Infrared Photography with Nikon Micro 105mm

Just tested the great Nikon Nikkor Micro 105mm f2.8 D for infrared photography. The data are available at the Infrared Photography Lenses Database

Depending on the application and the task the infrared photo should be taken, low or high aperture numbers could be necessary. For the specific needs of infrared photography for art documentation it is helpful to have detailed information on lenses behavior at different aperture. This database was launched in order to provide detailed information on Nikon lenses performance for infrared photography.. The evaluation method consists in shooting photos with different aperture numbers of the same target composed of a black and white cardboard with the AIC Photo Documentation target. The images are collected with a Nikon D800 modified for full spectrum (UV-VIS-IR).

The Micro 105mm f2.8 D is one of the sharpest Nikon lenses. It is useful for both macro photography and telephoto. Its performance for infrared photography is also excellent.

Lenses show hotspots when shooting infrared photography. Hotspots are caused mostly by the coatings inside the lens barrel and on the lens elements or by the interaction between the lens elements and the imaging sensor. Hotspots become more apparent at higher aperture numbers, while often disappear at the lowest numbers. The Micro 105mm f2.8 D shows a hotspot only over f 11 while other telephoto lenses already at lower f-numbers.