doghouse_reilly Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I am concidering the Nikon 85mm f/1.8D lens, as a companion to my 50mm f/1.8D lens. If you had a good/bad eperience with this lens I would be very happy to hear about that or even see that (image files attached ofcourse). Thank you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 An excellent lens, I owned it and liked it back when I was still punishing myself with Nikon AF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walterh Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 it is the "classical" companion. a great lens, slightly soft wide open but always excellent sharpness and contrast F4-8. cant go wrong with this; i never met anyone who used it and did not like this lens. alternatives -more for for specialists- are more expensive: 85mm1.4 if you need that extra speed and even (slightly) better in resolution; but there is not much room of improvent over the AFD85mm1.8 . the AFD105mm F2 DC has a very "special look" that many love for portraits even if the "soft control" is not used (that will require some practise for use). cheers walter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walterh Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Jay you beat me by 3 minutes :-) i forgot to mention the "old" classical 105mm2.5 - great portrait and general purpose lens. at this range of focal lenght you really got many choices :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondC Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Depend on what u want as a focal length but it is a good lense. I have this on a digital SLR. Does not suit my style so from my own perspective not what I want. I would prefer a wide like a 12-24 or 18-35 then a 50 prime then a telephoto zoom, 70-200, 80-200 2.8's or 70-300 ED. If I was using film, I would love the 85. Not so much of the 50 thou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey_abelson Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 According to what I've read, the MF version is the more desirable - I have the last version before AF and it really is a great lens - one of the big differences is the fact that the AF version closes up to only f16 while the older version goes down to 22 - this probably won't make much of a difference outside of the studio...<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Great lens, terrific value, worthy companion to your 50/1.8 so go for it. I love mine. Your alternatives in autofocus Nikkors are much more expensive (the 105 macro and 105 DC lenses cost about twice as much; the 85/1.4 is even pricier.) If cost is no object, give them serious consideration because they have different strengths than the 85/1.8 and might be ideal for you. But for folks on a "mere mortal" budget, the 85/1.8 is marvelous. If you have a camera that will work to your satisfaction with manual focus lenses, the venerable 105/2.5 is an even better value. Be well, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_yarsh Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Agree it is a great and very useful lens -- when going on a short hike or day shoot, find this plus the 35mm a great prime pair. It seems odd that Nikon doesn't make a basic 105mm AF-D lens -- they have only the macro and the DC. Yet the 105mm 2.5 (and 1.8) MF lenses have been among their most popular. Although I have the macro 105 AF, it is pretty heavy (and expensive), and I often wish they had a light 105mm 2.5 AF. Do others agree on this? Any ideas as to why Nikon skipped this particular lens? Bob Y. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_mcloughlin Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 After I got my first taste of Nikon primes with a 50/1.8, I went right out and got the 24/2.8 and... 85/1.8 (latest new AF versions). The 85/1.8 is really sharp, fast enough (as you know from your 50/1.8), a darn good value and super versatile: head/shoulders type shots, long "normal" (like your 50 but a little more reach), and so on. There are lots of other good Nikon lens options around this FL as folks have pointed out, but there are tradeoffs: manual focus AI and AIS lenses like the 105/2.5 and 1.8 won't meter if you have an N80 or N75 or whatever; same for the 85 AIS offerings; the 85/1.4 AF lens is about as good as it gets in a Nikon prime, but it's quite pricey; same for the 105 DC AF offering. So the 85/1.8 AFD is the value leader in a new AF lens around this focal length. It's a goodie. Here are my criticisms. It would be even better if Nikon managed to make it to take 52mm filters (like your 50/1.8). The manual focus ring functions fine, but it feels kinda loose and gritty (feels a little better, actually, than the ring on your 50/1.8). The out-of-focus areas (bokeh stuff) in a pict are usually pretty darn good, but can exhibit a little doubling of the blurred images or exageration of bright objects. Just so I don't sound like an advertisement :-) Snag one. Right now, one sits permanently in my carry-along kit bag. You'll be glad you did. Scott<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayward Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I have the 85mm 1.8 AFD and find it slightly soft and low in contrast as compared to some of my other Nikkors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrian_byng_clarke Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I picked up a 85mm 1.8 D a few years ago. I was a little annoyed at the lack of a reasonably priced portrait lens in the 105 range - and I didn't think that that 1.4 version was worth it for me. The 85 has become my default lens. Its great for portraits with a little more context than the traditional crop. It is tack sharp from about 4-11 but can be very prone to lens flare wide open - but it comes with a hood that helps. I find this length also very useful on vacations coupled with a wider lens (i use a 24 mmm 2.8D) for landscapes. The 85mm f/1.8 D is probably the second greatest lens value in the Nikon outfit (the 50mm has the be the best value). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stone Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 A great lens on a film camera, not all agree with that on a DSLR for portraiture, depending on what your intended use is. Personally, I would not hesitate to buy one to be used on either a film or DSLR model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 There are two lenses that I like for available light candids. The Nikkor AF 35mm f/2 and the Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.8. Bright viewing and rapid AF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_e. Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I love my 85. I also have the 105mm macro. The 85 is sharp as a tack and is a great alternative to the higher priced 105. Don't get me wrong, I love the extra room I get with the 105 on the street, but the 85 is just so wide open and easy to carry. The 105 is a little bulky. Like I said, i love my 85.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stone Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 If one is looking for sharpness wide open in an 85mm, then the 85mm AF D f/1.4 is the clear choice. The best of both worlds would be to own each model. If money is a concern, the 85mm AF D 1.8 has nothing to apologize for, but wide open isn't where it does it's best work. For other than portraits, where one may want dazzling sharp eyeballs, the 1.8 version is OK at wider apertures, just not as good as the 1.4. It all depends on what one is doing with the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manolis1 Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 "I am concidering the Nikon 85mm f/1.8D lens, as a companion to my 50mm f/1.8D lens"..... So you�ll have the perfect "couple" in your camera bag. They�ll be in LOVE FOR EVER and always welcomed by your camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stone Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 "So you�ll have the perfect "couple" in your camera bag. They�ll be in LOVE FOR EVER and always welcomed by your camera." Well said, and not something that I disagree with. But lens choices are so individual that what pleases some folks doesn't work for others. I can find a lot of uses for an 85mm , while there are those that don't see it as a valuable lens in their bag at all. For one thing, that 1.8 aperture is far more versatile than the slower lenses touted by others. There is just no substitute for fast lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Until you switch to a small-sensor DSLR. All the primes that work well for film will be very different all of a sudden. Only diamonds are forever; lenses are not. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayward Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Good point, Shun. I've found that with the D70, the 85mm and 75-300 are too long. So is my 24mm. I'm really loving the 50mm and 180mm, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stone Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Interesting point Shun. From that point of view, lenses that do certain things well in film aren't even available in the 1.5 crop digital, so one is not on a level playing field. Since I don't have a DSLR, I'm not any sort of expert as to what is best able to replace our old favorites. One thing for sure is that we must adapt to this situation, because it would take far too long to wait for DX equivalent lenses, that may be forthcoming. Remember, it's easys to get caught up in a paradigm by comparing old with new. On the brite side, this could open up new interpretations of old ideas, if not entirely new ideas altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triode___ Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I know this is heresy esp in a Nikon forum. But have a look at the Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro in the Nikon mount. It is a very good portrait lens(creamy bokeh) that does double duty as a Macro lens, plus it is priced about the same as the 85 f1.8. Don't dismiss this sleeper of a lens just because it is a Tamron. I know of a least one pro photog that uses it to shoot assignements for the Swimsuit Edition of Sport Illustrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre_noble3 Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I have the 85 AFD 1.8. Not really impressed with it's wide open performance, or it's gritty bokeh quality. Because portraiture is so important to me, if I could do it all over again, I'd save up another 2 months, and go straight to the 85 1.4 AFD for these two reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_hinther2 Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I've shot a lot of high school basketball with mine, between f/1.8 and f/2.8. My lens gets a LOT better by f/2.8 and peaks around f/4-f/5.6. I would submit that it's every bit as good a value as the 50mm f/1.8, which seems to peak around f/8-f/11. I really like mine a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 i find this lens to be one of the best nikon makes....especially wide open... <br> <br> <img src="http://s93887327.onlinehome.us/bowtie.jpg"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 uno mas... <br> <br> <img src="http://s93887327.onlinehome.us/photos/chix.jpg"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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