Nikon 45mm f/2.8D ED PC-E Micro Nikkor Lens

by Nikon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 5.9 inches ; 1.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001BTG3NW
• Item model number: B001BTG3NW
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 2, 2008

Product Description

Amazon.com

Perfect for architectural, nature, and commercial photography, the Nikon 45mm, f/2.8D lens lets you control the perspective more than with other lenses, with the ability to tilt, shift, and rotate while you shoot. The lens offers a wide shifting range--plus or minus 11.5mm--with a tilting range of plus or minus 8.5 degrees to provide exceptional perspective control. In addition, the lens revolves plus or minus 90 degrees in 30-degree increments, providing versatile tilt/shift shooting effects. As a result, you can enjoy all kinds of distorted perspectives and unique angles, giving your shots extra life.

The lens is built using Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements, which offer superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration. Nikon's Nano Crystal Coat, meanwhile, virtually eliminates internal reflections across a wide range of wavelengths to produce even greater image clarity. Other details include a high-performance Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC), which offers superior color performance and substantially reduced ghosting and flare; an auto-aperture control with an electromagnetic diaphragm (requires Nikon D3, D700, or D300 D-SLR camera); and a rounded nine-blade diaphragm that produces a more natural appearance for out-of-focus image elements.

Technical Specifications

• Focal length: 45mm
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Minimum aperture: f/32
• Autofocus: No
• AF-S (Silent Wave Motor): No
• Compatible formats: FX, DX, FX in DX crop mode, 35mm film
• Distance information: Yes
• ED glass elements: Yes
• Super Integrated Coating (SIC): Yes
• Nano Crystal Coat: Yes
• Minimum focus distance: 0.83 feet
• Angle of view: 51 degrees
• Lens (elements): 9
• ED (elements): 1
• Lens (groups): 8
• Maximum reproduction ratio: 1:2
• Mount type: Nikon F-Bayonet
• Filter type: Screw on
• Filter size: 77mm
• Lens attachment size: 77mm
• Lens case: CL-1120 flexible lens pouch
• Lens hood: HB-43 bayonet hood
• Dimensions: 3.2-inch diameter, 4.4 inches long
• Weight: 26.1 ounces
• Supplied accessories: HB-43 bayonet hood, CL-1120 flexible lens pouch, LF-1 rear lens cap, LC-77 snap-on front lens cap

Product Description

The PC-E NIKKOR lens series features a tilt/shift mechanism that provides extraordinary control over the relationship between the optical axis of the lens and the image plane, thereby enabling Perspective Control. This function proves particularly valuable for specialized professional users such as architecture and product photographers.

Incorporating an electromagnetic diaphragm, these lenses provide auto aperture control when used with D3, D700 and D300 digital SLR cameras for improved operability. Furthermore, Nano Crystal Coat effectively reduces ghosting and flare to provide sharper, more vivid images. All PC-E NIKKOR lens with Perspective Control capability incorporate a special tilt/shift which enables the lens to be moved parallel to the image plane, so that subjects such as a tall building can be captured faithfully, without the upper part appearing to tilt backward and become thinner. The mechanism changes the orthogonal relationship between the optical axis of the lens and the image plane, allowing you to control the focused area. In landscape photography, you can achieve a focus throughout the entire subject plane from near to distant. In actual shooting situations, the shift and tilt mechanisms are used together to adjust perspective, distortion of the subject, and focus area.

Perspective Control (PC) lens featuring tilt, shift and rotation capability, perfect for architectural and nature photography.
Wide shifting range, plus or minus 11.5mm, with a tilting range of plus or minus 8.5 degrees provides exceptional perspective control.
Revolving capability of plus or minus 90-degrees in 30-degree increments for versatile tilt/shift shooting effects.
ED (Extra-low Dispersion) Glass elements offer superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration.
Nikon's Nano Crystal Coat virtually eliminates internal reflections across a wide range of wavelengths for even greater image clarity.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent lens, July 22, 2009

By 

Kerry Pierce "kerrypierce" (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon 45mm f/2.8D ED PC-E Micro Nikkor Lens (Electronics)

I own both the 45 and 85 PC-E lenses and both are excellent, sharp lenses that produce great images. Both are great for close-ups, landscapes and of course anything that benefits from tilt/shift capability, like table-top product photography. Properly used, these lenses give the user tremendous depth of field control and some very unique images.

I was initially concerned with the high price of both lenses and the fact that they are manual focus, but their quality in all aspects is worthy of the price and manual focus turned out to be extremely easy and precise on my d300 and d700 cameras.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nikon 24mm PCE a pricey but excellent lens, February 19, 2011

By 

Joseph W. Mccary "Joe" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nikon 45mm f/2.8D ED PC-E Micro Nikkor Lens (Electronics)

This is not your average photo lens. It is intended for some technical photography. It is an excellent choice for several types of projects, I have used it for architectural work. It is great for this. I also use it for copy work for making digital copies of historic maps. By using the shift ability I can effectively increase the resolution of the image by shooting 4 images; top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right. All are overlapping and then merged together as a panorama. I can easily almost double the resolution.

Drawbacks, yes there are some. The tilt function is set to move in the opposite axis as the shift (if the shift is set to vertical axis the tilt function is in the horizontal axis. Nikon will adjust this to be the same plane for a $135 fee.

This may or may not be important to you. Also, the lens works well by making the lens set the aperture via the command dials unlike earlier PC lenses. This is NOT an AF lens.

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, But ---, May 30, 2009

By 

John N (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nikon 45mm f/2.8D ED PC-E Micro Nikkor Lens (Electronics)

The part that works is excellent. The problem is turning the shift to align with tilt requires a trip to the factory. So it is not as functional as I hoped. Other T/S lens can be user rotated, not Nikon. Nikon should redesign this lens to allow user rotation to align tilt and shift.

Same problem for the Nikon 85mm PC-E -- designed to be limited and not user rotated.