I've owned this lens for almost 30 years now; compared to more modern lenses, it's smaller, but only slightly lighter (there's a lot of metal and glass in there). Its AF is comparatively slow, albeit pretty reliable; furthermore, there's no VR. All this is to be expected: The lens was developed for cameras with an internal AF motoer and only one central AF spot, so all the modern gizmos tend to clash with its basic concept. Here it is side by side with its 60mm f/2.8G stable mate, another non-VR lens, albeit one with completely internal focusing (no visibly moving parts in operation):
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More importantly, optically, this is a solid performer; it's not as mercilessly corrected as the latest and greatest lenses for Z mount (the Z 105mm f/2.8 S VR is spectacular in every way), but even at 100%, LoCA is very well corrected for such an old design even near its MFD, sharpness is very good, other aberrations are minimal, and all this holds true for the whole range (it's a macro lens, after all).
Anyhow, I just put it on my D750 (a camera that's only marginally bigger than the D7100) for a spell and must say that it's a nice fit and does commendably well in most respects; of course, it's a tad noisy and somewhat slow to operate, but this is a well thought-out and constructed lens with good haptics and optics to this day.
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Would I recommend it? That's another matter - if size and price are important, it's a very good choice because its optics are nice and it certainly fits the bill. And yes, thanks to its focus limiter and compact size, it's also a good general purpose lens (short to medium tele, depending on crop factor). On the other hand, I much prefer the internally focusing lenses with internal AF motors (G and later); they're much easier and more pleasing to shoot with - however, the N90s will work with G lenses only in P and S modes (though program shift is easy), and the 105mm f/2.8D certainly has a lot going for it. Depending on price, it may even be considered a bargain.
All that said, I'd choose the 60mm f/2.8G over this lens every time - speed, accuracy, optics, handling, everything is better on the new lens, and it's even a bit more versatile (being a longish normal lens). On APS-C, it's a very nice portrait lens. So, YMMV.
May I add that if you're not specifically after a macro lens, the 85mm f/1.8D may be more interesting (and the 85mm f/1.8G is even better)?
M.
