denamorano

Beautiful LensI have had this lens on my D700 for about a month now. Having previously owned Canon 100mm, 135L, 85L and other L lenses on my 5D, I can give a comparison with those. With the exception of losing the ability to autofocus, this lens is the best lens IQwise that I have owned. I purchased it for portraits and general use - not so much for macro, but the ability to use it for macro is a definite plus. Serious macro photographers may have an issue with this lens not being 1:1 but rather 1:2, but for me this is not a big deal. You could always use an extender to get it to 1:1 if necessary. Pros: This lens is the sharpest lens I have owned, and it has the best bokeh of any lens I have owned. All other qualities are excellent, such as color, contrast, CA etc. At times, for portraits, it is a bit too sharp - but this can always be adjusted in photoshop.Cons: The lens may be a bit heavy if you are not used to this weight. No autofocus, but you know this already :)Initially I was a bit skeptical of manual focus because I have bad eyesight, but with the combination of the full frame D700 and its diopter adjustment i can focus very well with the ZF 2/100.In addition, there is also the option of using the live-view feature which allows for ultra-accurate manual focusing. I have realized that manual focusing can be more accurate than autofocus.If you are considering this lens, I would recommend it 100%. In my opinion its a bit plain/ugly looking (!) but thats just my opinion, many other think the lens looks awesome. Its also very well built and the manual focus dampening is great.Alternative Option - IF you have a Nikon camera and cannot afford this lens, and don’t need macro, I highly recommend the Nikon AIS 105mm F2.5 (or F1.8) lens - You can get it dirt cheap on craigslist, and the IQ is excellent on that lens. If you can afford it, the ZF 2/100 is amazing. » read more about Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/100 ZF Manual Focus for Nikon F Mount