Sharpness
The 85mm AF-S ƒ/3.5G VR Micro is a sharp lens, though it must be stopped down to obtain maximal results for sharpness.
Used wide open at ƒ/3.5, the lens shows results in the area of 1.5 blur units across the majority of the frame, with a slight pocket of corner softness in the top left to the tune of 3 blur units. Curiously this corner gets slightly worse at ƒ/4, while the rest of the frame gets slightly sharper, and then at ƒ/5.6 overall sharpness is improved....
Macro
The main attraction of the lens is its macro functionality; to be specific, a full 1:1 reproduction ratio. Minimum close-focusing distance is 28.6 cm (just over 11 inches). This makes for a comfortable working distance for the lens; just far enough away to avoid scaring away critters, and close enough to make easy adjustments to a static scene. The addition of VRII is also useful, allowing some macro shots to be made without the use of a tripod.
It's worth noting that the maximum aperture of the lens decreases as the lens is focused closer to its minimum distance. We have set out a table which indicates the aperture size
Distance Aperture
36'' ƒ/3.8
18'' ƒ/4.0
15'' ƒ/4.2
13'' ƒ/4.5
12'' ƒ/4.8
11'' ƒ/5.0
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Alternatives
Nikon 105mm ƒ/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR Micro ~$900
Nikon's ''other'' VR-enabled macro lens, the 85mm ƒ/3.5 shows itself to be sharper at wider apertures, and can achieve sharper performance when stopped down as well. On a sub-frame camera the 105mm operates as a 158mm lens; CA, corner shading and distortion are excellently handled, as well or better than the 85mm. It's a full-frame lens, where the 85mm isn't.
Nikon 60mm ƒ/2.8G ED AF-S Micro ~$550
For about the same price, the Nikon 60mm ƒ/2.8 micro is an option. Though it doesn't offer vibration reduction, it's a full-frame lens, and slightly sharper than the 85mm ƒ/3.5. CA is slightly higher, but distortion on the D200 was essentially zero; corner shading was really only an issue with the lens mounted on a full-frame body.
Nikon 85mm ƒ/2.8D PC-E Micro Nikkor ~$1,500
We haven't yet reviewed this lens, but if it's anything like the 24mm ƒ/2.8 PC-E we reviewed, optical quality should be excellent. Clearly, you only need this lens if you're interested in tilt/shift operations.
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* * Conclusion
On its own merits, the Nikon 85mm ƒ/3.5 micro is a good lens; it shows a slight defect in the top left corner that could be distinct to just this sample. Apart from that, it's a sharp lens,
especially when stopped down to ƒ/8 or smaller, and the addition of VR is very useful. The overall population of macro lenses in this focal length is becoming quite large,
and compared to other lenses in the category, I'm not sure if there is any one feature which would make this lens a must-buy.