- 85mm focal length is considered the optimal choice for portrait work using a 35mm SLR camera
- High-performance, fast, maximum-aperture, NIKKOR telephoto lens
- Internal focusing for fast AF operation
- Rounded diaphragm makes out-of-focus elements appear more natural
- Fast f/1.4 aperture is helpful in shooting indoor sports or stage productions
Product Description
85mm lens for Nikon SLR cameras… More >>
Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
This is a tentative review, and I’ve factored in the high price for the rating, but
I tested this lens for sharpness, and it isn’t much different from other, cheaper lenses I tried. (50-1.8) I somehow had the illusion that the lens would yield a sharper image when shooting the books in my library and looking at the printed titles. My 70-200 vrii kicks the 85 out of the park with sharpness, because the main source of blur is hand shake (which the vr cures.) But I don’t deny the perceptions of other shooters in this review forum.
Now I am classified as color-blind, because I don’t pass the tests where you have to see the numbers buried in the colored balls. Yet, I see color! Am I kidding myself? Anyhow, I notice the lens + D700 brings out colors that my naked eye doesn’t pick up.
Evidently the quality of this lens isn’t measured by simple sharpness tests of shooting and blowing up images. What I found is that hand shake trumps all sources of blur, and if you control that, you get great results with many lenses.
What the other reviews are talking about is an evanescent quality in the image that magically emerges in shooting. It is bokeh and color vividness mainly…
So I am going to review this and up the rating as I actually shoot with this lens, if I see what others are talking about. Until then, I am bringing my vr lenses along.
Added 3/28 - I have just realized the apparent softness could be a limit of the lcd screen on the D700. It seems that printing the picture is the main test…But here’s another comment about the reviews of my review. I notice a 1/3 favorable, which is hardly statistically significant, but it points out a serious failing in the thought process of people. Here it is in a nut-shell: Cultivate and consider contrarion opinions to your own, especially if you think they are wrong. This is because partisanship (”I’m right, you’re wrong.) makes you stupid. I have to force myself to do this, as it’s a strong tendency of the human mind to do this.. Science tries (with varying success) to overcome this, but I offer this as a view on how you can judge a lens. For example, the limit in resolution of the lcd could be a cause, but no one offered that idea. Overall, I am disturbed by the inability of the D700 to catch subtle shadings of light (The Canon 5D I tested was much better.) Is my perception a result of the D700 lcd? If so, why does the Canon 5D seem a better “light-catcher?” Comments welcome!
Rating: 3 / 5
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!
Rating: 5 / 5
This lens is everything that is being said about it, razor sharp portraits, seems to be is at it’s finest at f4.0-4.5 My only dismay was that it is not a USA lens, not a USA warranty.
I rate the lens 5 stars, the shopping experience 3 stars.
Rating: 4 / 5
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?
Rating: 5 / 5
This lens really is incredible. I’m surprised that its not depicted more often from a head-on perspective. Looking through it, you see glass - and only glass - from edge to edge.
Rating: 5 / 5