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85mm lens for Nikon SLR cameras
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Technical Details
- 85mm focal length is considered the optimal choice for portrait work using a 35mm SLR camera- D-Series for Nikon mount cameras
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By Ro
I have been shooting with this lens for 5 months now and find this is my new favorite lens to shoot with. The 85mm is a little bit too long for me at one point or another when trying to frame my kid in tight area. I have been doing a lot of foot works since I got this lens. Just be prepare to do some exercises when you decided to purchase one if not shooting in a portrait studio.
One small detail that I had noticed though is that the len is "Made In Japan" but the lens' cap is "Made In Thailand." Could this be right? Nikon uses lens' cap from Thailand instead of manufacturing their own in order to save money?
By nnsuch (USA)
I've had my eye on this lens for some time, but was very hesitant to spend the money on it. I bought it a couple of months ago and have used it almost exclusively on my D90 since then. This is a great lens, and I know it was the right lens for me to add to my photo gear right now.
I agree with previous reviewers, there are 2 main reasons to buy this lens. First, if you shoot in low light conditions this lens performs incredibly well. The other day I was at my kids' school taking some musical photos for the yearbook. The auditorium manager was out for the day, so we couldn't turn on the stage lights. We only used the house lights and a very small amount of background stage lights, so it was very dark and I wasn't feeling optimistic about getting some decent shots. But wide open, the lens was capable of producing sharp, clear, decently exposed images.
The other main reason to buy this lens is the bokeh, of course. It is very smooth and beautiful. However, this lens does take some practice and skill when shooting wide open. It is a very sharp lens even at 1.4, but there is no room for error with focus since the depth of field is so narrow.
One other thing that I really like about this lens is it's size and weight. It's hefty and well-built, but isn't too heavy or cumbersome on my D90. I feel perfectly comfortable walking around with this lens. Sometimes people suggest getting a 70-200mm before or instead of the 85mm, but for me this lens is a much better fit and more versatile. Yes, the 70-200mm also has great bokeh, has a more versatile range, and can be better for indoor sports. But it's size and weight are a major negative me. I wouldn't use a 70-200mm for casual portraits, or as a walk around lens, or everyday casual shots. In my opinion, the 85mm is great in all of those situations.
There are some negatives to this lens - it is a little too long on a DX body at times and there are some chromatic aberration and flare issues when shooting wide open.
If you are thinking about getting this lens, do your homework and figure out of this is a right fit for you. For me, it is a very versatile lens and a great performer and I am completely satisfied with it.
By Enche Tjin (Philadelphia, PA)
Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.4 has been hailed as legendary lens for Nikon DSLR or film camera. I think it is because of its unique characteristic but also its age. This lens has been around for thirteen years.
Image Quality and characteristic
Mounted in Nikon full frame camera D700, the lens is sharp at maximum aperture of f/1.4D, which is excellent. Stopped down to f/2.8, the lens become very sharp. But extreme sharpness is not what this lens is made for. It is primarily made for its ability in low light condition, and its ability to create a beautiful out of focus effect in background or foreground.
Because of those characteristic and its fixed focal length, this lens is ideal for portrait. It is also good for candid portraiture such as in wedding. For Nikon pro wedding shooters, this lens is one of must have lens.
Unfortunately, this lens suffers a bit from purple fringing in high contrast area (see sample pic below), it is also susceptible to flare, but not as bad as other lenses.
Auto Focus operation
Because Nikon 85mm f/1.4D does not have built-in motor focus like modern lenses (AF-S) lens, it relies on camera body to focus. It speed will also depend on the camera body. The more higher-end model such as Nikon D700, D3 or D3X will focus faster than the entry-level camera.
When mounted in Nikon D700, the lens focus very fast. Unfortunately entry level user such as Nikon D40, D40X and D60 only can use manual focus because the camera body doesn't have the capability to focus AF lenses. This lens also create some noise when focusing because lack of Silent Wave Motor.
In sport games such as basketball, the lens has difficulty in continuous tracking. It fails to lock on the object properly resulting in many blur image. I don't recommend it for sports.
Build Quality
Built quality of this lens is awesome, it is average in size and weight and very nice to handle. The focus ring is smooth. Closest focusing is 85cm, make it not very ideal for macro / close-up photography.
It will come with "metal" lens hood. Unfortunately the lens hood it screw in type and you can't reverse it for more compact storage. In spite of that, the lens hood is fully metal, so it is better than regular plastic type and a lot more durable.
Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D vso 85mm f/1.8D
Compare to f/1.8D version, This lens is 2.5 times more expensive, the cheaper lens is not as sharp as f/1.4D in its maximum aperture of f/1.8. At f/2.8, the sharpness is almost equal. The build quality is also a lot worse than the f/1.4D. But the 85mm f/1.8 is more compact and portable.
In Conclusion
You might want to get this lens because of several reasons:
* You frequently shoot at extremely low light condition which f/1.4D is often needed
* You are concern about artistic, especially smooth background blur.
* You are looking for the sharpest lens from edge to edge of the image. (The lens is designed to be sharp in the center "focus" and soft in the corner).
Don't buy this lens for indoor sports, it is better to get either f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens or lighting equipment.
check out www.radiantlite.com for other reviews
By Michael Farwell (des moines iowa)
Ok, I just did it! Ive listed my nikon 80-200 2.8 on ebay. I ordered this lens with alot of anticipation!!!! Ive drooled over the idea way to long.
I feel like a 52 year old kid at christmas getting his first bike. Portraits are my number one addiction, my 2.8 was great in low-light doing stage work{live musicians}. If the 2.8 was what I thought was great I can only imagine what I'll be able to pull off at 1.4-2.0!
By Amr Ahmad Alghamdi (KSA, Khobar)
I've bought this lens a month ago, and I've taken unforgettable photos ...
This lens is a Bokeh factory ... The portraits are amazing, so dreamy, so isolated.
The built quality is great, metallic. Many complain about the screw hood, I love it, plus it's metallic too.
The focus is so fast.
I've bought a 77mm NC filter mainly to protect the lens ...
I know some finds the 85mm in digital = 127.5mm is not easy to handle, specially shooting indoor and in small rooms, but this lens will make you overcome this issue ... and if you cannot, then go for 50mm or less.
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Buy Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Now
