Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Fixed Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras

What a find! This is one of Nikon's best lenses and yet it is one of its cheapest--a remarkable bargain. In particular, it is an exceptionally sharp lens. It just might become the sharpest that you own. You have to try out this lens to appreciate just how excellent it is. And as you know, the better and larger your camera sensor’s size and resolution, the better performance you will get with the right lens & camera coupling. That is what DxOMark’s benchmark tests are based upon, pairings, and you can see on that site that this lens is very highly ranked. Basically it matches the performance ranking of this Nikkor 85 1.8G's heavier big brother that is $1,100 more expensive and equally highly regarded 85 mm f1.4 Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras . In my tests, although I love that lens too, I did not find what I needed in its performance wide open so why pay more? Some of my colleagues counter that it has better glass and a heavier build that is well worth the difference. It is a heftier lens, solidly built but just not the best choice available for my travel kit or budget. In a blind test I doubt I could distinguish which print came from which of these two Nikkor 85mm lenses. On the other end of the price scale, if you are on a tight budget you can still find deals on older 85D auto focus lenses like these ones presently starting around $300 on Amazon, Nikon 85mm f/1.8D Auto Focus Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Fixed . There is also a faster, well respected, more expensive model, the 85D 1.4 that still has many loyal fans, Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras . All of these Nikkor 85 mm lenses offer very good to excellent optical quality. In general, from what I have seen over the years I think most newer lenses have more contrast and better color saturation because of improved internal coatings but the optical quality of the older glass is still superb. The "D" models have advantages of distance scales for DoF and infinity hard stops. As a Nikon user you have a lot of 85mm lenses from which to choose. And if you do not need auto focus Nikon's even older lenses might interest you and come at a great price. As a general rule, the problem with manual focus today is that digital cameras do not usually offer view screens that are close to being the most appropriate for manual focus and that is compounded by modern lenses' barrels, except for Zeiss, that no longer make it easy to control critical focus by offering more distance to gradually move the barrel as needed. Yes, I can and do manual focus but it is not remotely as easy as it was to control focus as in the film camera days when cameras used specialized screens and lenses were designed exclusively for manual focus. Otherwise my recommendations would be a bit different. Do I have a list of Cons? Just two. The Nikkor 85G does not have image stabilization. Frankly, that would not be reasonably expected at this price, currently about $476. I have rarely, if ever, had image blur using this lens in the studio or outdoors. In part, that is also explained by using it most of the time between f4 and f5.6 at fast shutter speeds so motion is a less likely factor and the auto focus is dependable. Nonetheless, if you have any problems keeping your camera steady without a tripod, then the lack of VR would not be your best choice. Read on below for an 85 mm lens from Tamron that is also very sharp and it has image stabilization. One problem often reported for this Nikkor that I do see is CA on edges where there is quite high contrast. Thankfully, LR and other programs quickly and easily remove it. An lastly, although not really a con, this lens is not intended to be used for things like landscape photography. It performs best at or near wide open depending upon how much DoF you require. That doesn't mean you can't use it. It is still a good lens stopped down but there are simply better lens choices for things like landscape. You can still go ahead and use it in a pinch. Third party alternatives? There are lots. I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the highly regarded 85 mm lenses that other manufacturers offer including my favorites if budget no longer matters. Zeiss offers several, terrific 85 mm lenses both old and new. But for most folks their higher price and lack of auto focus could be deal breakers. Tamron offers a new, highly rated alternative with auto focus for $749 that is distinguished by being the first 85 mm lens with image stabilization (VC), Tamron AFF016N700 SP 85mm F/1.8 Di VC USD Lens (Black) . I have not used it but but there are sufficient reviews that agree it is exceptionally sharp, that the VC is effective, but there are also some reports of consistent focus issues. In general, if the user is not at fault, there are two common kinds of trouble. Any manufacturer's lenses can suffer from focus shift but thankfully, unless the lens is damaged, that can be fine tuned in-camera to correct by the user. The other kind is more complicated and it only affects third party lenses' in their auto focus compatibility. It is a quite a different focussing issue. All third party lenses can have such problems with Nikon because it does not share its proprietary, secret handshake between camera and lens to ensure the highest level and consistency of auto focus compatibility. Companies have no recourse except to reverse engineer. But care must be taken in doing so to avoid patent infringement. In fact, Nikon successfully sued Sigma for a lot of money on that account c. 2011. Sigma makes my highest recommendation for an 85 mm lens, the recently released, 85 1.4 lens from its renowned Art series, Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon F (321955) which at this time sells for $1,200. What distinguishes Sigma from competitors so far is that it came up with a good, cheap solution that can correct focus shift and any compatibility problems (so far) with Nikon cameras, using its affordable $59 dock, Sigma USB Dock for Nikon . The dock does not work with every Sigma lens but it covers all of the Art series plus some others. I have had excellent results with these lenses. IMO, their 50 1.4 Art lens is the best lens I have ever used in terms of sharpness and resolution although there have been Leica and Zeiss lenses that are also stellar. This Art series is an especially great match for my Nikon D800e. At this moment, the Sigma 85 1.4 Art is the highest rated lens overall at DxOMark. And just like the Sigma 50 1.4 Art, this newly released Sigma 85 1.4 Art lens rivals the performance of the esteemed Zeiss Otus lenses at their respected focal lengths. The Zeiss Otus 85 mm 1.4 lens, Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 Apo Planar ZF.2 Series Manual Focusing Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras is outstanding, manual only, and at $4,400, is by far the most expensive 85mm lens you can buy that fits a Nikon. Zeiss offers other excellent performing 85 mm lenses for less with a Nikon F mount but they all are manual focus only and are still relatively expensive such as the Milvus 85 1.4, Zeiss Milvus 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon F . Older, very good Zeiss 85 mm lenses will be less. I admit that I am a fan of Zeiss. Its lenses have always demonstrated a distinctive look with remarkably attractive color rendering and contrast. Just don't expect to see Zeiss lenses with auto focus for Nikon. Before you buy an 85 mm focal length lens which I will assume is for portraiture, what are the best alternatives? This is a subjective matter. First of all nothing I can recommend is going to be as fine a performer or nearly as inexpensive as this Nikkor 85G AND also be as small and light weight. And of course, if you do primarily want it for portraits, 85 mm has been a favorite focal length for generations. But don’t feel constrained by convention. For example, some people prefer 50mm for portraits. However, if your subject has any feature that is larger than average you might find a 50mm lens exacerbates that. The counter argument would be that knowledgable posing technique and post production can minimize such problems. You will also being working closer to your subject for better or for worse. But if you do prefer a "normal" lens and you especially love bokeh, the Nikkor 58 mm Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 58mm f/1.4G Fixed Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras is exceptional for portraits. Sometimes it gets a bad rap but I think it is easily misunderstood because of its intended purpose. It is a kind of speciality lens because of the impressive way it makes distinctive transitions moving between what is sharpest to areas that are out of focus. The bokeh is remarkable, as good or better as anything I have seen. But again, that is a subjective matter. I just do not consider it to be an all purpose normal lens although I know people who disagree although with a few caveats. Overall though, for portraiture, I recommend looking within the focal range of 85, 105, and to a lesser extent, 135 mm primes or else weigh the trade offs in using a relatively light weight zoom like the excellent Nikkor 70-200mm f/4 lens Nikon 70-200mm f/4G ED VR Nikkor Zoom Lens which costs about $1,400. I offer that range because there is never a single answer for all of us about what best suits our personal needs so keep your options open to begin with. If you like to work in low light obviously you will appreciate the fastest lens models at any focal length. But they will tend to be considerably larger, heavier and more expensive. No flying submarine exists although I come back to our little Nikkor 85G 1.8 lens that IMO just might come closest to offering a compelling case for being the best compromise. And you can't beat its quality for the price. Nonetheless, there are several alternatives I have mentioned here that deserve your consideration. If feasible, nothing beats a side by side comparison of lenses using tests that are appropriate in covering everything it is you like to do and that you do the most frequently. See how it feels in yours, the balance with your camera as well as its optics. Those are the keys. Cameras come and go but it is solid planning to buy the best lenses you can when you can. It is very old but wise advice. I wish you great success in your hunt.

I was looking at the 85mm lens. I was torn between the 85mm f/1.8G lens and the 85mm f/3.5G Micro lens. While I enjoy taking macro/micro shots, I wanted a lens that was sharp and had good bokeh. I also wanted to use the lens for general photography. I was spoiled using my 40mm f/2.8G micro lens as it does a great job with both micro and general photography. I decided on the 85mm f/1.8G lens. I haven't looked back. This 85mm f/1.8 is a sharp lens with beautiful bokeh. I use this lens with my Nikon D7000 which equates to a focal length of 127.5mm. It took awhile to get used to the distance or focal length. I usually have to take a step or two back to get the object/subject to focus. I currently use the lens for florals and garden pictures. The pictures are sharp from f/1.8 through f/16. The bokeh is beautiful at f/1.8 through f/2.8. Creamy is the word that comes to mind. I've been really happy with the results from this lens. I've posted some pictures in the gallery. There's a few florals (e.g. daylilies) and I also took some pictures of the packaging for this lens. I'll be back to post any updates and additional pictures. ** Update 07/12/12 ** I've had the chance to use this lens over several days taking pictures for a VBS event at my church. This lens does an amazing job with portraits. I set my D7k to Aperture and f/4. The bokeh is beautiful. I like how my focused subject appears to pop out of my pictures. Love this prime lens even at 128mm (DX). I've figured out how far (distance) I need to stand away from my subjects. My pictures are very sharp! Great lens! ** Update 08/09/12 ** This has been my "go to" lens for the last several weeks. I'm using this lens for taking candid shots and portraits of people. I mentioned before that I have to take a step or two back when I compose my pictures. I love doing this as I don't appear to be intrusive with my camera. Sometimes folks don't even notice I'm taking their pictures. I've been using this lens in low light and haven't been disappointed. I love the results I'm getting. ** Update 09/02/12 ** This lens is now on my camera full time. It has become my favorite fixed prime lens (over my 50mm, 40mm, and my 35mm). I'm still getting great results whether photographing inside or outside. My images are always coming out sharp with lovely bokeh. ** Update 09/23/12 ** I used this lens for a class photo shoot using my D7000. Set my aperture around f/4 and f/5.6. I was extremely pleased with the end results. Pictures were sharp. I'm having a blast with this lens! ** Update 11/10/12 ** I'm now a proud owner of the Nikon D600 full frame DSLR camera. I mounted this 85mm lens and what a beautiful combination. Now I know what other reviewers mean when they say it's a fantastic portrait lens. It truly is! I'm getting beautiful results and it's great to be able to use this lens as a true 85mm. ** Update 10/02/13 ** I had another opportunity to use this lens for another class photo shoot, but this time with my D600 camera. The portraits came out beautifully. Sharp pictures with lovely bokeh at f/4. No surprise that this lens and my D600...a great combination. One of the students peered at the back of my camera to see what the pictures looked like. Her comment: "Wow...the pictures are clear!"

I bought this for quick portraits and great blur and man it's fantastic. The f/1.8 is tact sharp and at great alternative to the much pricier f/1.4 option ($1500). The performance between the 2 lens is marginal. If you're getting paid as a pro photographer then you may get the f/1.4 but for the rest of us (I gather 95% of us), this f/1.8 is a great alternative. If you google around the web for the reviews, you will find this f/1.8 AF-S be a close second to the f/1.4 with what I would summarize as F/1.4 lens having 2-5% improvement in the picture quality when it comes to better light and better blur. I'll save the $1000 and still produce great quality pictures with this F/1.8. 1. Super light weight 2. Fast focus 3. Tact sharp 4. Awesome low light performance 5. Great bokeh Below is a summary of how I use all of my lens today and I hope it will help you find what you are looking for if you have similar needs as mine: * AF-S 50mm f/1.4: Great for infants and walk-around lens on the street. I use this lens most of the time for infant pictures because 1) I don't want to use flash when infants have their eyes open even if I have a softbox/umbrella. 2) lightweight 3) low light performance at f/1.4. I also uses this when I'm out of the house because it's not in-you-face when you pull it out of you bag so people won't notice you. This lens also makes me move around a bit to be more creative vs. just zoom in and out. 50mm lens makes me think more about the shots. * AF-S 60mm f/2.8 micro: Great macro lens: I use this for very close up shots. I can get as close to less than an inch away even though the minimum focal length isn't listed as being 1 inch away. You will want good lighting since flash will be useless when you are this close to the subject. I take photos of baby lips, eyes, face, hands and feet, & other objects such as jewelry * watches. Basically any fairly stationary subjects that I want to highlight the details and intentional imperfections/wrinkles, etc. I sometimes wonder if I should use this all the time instead of my 50mm but I find the 50mm better at non-macro shots because it focus faster and lets in 4 times more light. * AF-S 85mm f/1.8 : I use this most of the time for adult portraits and it has very good low light performance as well. I choose this over the f/1.4 version because the other reviews I've read on the web did not justify the extra $1000 spend for marginal performance improvement and unless I am getting paid to take pictures all the time, I don't see the need to pay the extra cost for the f/1.4. This lens also makes me move around a bit to be more creative vs. just zoom in and out. * AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8: I use this when I just don't know what kind of pictures I could be taking and need to have zoom & I don't have to move around as much. While I don't take landscape pictures (24mm) often, I will use this for a large group outing, birthday parties when I may need to get a wide shot of a lot of people in a room and be able to have a little bit of zoom capability and not have to walk up so close to the people's face. This allows me to get some candid shots when needed. It's fairly heavy at 2 lbs and huge when you put on the hood so I almost never use this lens when I'm on the street because it attracts a lot of unwanted attention. I wouldn't want this hanging on my neck or shoulders for a long period of time. * AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 vr2 : This is one of my favorite lens only because I can use it for portraits as well (with some lighting support) and I can get really good candid shots since I can be much farther away 10-20ft from my subjects and able to get a nice picture. I do have to crop at times to get rid of the cluttered background but with the D600 camera, I have enough megapixel details to crop my pictures when needed. This is obviously a monster lens so I avoid taking it for street photos even though I've had some nice pictures and experiences on the street but it's so big... I've had people stopping me asking me if I'm a paparazzi and which celebrity I am stalking..... haha. It's almost over 3 lbs so I definitely wouldn't want this hanging on my neck or shoulders for a long period of time. * AF-S 70-200mm f/4: this is also a great lens and a fantastic alternative to the 2.8 version. At over $1000 less, this is a bargin and great lens if you're taking photos at good lighting conditions (outdoor, have flash or good indoor lighting). Otherwise it may be problematic for you at F/4.

Simply the best portrait lenses I've used on a full frame Nikon. I wanted a sharp lens that can be shot wide open for good subject isolation with a narrow depth of field and this lens fits that role. As for the focal length, I think it's perfect for head shots; the one in my review was taken with me seated at the same table just a few feet from the subject. I had an SB700 flash sitting on the table off to the side of the subject and fired it remotely with a Yongnuo YN622N wireless flash trigger. With my 50mm lens I'd have had to crop it quite a bit and lose out on some resolution. My 24-120 F/4 zoom lens would have worked OK but it's not as nearly as good in low light. This lens will get the nod anytime I want to capture human subjects. Are they any negatives? The only negative I can identify is that I'd prefer this lens was nano-coated. I think the color rendition and contrast is better with the nano-coated lenses. I'm sure that nano-coating would increase the price some but this lens is so relatively affordable that I could live with that. Some may say the lack of VR is a negative but I don't agree. I'm glad this lens doesn't have VR as the VR system would add weight and with a wide 1.8 aperture I don't see that it would be particularly useful in this application. All the positive reviews are correct, this lens is an amazing value and is a wonderful addition to your FX Nikon. It's light and simple design should give you many years of faithful service capturing beautiful images.

I owned both of Nikon's 50mm AF-D lenses when I shot with a D90 and enjoyed the field of view for pictures of children at play. Ever since moving to a D700, I missed having a similar FOV from an AF lens as I was not impressed with the 85/1.8D and did not want to pay for either the expensive 1.4G lens or the failure prone Sigma EX f/1.4 version. Once Nikon announced this lens, I preordered. I've previously owned a Rokinon 85M-N 85mm F1.4 Aspherical Lens for Nikon (Black) which offers incredible performance and value for slower-paced shooting. I found focusing to be a bit difficult for moving subjects from f/1.4-2.0 as the focusing ring of the Rokinon could not match the handling of Nikkor AI-S lenses. Nikon's 105/2.5 AI/AI-S is another excellent lens of similar focal length, but I often find it a bit long for my taste. Shaprness -- The sharpness from f/1.8 is excellent in the centers and very good out to the edges and corners. Stepping down makes everything a little better still. The resolving power of the lens exceeds the sensor of the D700 (and D3 and D3s). Autofocusing Speed/Accuracy -- Not as fast as some of the older screw-drive AF lenses, but perfectly acceptable for my uses so far. Accuracy is excellent, and right now, I'd count the few misses in proper lock as my fault for being unfamiliar with the AF system of the D700. Flare/Ghosting -- Nikon didn't include their nano-crystal coating on this lens, but I have yet to produce any flares or ghosts while shooting straight into the sun or with the sun near the frame. I do keep the hood on at all times though. Bokeh - Very nice and pleasant. Much better than anything that comes out of the older 1.8D. Color/Contrast/Saturation -- The color cast is neutral, like each other Nikon that I've owned going all the way back to my 1978 vintage 28mm f/2 AI. The contrast and vividness of the colors is excellent matching other newish lenses like the 35/1.8G and besting older lenses with less advanced coatings. Construction/Build Quality/Misc. -- This lens resembles all of Nikon's newest non-consumer zooms. It won't outlast any of my solid metal AI and AI-S lenses, but it isn't going to fall apart quickly either. Metal mount, presumably metal internals, and composite/plastic outer surface. The mount does have a gasket for weather sealing. The focusing ring is nice and smooth for an AF-S lens. Hood does a good job of shielding the front element. The lens feels solid, yet light. Balances nicely on a D700 (and probably on a D800, D300s, or D7000 too). Filter size is 67mm which would pair nicely with the newly upcoming 28/1.8G which makes for a nice two lens kit with common filters on an FX body. If you like to shoot slightly longer lenses, those two provide the same FOV as a 42mm and 129mm on 35mm, which are normal and a classic head and shoulders portrait lengths. Excellent lens. If you have a D version and like it, keep it. If you are looking for an 85mm autofocusing lens, this is the one to buy.

This is a sharp, fast, and versatile lens capable of getting great shots when your subject is either very small, very detailed, or sufficiently far away from the lens to capture enough of it in the frame. Shooting at f/1.8 is fun - the opportunities for throwing backgrounds into dreamlike bokeh are endless, and the lens stays sharp even as you close the aperture down, though it becomes noticeably softer after about f/11. The autofocus is quick and quiet - but it is best in at least moderate light and with a detailed, light subject. With the 18-55mm kit lens, my D3200 typically has very little trouble focusing on its subjects, but this lens periodically makes it very challenging to get a shot off as it hunts around. My immediate reaction is typically to reach for the focus ring and do it myself, but there's a little design problem here: if the hood is mounted backwards, it covers the focus ring entirely as wells as the M/A-M switch that would let me at least maintain the focus I have already. So the hood has to stay off - or be mounted forward every time the lens is taken out of its case. However, with even fair lighting this is not at all a problem and focus is split-second and accurate. Most importantly, in this case, is the lens length itself. As a prime lens, 85mm can seem restrictive compared to 35mm and 50mm lengths and not long enough to really qualify for use in picking out distant details. Is this awkward in-between place worth the $500 you'll spend on this lens? If you (like me) have a zoom telephoto with 85mm in its range, try it out for a little while at exactly 85mm to find out - and if not a camera store might be a good place to try this. However, with creativity and a little legwork this lens can take many shots that a wide angle lens at first seems the only solution to - often with better and more interesting results. The length is perfect for shooting out of car windows, shooting beautiful portraits, flowers, and in combination with the (typically) very rapid autofocus it's possible to get great shots of fast-moving pets and animals, too. This is not to say that there are no drawbacks to using a long prime- the length is silly for shooting indoors with lots of people and sometimes I miss having the option to zoom in a whole lot further to catch the feathers off of birds flying way off. But the photos are lovely and sharp. Do I wish it had vibration reduction? Periodically, yes, and particularly at night. However, as someone who abhors camera flashes for any number of reasons, shooting at f/1.8 in a darkened room is still really nice. In conclusion, this is a great lens - I've gotten some awesome pictures out of it, many of which would have been impossible with a smaller aperture, and several which would have been pretty boring if I'd been using a wider lens. Does the autofocus bug me? Yes, but usually only because I often ask it to focus on dark objects in a dim field, which is hard to do anyway. So weigh what you need out of a lens and if you want stunning bokeh, sharp and bright images, spectacular contrast, and a sturdily built lens, then this is for you.

I love prime lenses for their low light abilities, background blur, and my ability to "see" the shot before I take it because the distance is set. I am just a hobbiest and small business here....but when I did all my exhaustive research on this lens I couldn't quite find answers to this question so I thought it might be helpful to someone else. Forgive me for not being exactly technical or savvy on all the details... I already have a 35mm lens....will this replace it? I was hopeful that it would just so I could sell and make some money to offset the cost of this lens but No - it will be it's new best friend. :D The two are a perfect pairing. 35mm is great for everyday use. It sees as my eye sees and it's so easy to catch great photos and you wont find yourself limited in a small room (too far/too close). The aperature/background blur looks professional, it's lightweight and short so it's easy to take anywhere. This 85 has the same aperature but because you're increasing the space between you and your subject the blur is gorgeous especially for portraits. At quick glance you won't notice a huge difference in the blur but it is enough to make me very happy with my purchase. It's obviously a good bit longer (and heavier) which has pros and cons to the 35mm. The first being that I don't have to be so close to my subjects. With adults this is a plus as I feel they feel more comfortable when my lens is not up in their face. With small children this is a con as it limits the interactions I'm able to have with them since I'm so far away. In some instances I find it's a perfect length and I have to do less chasing to get my photo, in others I find myself in the street to get the shot I want of my kids in the front yard. It just depends on your environment. This is not an ideal indoor lens. It's too long and you wont get anything but heads. Birthday parties, family get togethers...this is not your lens. But take it outdoors and FALL in love with it. My point is - if you had to pick just one lens, the 35mm is the most versatile but the 85mm is it's prettier, older sister. :) I am quickly seeing how I love having the 85mm in my life.

To be honest I was skeptical about this lens when it was first announced. After reading a few reviews I decided to give it a try and see what the buzz is about. I'm rarely impressed by new products but this one really surprised me. I've found myself constantly taking pictures wide open, a thing that I usually try to avoid as most lenses perform poorly at their widest apertures. One thing I can say for sure is that the center sharpness at 1.8 is really good. Sure enough the corners are more softer but thankfully that improves a lot at 2.2 and higher. I really can't say that this lens is outstanding but it is still damn good for the price. I wouldn't go for 1.4 unless you want the best bokeh on the market. Here is a breakdown, in my opinion, of all the pros and cons: Pro: - tack sharp in the center of the frame , even wide open - beautiful and smooth bokeh - feels more solid than it actually looks - non rotating front element makes it great for filter use - great price Cons: - slow focus - corner softness at wide apertures, goes away at about f4.0 (on DX bodies) - an awkward length on DX bodies ( about 127 mm) that is too long to use indoors If you are looking for a fast prime, especially if you have a FX body, take this lens. It also works excellent on DX if you are ok with the 1.5 factor.