100mm F/2.8 Series E vs. 105mm F/2.5 AI

My friend at work loaned me his old camera gear to play with. Included in the kit was the 105mm f/2.5 AI lens. Since this lens has a pretty solid reputation for quality, I wanted to see how it compared to my $55 100mm f/2.8 Series E lens -- one of my favorite lenses.

VS

All photos with the 105mm AIS were shot at f/2.8. Photos are exactly as they came out of the camera, with only the text added in Photoshop -- no further adjustment. I focused on the same item in both sets of pictures, using the same focus point on my D200. Let's look at the results:





These lenses are practically the same. I notice very, very little difference. In the last set of photos, I do like the 105's bokeh a tad better -- it's a little creamier. Honestly, it makes me that much happier with my cheap 100mm holds its own.