One of the nice things about moving up from Nikon DSLRs to the newer Z mirrorless cameras is that you can continue to use your existing lenses. Most of them will continue to work when mounted with an FTZ mount adapter. And because there’s no optical glass in them, there’s no optical penalty for doing so.
One of the lenses that has been a real workhorse lens for me over the years is the 105mm f/2.8 macro. I have the AF-S version (and had the previous version before that). And until recently, I’ve been using that with the FTZ on my Nikon Z8 quite happily.
But coming into the spring, when I use this lens even more than usual, I thought it was worth seeing if it was worth replacing it with the Z version. So I’ve been shooting with them side-by-side.
Shooting with the F-mount and Z-mount versions
The full names for these lenses are:
There’s a lot of similarities between these lenses. They’re both 105mm focal length, have a maximum aperture of f/2.8, use 62mm filters, and offer 1:1 macro magnification. They both have lens VR (and the Nikon Z8 also has IBIS). Even when you drill down further, the technical differences are subtle.
The stabilization doesn’t quite work the same way through the adapter, though. Nikon’s own explanation is that when an F-mount VR lens is mounted via the FTZ, the lens keeps handling the stabilizing and the camera only adds the roll axis. Put the Z lens on directly and the lens VR and the body’s IBIS work together across all five axes. It’s not a night-and-day difference in normal shooting, but it’s there.
But this isn’t about differences on paper. As I increasingly lean on my Nikon Z8 over the D850, I want to make a practical choice on which lens to use going forward. Because I don’t need both of them. So I’ve been trying them out side-by-side on my Nikon Z8.
If I didn’t already own the AF-S version, I’d just go with the Z version. Simple. But the question for me is whether it’s worth the considerable upgrade price. Because even selling the AF-S on the used market will only cover a small part of that upgrade price.
If you’re using a Nikon DSLR, there’s no choice to be made. Only the AF-S version will work with F-mount DSLRs. Z lenses can’t be adapted the other way onto a DSLR.1
But if you’re using a Nikon Z full-frame body, you have a choice. And that’s what I’m focusing on here. I have DSLRs (like the D850) and mirrorless (like the Z8). I have the AF-S 105mm f/2.8, and I use it a lot.
As I increasingly use the Z8 as my main body, my decision is whether to stick with the AF-S with an FTZ adapter or switch to the Z 105mm.
And that’s where my focus is on here. While I’m comparing the two lenses, it’s with the specific objective of making the practical decision on which I want to use going forward on Nikon Z bodies. In other words, everything I’m talking about here is about using these lenses on a Nikon Z body (and even more specifically, the Nikon Z8).
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF-S vs Z: Key features
Minimum focus distance
The Z version focuses down to 0.29m (about 11.4 inches). The AF-S stops at 0.314m (about 12.4 inches). With a macro lens, the minimum focus distance is a big deal. And while these are very similar, the small advantage that the Z has here can make a meaningful difference if you’re shooting close and using the maximum 1:1 magnification.
| Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 | Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 |
|---|---|
| 12.36 inches / 31.4 cm | 11.4 inches / 29 cm |
Angle of view
Nikon lists 23° for the Z version and 23°20′ for the AF-S on full-frame. So the angle of view is technically slightly different, but it’s so slight as to be the same in practical terms.
| Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 | Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 |
|---|---|
| 23° 20′ | 23° 10′ |
Apertures
They have identical maximum and minimum apertures: f/2.8 to f/32 on both. Worth knowing with any macro lens, though, is that the marked maximum aperture only applies at normal focus distances. As you focus in close, the effective aperture drops — on the Z version, f/2.8 becomes f/4.5 at 1:1, and the minimum end tightens to f/51. That’s how macro lenses work rather than a fault, but it’s why your shutter speeds fall away as you get closer to the subject.
| Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 | Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/32 | f/32 |
Build & handling
The overall optical design is similar, and I’ve not noticed any particular practical advantages in everyday shooting of one design over the other.
| Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 | Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Optical Design | 14 Elements in 12 Groups | 16 Elements in 11 Groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9, Rounded | 9, Rounded |
Size & Weight. By itself, the AF-S version is significantly smaller, mainly due to a shorter length — 116mm against 140mm for the Z.
But to use it on a Nikon Z camera, you’re going to need to use the FTZ adapter as well. And that combination comes out a little longer than the Z lens itself.
The AF-S version is also heavier — noticeably so, at 720g against 630g for the Z. It also feels more solid.
Filters carry over between the two. Both use 62mm screw-in filters, so anything you already own for the AF-S goes straight onto the Z version. The hoods don’t swap, though: the AF-S uses the HB-38, and the Z version comes with the HB-99.
| Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 | Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 3.27″ / 83mm | 3.3″ / 85mm |
| Length | 4.57″ / 116mm | 5.5″ / 140mm |
| Weight | 1.58 lb / 720g | 1.4 lb / 630 g |
Manual Focus Ring. This is one of the more important differences to me, and it’s somewhere the Z version has a significant advantage.
The Z version has much smoother manual focus. Macro work is one area where I find I use manual focusing far more often than in most other types of shooting. And the smoother focus means truer and finer control of small changes.
Lens Control Ring. The lens control ring is something that Nikon has been adding to some of their newer lenses. It’s basically a utility ring that you can assign custom controls to. Things like aperture control or exposure compensation. And it can be very handy to have.
As much as I’d like to use it for exposure compensation, there’s a catch with that which I’ve written about before. But I also find it very useful to have it assigned to aperture control. Sure, you can still use the camera’s own dials to control the aperture, but if you’re used to the old-style lenses that had aperture rings, this can be a nice way to change the aperture.
The Z lens has a control ring; the AF-S doesn’t.
One thing the Z version gives up is teleconverter compatibility. Its rear element sits too close to the mount, so neither the Z TC-1.4x nor the TC-2.0x will physically attach. It’s an easy thing to assume works, since 105mm is right in the range where a teleconverter would be tempting.
Focusing speed & reliability
One thing I find a bit frustrating with the AF-S version is the way it sometimes gets stuck in searching mode for autofocus. It’s something I run into often because of the way I use it — handheld, and often with moving subjects.
I’m finding the Z version better in this respect. Definitely not perfect. But better. I’m using the 3D tracking AF, and it’s doing a great job even under difficult focusing conditions, although like the AF-S, it tends to struggle to find subjects when they’re close. Limiting the focusing range with the switch on the side of the lens helps but doesn’t completely solve it.
Bokeh
Both lenses have nine rounded aperture blades, giving nice round and quite smooth bokeh.
There are galleries of real-world shots from each lens elsewhere on the site: samples from the Z MC 105mm and samples from the AF-S 105mm.
Wrap up
The reality is these are both great lenses. And it’s also true that you can probably get the same end product out of both lenses.
But I’m finding the Z to be a much better fit for the Z8. It makes the taking of the photo that little bit easier, and smoother. And it has an ever-so-slightly smaller minimum focus distance. And the more reliable autofocus is something that matters to me.
I get that it’s kind of obvious that the Z version might work better on the Z8. It’s much newer. And of course a lens designed specifically for Z-mount cameras is probably going to be better on Z-mount cameras. But for me, it’s about whether it’s better enough to warrant spending several hundred dollars more in upgrading to the newer version. Because even after selling the AF-S version on the used market, it only covers less than 20% of the cost of the Z version.
If I was rarely using this lens, it probably wouldn’t be worth it. And if I didn’t have either and was just dabbling, you can get some great deals on used copies of the AF-S version (Nikon has stopped making all F-mount lenses, so new stocks are on their way out, but you can still find gray market versions.)
But I use it a lot. I use it for my DC cherry blossom site, for product shots I post on this site, and for flower macros during the spring and summer, which I do just for fun.
All of which adds up to this: I’m moving to the Z version.
Notes & References:
- Well, there are other options, but I’m referring here specifically to Nikon-branded lenses. Sigma also makes a version which is worth a look. There’s also a Nikon AF-S 105mm f/1.4E, which is a different kind of lens. It’s not a macro, and it’s designed more for portraiture and wedding photography. [↩︎]
Thank you for your clear review !
i still have 1 question
On the AF-S at maximum magnification my camera indicates as biggest aperture f 4
Is that the same for de Z-mount ?
As they indicate f2.8 i want f2.8 and not f4 because of DOF, Bokeh and the incoming light (sorry for my bad English)
Hi Frans. Good question, and I’m with you on this and had run into that on the AF-S version. I tested it just now with the Z version on my Z8, and it does the same thing. At the closest focus setting (maximum magnification), it goes to f/4. Backing off a little can move it down to f/3.8 or f/3.8.