Nikon AF-S 105mm f1.4E ED Sample Images – Real-World Examples
This is a selection of photos I’ve taken using the Nikon 105mm f/1.4 lens. My emphasis with these shots is leaning more toward travel and everyday photography rather than the more common target for this lens of portrait photography.
I recently had the chance to shoot with the Nikon’s new 105mm f/1.4 prime lens (or the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED, if you want to get technical).
Their other 105mm, the f/2.8 micro, is a lens I use a lot, so I was interested to see how this one compared, especially with such a fast wide aperture. (Both of the lenses I’m referring to are in Nikon’s F-mount range; they have different models for Z-mount, but both of these can be used on Z-mount mirrorless bodies with an FTZ adapter.)
I’ll be comparing them directly in a separate review. These sample images go along with that side-by-side review as well as give a sense of how the lens performs in real-world shooting.
I’ve put the emphasis here on the large apertures that are the headline features of this lens, so many of the shots were taken in low light, as well as many that make use of the narrow depth of field at f/1.4. All of these were shot hand-held (there’s no VR on this lens, unlike the f/2.8 version).
This lens is aimed primarily at portrait photography. It’s squarely in the range of ideal focal lengths for portrait photography, and the wide maximum aperture makes it easy to blur the background into silky softness.
But I was intrigued by its possibilities for general travel photography, with using the combination of wide aperture and medium telephoto focal length to both draw out details and work well in low light.
As you’d expect from a high-end and, let’s face it, expensive lens like this, and especially coming from Nikon, the optical quality is excellent. As usual, it’s sharpest a few stops up from wide open, but even wide open at f/1.4 and f/1.8, it is very sharp.
Autofocusing, when mounted on a Nikon D810, was accurate and quick. And while the lens itself is a bit bigger and heavier than its f/2.8 sibling, it’s still very portable. Bokeh is one of those very subjective things, but I was very happy with what this lens delivered. I found nothing to complain about in terms of chromatic aberration or lens flare, even when pointing it right at the sun.
I was using it right around the time that I had several early mornings down near Washington DC’s Tidal Basin and Lincoln Memorial, so many of the shots were from there.
I’ve processed these lightly in Lightroom but have only adjusted things like exposure and contrast. I haven’t applied any lens corrections such as distortion correction or removing lens vignetting. I’ve included the aperture each was taken with in the captions below. You can click on each photo to open a full-size version if you want to take a closer look.
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/2 on a Nikon D810. For this pre-dawn shot of the Jefferson Memorial reflected on the Tidal Basin, I was resting the lens on a railing. In this kind of lighting for this kind of shot I would normally use a tripod, but the very fast aperture increased the options. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.4 on a Nikon D810. It’s not the usual view of the statue of Dr. Martin Luther King at the MLK Memorial. I like the way that the focal length framed the image and using the wide open aperture brings focus attention on the eyes. It was moments after sunrise, which is why it has a soft golden glow on the statue. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.4 on a Nikon D810. A shot taken well before dawn at the Lincoln Memorial. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/2.2 on a Nikon D810. A pretty standard landscape-type shot that doesn’t make any special use of this lens’s strengths, but it still works well. You can notice that vignetting in the corners, though. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.4 on a Nikon D810. Taken in low light wide open, the individual branches on the trees in front of the Washington Monument are still sharp even at the edge of the frame. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.8 on a Nikon D810. It was much darker in real life than this photo makes it look — well before dawn. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.6 on a Nikon D810. This shot shows the kind of isolation that the fast apertures can bring out even at moderate distances. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.4 on a Nikon D810. Another example of how the combination of wide aperture and medium telephoto can be used for selective focus even on scenes some distance away. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.4 on a Nikon D810. Nikon’s other 105mm, with macro, is better for flower photos, but you can still get some interesting effects with the wide apertures. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.4 on a Nikon D810. Like the shot of the statue of MLK, above, this one is taken from the base of the statue (Lincoln Memorial), with the sharpness of the face contrasted with the softness of the inscription behind him. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/2.2 on a Nikon D810. You can see some vignetting, but it’s not especially objectionable. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/11 on a Nikon D810. I found no issue with lens flare, even pointing it right at the sun with dark silhouettes in the frame. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/16 on a Nikon D810. There is a very slight barrel distortion, but it’s not really noticeable unless you side-by-side it with a corrected version. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/6.3 on a Nikon D810. Again, no issue with lens flare. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED at f/1.4 on a Nikon D810. A night-time shot that wouldn’t normally work handheld. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
I take photos for a living. Now based in Washington, D.C., I have spent the last 30+ years shooting across seven continents — from underwater environments to mountain peaks. My images and time-lapses have appeared in major newspapers, magazines, museums, professional sports stadiums, and even on massive architectural scrims covering world-famous buildings.
I started this site in 2009 to field-test gear, share problem-solving solutions, and share what I've learned in shooting around the world. I only review gear and services I have personally used. No armchair opinions — just real-world experience. Because, for me, the fun is in the making of the photo.
