 36MP Nikon D810 sensor, its standout strengths include exemplary contrast and sharpness across the entire frame even when shooting completely wide open at f/1.4, allowing photographers to utilize its unique focal ratio right into the corners without hesitation. It features an incredibly appealing, creamy background bokeh and offers 20% more magnification reach than a standard 85mm lens, ensuring superior subject isolation. Additionally, it features a reliable, quiet autofocus system, excellent weather sealing at the mount, and demonstrates very minimal longitudinal chromatic aberration (loCA) and zero focus shift out in the field. However, these premium optical feats come with notable physical and financial trade-offs. The review's primary criticisms target its high retail price of 2,200 USD / 2,400 EUR and its bulky, hefty build, weighing nearly 1 kg (985g) and carrying a wide 95mm focus ring that can make a combined setup tire out your neck over long...

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 105mm f/1.4E ED is an outstanding, full-frame short telephoto lens that has earned PCMag’s Editors' Choice award for its unmatched lens design and incredible optical performance. Designed primarily as a benchmark tool for portrait photographers and bokeh enthusiasts, it delivers exceptional sharpness from edge to edge even when shooting wide open at its maximum f/1.4 aperture. In lab testing paired with a 36MP Nikon D810, the lens resolved a spectacular 3,502 lines at f/1.4—well above the standard minimum—and improved steadily as it was stopped down, handling diffraction exceptionally well until f/16. Additionally, it features minimal pincushion distortion (a negligible 0.6 percent) and a pleasant mechanical manual focus ring that provides excellent tactile feedback.

The Nikon 105mm f/1.4E AF-S ED is a large, heavy, and expensive prime lens ($2200) that marks a massive performance leap over the older 105mm f/2D DC lens it replaces. In terms of advantages, the lens delivers exceptional sharpness across the entire frame even when shot wide open at f/1.4, featuring an improved bayonet lens hood, and Nano, Fluorine, and ED glass elements. Reviewer Thom Hogan highlighted its surprisingly snappy and tracking-proficient autofocus system, making it fully capable of handling fast-paced action like indoor sports. Additionally, it features an expertly engineered, smooth, and natural bokeh transition with highly round center circles and minimal "onion-ringing". On the downside, the lens is physically demanding, weighing 34.8 ounces (945g)—a 50% increase over its predecessor—and utilizes a very wide 82mm filter thread. This massive barrel diameter can wedge the user's fingers uncomfortably against the camera body near the mount. Performance-wise, it lacks Vibration Reduction (VR), requiring high shutter speeds to avoid pixel-level blur. It also exhibits clear longitudinal chromatic aberration (purple and green fringing), noticeable field curvature at longer distances, and distinct reflection artifacts...

The Shutterbug field test of the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED identifies it as a premier portrait lens offering intense, edge-to-edge sharpness at maximum aperture and smooth, creamy bokeh. Its complex optical design, including Nano Crystal Coat, minimizes aberrations while providing excellent low-light performance with consistent exposure via an electronic diaphragm. Conversely, the lens suffers from notable wide-open vignetting in the corners and is considered quite heavy, requiring solid support for optimal handling. Additionally, the high-priced optic lacks built-in vibration reduction (VR), representing a significant investment for a specialized, non-stabilized prime.

The Have Camera Will Travel review highlights the Nikon AF-S 105mm f/1.4E ED as a high-performance prime lens, praising its exceptional sharpness at f/1.4, quick autofocus, and superb, silky-smooth bokeh. Tested on a D810, the lens excels in handling, showing no noticeable chromatic aberration or flare. Have On the downside, the review notes the lens is very expensive, positioning it as a professional-level investment, and it is significantly larger and heavier than its 85mm f/1.8 counterpart, which could lead to fatigue during long, handheld sessions.

The Nikon 105mm f/1.4E is characterized as a specialized portrait lens designed primarily for shooting wide open in sub-optimal light. The reviewer praises its exceptional sharpness at f/1.4, comparing its detail rendering to high-end Leica optics like the APO 50mm Summicron ASPH. Its standout feature is its superb bokeh, which effectively "melts away" cluttered or "awful" backgrounds into a smooth palette, providing an optimal balance between focal length and maximum aperture for background blur. However, the lens has notable drawbacks, including a focal length that is not particularly popular and a lack of versatility for everyday "walk around" use. The reviewer noted potential issues with corner sharpness or user error during autofocusing and reframing, as some lead eyes in head-and-shoulder portraits did not appear perfectly sharp. Additionally, the extremely shallow depth of field at f/1.4 means that even in a 3/4 pose, only the lead eye may remain in focus while other facial details fade away.