All photos in this gallery, except the photos of the D200 with the lens (photo #2 and #3) were taken with a Nikon D200 camera and a Nikon 105mm f/2.8 AF-S VR lens. I received this new lens on 27 March 2006. The lens is solidly built, is very easy to use and balances well on my D200. ALL PHOTOS WERE HANDHELD (some down to 1/10 second!). Since I wanted to test the capability of the len's autofocus system, no manual focusing was done. Autofocusing accuracy is precise and impressive. Focusing is FAST and motor noise is almost non-existent. I had previously used a Tamron 90mm macro lens and really liked it, but the Nikon lens allows much more working distance from the camera to subjects that might want to bite/sting you! I have almost been having too much fun with this lens and have even started chasing those big red North Carolina ants around my house!

A HELPFUL HINT FOR THOSE WITH NIKON D200 BODIES: Use the "AF-C" focus selection. The autofocus on the D200 is fast enough to compensate for the typical back and forward motion experienced when taking macro shots. That, combined with the VR feature, allows some REALLY slow hand-held shutter speeds (down to 1/10th second!). This may also work on other Nikon models, but I have no experience with them.

Please also check out my companion D200 gallery by clicking on "all galleries" above.