Nikon AF-S NIKKOR f/1.8G ED Lens - 85 mm

Product Information

Build quality feels very solid, as you’d expect in a lens at this price point. Multiple weather-seals are fitted around all of the joints, control rings, and the L-fn button and A-M focus mode switches. That’s another plus point for photographers shooting portraits at weddings and other events, which need to go ahead whatever the weather. Performance You'll notice that the only people trying to tell you that this old f/1.8 manual-focus lens is Nikon's best ever are people trying to sell you one. Nikon's claimed MTF supports what I've seen: stunning sharpness from edge-to-edge on full-frame, even wide-open. Getting perfect focus is critical; if you see green or magenta color fringes, that tells you that you're not in perfect focus. Although Nikon is most likely going to announce an 85mm f/1.2 S lens in the future (yes, that’s now possible with the Z mount), it is not going to be a cheap lens, and it will likely be much bigger and heavier compared to this f/1.8 version. Until such lens arrives, the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S is likely to remain as the top choice for the Z mount, other than adapted F-mount 85mm primes, which there are plenty of. Thankfully, the 85mm prime selection is quite extensive for a Nikon shooter. Just take a look at some of the lens options available today: I prefer this original lens to 2012's new plastic made-in-China G version. This original lens offers a better 9-bladed diaphragm, superior mechanical quality that will last a lifetime, isn't gelded so it works on every camera, has a hard infinity-focus stop, metal filter threads, faster autofocus and smaller size than the new G 85/1.8.

Dildoplant. 85mm f/1.8 G, Nikon D800, f/6.3 at 1/160, ISO 100, VIVID +3 Saturation, Sharpening set to 6. LARGE BASIC Optimum Quality JPG file (losslessly rotated in iView 3.1.3). Nikon's AFS autofocus motors break. I've had a couple die on me, and if this lens dies and Nikon decides no longer to supply repair parts, you've got a manual-only focus lens. If you’re a wedding photographer or do other photography jobs that require you to be on your feet shooting all day, this lens is fantastic in terms of size and weight. Sharpness There are two almost identical version of this lens: the original AF version from the dawn of Nikon's autofocus made from 1987-1994, and today's AF-D version, made since 1994. Diffraction means that the 85/1.8 is much softer at f/8 and smaller if you're really looking closely, as it is with all lenses. Most lenses aren't as good as this 85mm, so diffraction's degradation at smaller apertures isn't as obvious with them.

If you love impeccable image quality and tack-sharp results, then we have a feeling you might like the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S

Multi-Focus System" with more than one moving focus group for faster and better optical correction over distance.

For the K version as shown, I measure 2.443" extension from flange x 2.757" diameter; 2.767" overall (62.04 x 70.00mm, 70.30mm overall). On the 36 MP Nikon D800, it's sharp but veiled by contrast-lowering spherical aberration at f/1.8 and f/2. The corners are still a little less contrasty at f/2.8, and are clear by f/4, improving even more at f/5.6. See Nikon Lens Compatibility for details with your camera. Read down the "AF-S, AF-I" and "G" columns for this lens. You'll get the least of all the features displayed in all columns, since "G" ( gelding) is a deliberate handicap which removes features. The wider the aperture for camera lenses, the more difficult it is for lens manufacturers to make them fast focusing.

Lens Handling and Build

The Z6 and Z7 always correct for lateral color fringes (chromatic aberration), this is part of Nikon's secret sauce and never appears in any menu. Our lab tests revealed a touch of pincushion distortion but it’s hard to spot in real-life images. In-camera correction is available but, as with color fringing, it’s generally unnecessary. Verdict But I would like to see a wide aperture 85mm Nikon in the future that focuses as fast as the 70-200 f/2.8. That lens is one of the fastest focusing lenses on the market, but it’s really big, heavy and has a smaller maximum aperture. Bokeh

It’s nice to keep the size as small as possible but some lenses are small to the point where you don’t really have room to use the lens to steady your camera, which isn’t a problem with this lens. It’s almost non-existent as lateral color fringing – the longitudinal type (fringing behind and in front of the focused point of an image) is where you see it. It basically results in purple weirdness in high contrast areas of your pictures and shouldn’t actually be there. In the center by f/2.8, it's perfectly sharp and contrasty, improving only slightly at f/4 and f/5.6. The current Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF is far better optically, works great on every old camera, and works even better on newer AF and digital cameras. Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S Build and Handling

Ideal Uses: Perfect for use on manual-focus FX digital and film cameras. Pop one on your D850 or Z7, and if you don't mind manual focus, you'll get fantastic results. With those caveats, the Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF-D is super sharp at every aperture even on the 24 MP Nikon D3X and 36 MP D800, even the first 1987 version, even out to the corners at f/1.8! This is great for astronomy; just turn to the stop and you have fixed laboratory-perfect focus all night.