Food photography tips

Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED

CookingWithoutLimits

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For my birthday, my husband bought me the last lens that I had on my list for food photography : Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED. Here you have some photos taken with my new lens. I love it  on my D 700.

The 105 mm length macro lens  is great for focusing on one plate, particularly when there is a table full of food that can be out of focus in the background.

This lens length is the go-to for professional food photographers as it reproduces what we’re photographing at a 1:1 ratio, which means that the size of the subject and its image on the sensor are the same.

ginger breadcoffee

Its ability to reproduce images at a 1:1 ratio is an essential feature to capture the close up detail that can create engaging food images.

With a macro lens, you can capture a chef laying down a sauce on a plate or a baker icing  a cupcake, their ability to perform these precise techniques in small places.

What I like about Nikon 105 macro is that it gives you a lot of details within the shallow depth of field you choose. And if I want to see all those crazy details up close,  I do not have to shove the lens into the food to get the perfect shot.

Autofocus is very fast and secure at normal focus distances, but a bit jittery at macro distances. I don’t see that as a problem, frankly. At macro distances you should be focusing manually and have the camera on a secure platform if you want precise focus.

I know there are some reviewers who say it’s a slow-focusing lens, but my experience has been quite the opposite. It focuses quite fast provided you give it a resonably high-contrast subject.

anisecinnamon sticks

This lens work well as portrait lens for taking pictures of the people who make the food.

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Published by CookingWithoutLimits

Hi. My name is Gabi and I am a professional photographer, a new mom and a wife. I wanna learn to cook healthy food for my little one, so I made this blog to share my cooking experiments with everyone. It's gone be a long and a bumpy ride but a funny one, so stay tune for news and enjoy my ride.

94 thoughts on “Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED”

  14. I don’t miss the pre-digital days of SLR cameras (my old camera and lenses is under my bed gathering dust) and the unpleasant surprise of finding a whole roll of dud photos. Looks like you’re having some fun with your new toy. 🙂

    Reply

  18. Excellent images and examples of how this lens shines.

    I have the older version (sans VR) I love it for still life, food, macro, and portrait photography. I find AF the older version snappy enough for me on my D700, and Df. I’m glad you too find yours fast enough for you too.

    Reply

  19. Hello – Happy Belated Birthday by the way! I love these photos, they are just beautiful. Would you consider sharing your editing techniques as well? Thank you!!

    Reply

  20. wow, thanks so much for liking my Brigadeiro blog post. You blog and photos are amazing. I will be visiting often that’s for sure. Hopefully my photos can one day look as nice as yours.

    Reply

  23. Very interesting post – it’s good to know the reasons for why a particular lens is chosen for a particular subject, and how it all works! I still have a lot to learn, so it’s all very useful!!

    Reply

  25. Keep up the great work…your photos are amazing and the blog overall is beautiful…and makes me hungry, which is exactly the point, yes? 🙂

    Reply

  33. That is my very favorite focal length, which I still only have/had in analog. I loved that thing for portraits. I now wish I had one for macro.

    Cameras and lenses don’t take good pictures though..

    People do.

    Your photos are superb, and you have a very thoughtful husband..

    Happy New Year–enjoy that exquisite lens, and your ability to wield it so well.

    Reply

  40. Your photos look fabulous. We are only trying to figure out how to work our new DSLR camera, it’s a bit of a challenge at the start, so thank you for your smart advice! Bisou, L&M

    Reply

  42. I’ve been scrolling through your blog and your food photographs are amazingly beautiful, good technique and idea executions!

    Reply

  43. Thank you so much for this tutorial and tips. I am a beginner with food photography, this is really useful. I have a Canon EOS 700D with a 18-24mm lens, so I definitely need another lens. You have a beautiful blog with stunning photos.

    Reply

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