123click's reviews

  • Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Beautiful bokeh and a very nice outdoor portrait lens
    None but VR II would sure come in handy

    Love this lens for sharpness even a full aperture which I do frequently do with portraits outdoors. Wouldn't it be great if it had VRII?

    reviewed December 4th, 2011
  • Nikon 35mm f/2D AF Nikkor

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Light and very cheap, I like the star effects you get with it at night.
    rather soft in the corners

    It is very soft in the corners wide open but great for group shots when stopped down to f8 where every face is in very sharp focus and I particularly like the star effects I get from it when shooting at night - on a tripod of course because its sharpness is just mediocre wide open.

    reviewed December 4th, 2011 (purchased for $200)
  • Nikon 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Extremely sharp when stopped down
    Terrible corner sharpness at f2.8 and often require artificial lighting, a tripod or a flash to get results.

    Extremely sharp when stopped down but forget about using it wide open because it is just a blur in the corners and just mediocre in the center.

    reviewed December 4th, 2011
  • Nikon 14mm f/2.8D ED AF Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Central to foreground sharpness and zero window glare problems.
    can't protect it with a filter and some moustache distortion.

    This lens may be a soft out on the corners at full aperture for sharpness but it more than makes up for it with central and foreground sharpness which astounds me no end, and it is only when pixilation become an issue with my D700 camera sensor image quality becomes an issue.

    I usually avoid having round objects like clocks on a wall or cups on a coffee table in the corners of the image for such ultrawide lenses because they become strangely elongulated so I rarely have anything much worthwhile in the corners anyway and place the more important elements of the image closer to the centre of the image which is where the sharpness of this lens is untouchable. When shooting with this lens I usually have it set for f8 to f11 and never below f5.6 because I only use such lenses to maximize the depth of field.

    No perceptable window glare is another strong point in this lens which is a big issue with my 20mm. I can shoot interior shots with this lens and there is none of that nasty halo around the windows at all and fine detail such as with leadlight window's leading was completely untroubled by the strong background light.

    reviewed December 3rd, 2011 (purchased for $1,400)
  • Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    VR II, sharpness, great walk around lens
    Too much plastic

    I only hope this lens lasts the distance for being compromised with too much plastic but that is no to say I am not impressed with its image quality which is sharp from corner to corner at every aperture at every focal length. My only worry is I am afraid I will wear this lens out pretty soon by loving it to death for its sharpness and wearing out the plastic zoom adjustment ring. The barrel distortion is pretty strong at 24mm but it is very simple and can be corrected in a few clicks with a mouse by Photoshop

    reviewed December 3rd, 2011 (purchased for $1,000)
  • Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Takes a front filter, very compact, resonably sharp, low distortion.
    Window glare is dreadful.

    A wide angle lens with great center sharpness but not as good as my 14mm but at a third the cost what could you expect? and what's more it can take a front filter when conditions are too dirty to pull out my 14mm which has no protection at all.

    From my experience the image quality of this lens suffers most with window glare so much detail in stained glass windows or leadlight windows is completely drowned out with background glare so I much prefer my 14mm for interiors for that reason.

    reviewed December 4th, 2011 (purchased for $350)
  • Nikon 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR Micro Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Sharpness, versatility, construction, perfect bokeh, no distortion
    None

    This is one seriously sharp lens with perfect bokeh and sharp from edge to edge. This is the best lens I have ever purchased and could not be happier. Flair is nonexistent and focus is lightning quick. It is just a perfect of portraiture as it is for macro

    reviewed October 10th, 2012