smooth and round bokeh, solid built-construction

slow AF, especially tracking moving subject. hood can't be reversible.

Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.4D 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
* You are concern about artistic, especially smooth background blur.
* You might not want this lens if 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 my website http://www.radiantlite.com for sample photos and video tour.

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Canon 85mm f/1.8

every thing

none

this is the ultimate power of a glass , this is the most powerfull lens i have ever worked with till now , if you can find one then go buy immediatly and you will know what i mean , a cream machine indeed , your photos will look different with this lens , the colors , skin tones, sharpness ,bokeh, all is so true ....
it is so fast and precise , it is so simple made too and i think that is the secret of its power , i shot some photos with it and after a week i was looking at the result on an HDTV , plugged through an hdmi cable to my D3 .....i was blown away with the results ....this 85mm is really a jewel.

Quality of glass.

Focus precision (manual mode)

Aperture

Tones rendering.

Autofocus lacks of precision with a 801S (8008S)

Weight (lot of glass...)

Fan of 85 mm for night shots at Festival du Jazz in Montréal, or when people get out of bars to smoke or go to sleep in the morning, this lens is my friend. It is sharp at any aperture and very sharp past 2,8. Focus is easy thanks to a demultiplicated focus mechanism (if you compare to the quick one of the 85 tilt-shift) and to the brightness such a front lens gives you.

Best uses for me : portraits, because it delivers all the raw sharpness you want.and doesn't break the intimacy you have installed with your model ; street, because if you are not invisible, people don't stop doing what they do when they see you at a reasonnable distance. You have enough quality to enlarge, cut, crop and select your subject.

Furthermore, you get all the nuances in color or black and white that you could dream of. Not all 85 mm can deliver all that. This 85 do.

Customer Service

N/A

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85 mm tilt-shift

Optical performance almost flawless
Fast, fast, fast (only one faster in the world - Canon's 1.2L)
Weight - not too heavy and feels very solid
Size
Metal hood, not plastic
Confidence it offers the low light shooter
77mm pro size filter thread (same as 17-55 and 70-200)

Price is a bit high for a prime (only in the sense that the 17-55mm AF-S is the same price and offers more flexibility)
Lens hood cannot be reversed (threaded) for shorter storage
Would be excellent with AF-S though focusing is not particularly slow on D2X

WOW! That is all that one must or can say about this extraordinary optic. Most people I think would use this for portrait work, but why stop there. The glass is so crisp that wedding photographers and sports photographers would be crazy not to spring for this glass. I use it mainly at such events. About 90 percent of all the images I shot at my last wedding where shot with this lens. It allows for beautiful available light images. I like flash, don't get me wrong, but natural light is it's own language and makes for some stunning pictures! Even at 1.4 the lens is amazing. Obviously the focal point is smaller as DOF is shorter, but it does what a great 1.4 optic should do. I also shoot a lot of volleyball and basketball for a local university and this lens does the trick. The light is not terribly good in the gym so I put away the 2.8s and pull out the 1.4. Normally you will see photographers sporting the likes of the 17-55 and 70-200 VR which are fast at f/2.8 - I know because I own them both. However, with volleyball in particular, a shutter speed of 1/250-1/320 is necessary to get the shot and at that speed I have to push the ISO to 1000-1600 (new firmware update gives intermediate ISOs on the D2X!) This is ok, but not for the sharpest images because of noise. It can be cleaned up later, but why put yourself through the pain of post processing? The 85mm is a fix optic, but it allows shot at lower ISOs and higher shutter speeds. My average shot is about f/1.6-f/2 between ISO 500 and 640 at 1/250-1/320. Every sports and wedding photographer should consider this if low light shooting is a part of the day to day.

Customer Service

Not needed!

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Ahhhh, what products are similar? There are NO OTHER f1.4s for Nikon in this focal length unless there is something by Zeiss that cost more than a used car! The 50mm f1/4 AF-D is available for about $300 and may work better budget wise for most photogrphers.

Sharp, sharp, sharp... plus excellent colour reproduction, contrast, bokeh

Can the high price tag be considered a weakness?

The sharpest lens I've ever owned, period. Had the chance to loan out a copy of the 85/1.4 from Nikon service centre and was blown away by the sharpness, colour reproduction, contrast, bokeh, sharpness (did i mention it already?)...

Right after trying it, I've sold off my Nikon AFD 85mm/f1.8 and AFD 80-200mm/f2.8 for this. No regrets and currently having a great time shooting my baby with the lens on either my D50 or D200.

Customer Service

Never had any complaints about Nikon Service Centre.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 300D, 10D, 17-40/f4L, 70-200/f4L, EF 50mm/f1.8, EF 135mm/f2.8 SF

D100, D50, D2H, D200, 17-55/f2.8, 80-200/f2.8, 50/f1.8, 85/f1.8, 85/f1.4

build, optics. Amazing lense you want regret purchasing if you really need the speed.

cost

This is the most usd lense out of my aresenal of fast primes. Although I prefer the 135mm f/2 it's only because of the focal length. This lense is perfect for every application. Indoor sports, portraits and weddings. Amazing optics and build quailty. A less pricey option for the average photographer would be the 85mm f/1.8 and with the savings you could go wider lense (AIS f/2) or longer (180mm f/2.8 AF) and have a very good and flexible glass choices for the same cost of the f/1.4

Maybe the best 85mm lens available for SLR/DSLR

Nothng so far... Some say, it should have AF-S. This would be good for AF speed and accuracy, but not for weight an size.

One of the best lenses I have ever used, maybe the best. There is not much to say about. Sharpness, contrast and bokeh are stunning. Build quality ist excelent. If you want to shot 85mm and you want to have the best lens available, go for it. Otherwise take the very good 85mm f 1.8 which is almost as good, but not perfect (bokeh, build quality).

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor AF-D 50mm f 1.8 Nikkor AF-D 85mm f 1.8 Tamron 28-75 DI f 2.8

Sharpness wide open, color, skin tones, bokeh, manual focus, construction

Price (only until you see the results), filter size makes them expensive

I've always loved fast, wide aperture lenses for I personally prefer available light photography. When I started photographing, I didn't have a camera. I used what I could borrow from friends or their fathers. I shot with many Nikons, Canons, Pentax and Olympus 50mm/1.4. Years later I bought my first camera, a used Canon T90. It came with a superb "basic" lens, a 35-70 3.4-4.5. It had amazing color and sharpness BUT is wasn't a fast lens for available light. One day I bought a used Canon FD 55mm/1.2 SSC. WHAT A LENS! Probably the best lens I had until a month ago (more on this soon). Sharp, no distortion, perfect colors. I shouldn't have sold it. But I did, with all my Canon system since I wasn't using the equipment for some time. Last year I decided it was time to get back to photography. I looked carefully for a Nikon F2A (love it) and some special fast lenses. I ended up with a 24mm/2.8, a 50mm/1.4, a 105mm/1.8, a 180mm/2.8 and a 300mm/4.5 EDIF. All used, of course, I'm no millionaire but you can REALLY find some bargains here in Brazil. The 50 and the 180 have an amazing bokeh. Colors blend nicely, they have a "pro" look. The 105 I believe is a step behind. Its bokeh is the one from a 1.8 lens. Compare the bokeh and depth of focus of a 50mm 1.8 and a 1.4 and you'll know what I mean. I never felt really comfortable with it. I found its angle a bit too narrow for the images I like to do - portraits, friends during happy hour on a table for example. About three weeks ago an opportunity appeared - an AF 85mm/1.4D. I've always read it's sharper wide open than the AIS - a lens I've always dreamed about. I'm not into AF now (F2A, F2AS, F3) but its internal focusing is very nice, fast, like on my 300mm/4.5. It was a bargain for around US$ 500 with hood and a filter - although I don't use it with the filter to take the most of it. I took it on my vacations on January 2005 to Rio de Janeiro. Sharpness is impressive, specially wide open. If you scan your slides correctly you'll find it's capable of results similar to medium format. Color rendition is excellent. Although this lens is on the contrasty side, the tones passage is sweet, specially on skin tones. Impressive result that contributes to the assurance that this is no kids lens. It's bokeh is quite similar to that of the Canon FD 55/1.2 I had BUT the focused area is MUCH sharper. Out of focus things blend nicely, highlights are round thanks to its rounded 9 diaphragm blades. All this contributes to create "layers" - on one you have the focused subject, on the other the others (front and back) you have out of focus items. As you rotate the focusing ring you can actually see the plane of focus coming or going. Nice! Construction is far superior to those plastic AF lenses. You feel it's build to last. It looks heavier than it is, it balances nicely with my cameras. It has a good grip for manual focus and also a nice feel/feedback, the ring doesn't feel loose like on other AF lenses. The internal focusing is fast and accurate. It's construction has a "pro" feel. This lens (or any other by the way...) won't necessarily make you a better photographer but if your "style" (available light, wide open images, specially portraits/people, handheld) blends with its characteristics you'll certainly gain confidence to dare more, shoot more, practice more and that, certainly, will help anyone improve. If I was given a single lens option, the AF 85/1.4D'd be the lens of choice. It's expensive, filters for it are expensive (I don't use any) but it pays if you like available light photography and portraits. It is a step above the rest, on a different category. And thanks to other reviews I've read about it, I don't think my opinion is based on a specially nice sample. Give it a try at a photo store, ask a friend to borrow one for a few days (or hours...) shoot with slide film and see the results by yourself. Chances are you'll get addicted to it too. I'm selling my 105mm/1.8.

Customer Service

I use TTanaka, Nikon's representative here in Brazil, to service my Nikon system. No complains.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 50/1.4 AI Nikkor 105/1.8 AIS Nikkor 180/2.8 ED AIS Sigma 90/2.8 macro Canon FD 55/1.2 Canon FD 50/1.4 Zuiko (Olympus) 50/1.4 Pentax 50/1.4

all

no AF-S no G-Design no VR (everything can be improved, lol)

I had the 85 1.8 AF for 15 years. One day it needed fixing and when it was at service I was crazy enough to purchase the 85 1.4 AF-D. When the 1.8 is a good lens (and it sure is), then the 1.4 is an amazing one. Good results from 1.4 on it gets better until 2.8 and keeps the high level until f/16. There's nothing left as wish for AF-S. I would rebuy it when it comes out as AF-S and G-Design (for size and weight, oh, and VR would be a dream). The AF-speed is fast and less noisy then my (15 year old) 1.8, not as fast as AF-S but fast enough. During film days, I also used the 80-200 2.8 and the 180 2.8 for portraits, with the 1.5x crop I only use the 85 1.4, the 122mm FOV make a great range imho. The 2 f-stops compared to 2.8 lenses are a very great advantage under low light conditions The bokeh and the rendition of skins is a dream. I was thinking a long time about exchanging it (and some more $) to get a 70-200 VR instead. But pointig a big tele at someone is not really an option on parties and events and in studio the weight of the zoom can hurt. So I stayed with the 85 1.4 and no regrets at all. Meanwhile I am using this lens plus the 12-24DX also as my walkaround setup. Of course price is an issue, but this is one of the clear "you get what you pay for".

Similar Products Used:

85 1.8 AF (non-D, sold) 80-200 2.8 D ED (sold)

incredible sharpness, beautiful bokeh, tilt shift effect when shooting certain angles, nice balanced weight on an f100, solid construction, super fast focussing,

for those who prefer Leicas or Rangefinders, everything is wrong with this lens...for those who want the very best and create the very best shots- NONE!

Once in a while a product comes along which defines the very epicenter of a brand name or company around which legends are built and created- a product so complete and balanced that using it brings a sense of true harmony and perfect flow to your work - the process and the reuslt. The Nikkor85 / 1:1.4 AFD is such a product. I used to own this lens 5 years ago and shot jsut about anything/ people related with it. album covers, weddings, ads, portraits, etc...I decided to sell it and switch to Leica for a while, And although the Leica teles are legendary in construction and performance I could never achieve the same sense of creative accomplishment as with the 85/1.4 Nikkor. I recently then looked at some of the work I shot years ago and decided to get this lens again- my very best work was shot with it- it is a very powerful lens , a magic tool- it will make you a better photographer and it will make you appreciate your workmore than with any other lenses- and so will your customers. The magic, however is in shooting it wide open, don't go higher than f/1.8. trust it at 1.4 and wait to get your results back, you'll be blown away!!! the bokeh is phenomenal the construction and feel are balanced and rugged, focussing is very fast- and the glass is just simply beautiful to look at! At the performance you get I consider this lens a bargain! This is my favorite lens and definitely a bread & butter lens- Get one, at any price...

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

85/1.8 Nikkor, Leica, Summicron f/2.0, Elmarit 90mm/2.8, Contax 85mm/1.4, 105/2.5ais, 105/2.8 Macro AFD