Nikon - AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Medium Telephoto Lens - Black

I bought this lens after tons of research to use for portrait photography. When i got it and started snapping pictures on my DX body, (actual focal length w/ crop sensor closer to 127mm) I was irritated. There was no noticeable difference from my Nikon 50mm 1.8g that I was try to improve on. I came home, grabbed the box and prepared to return it before the 15 days. Then I decided to go ahead and import some photos I took with it to my computer and really see. I was absolutely blown away with the sharpness. Granted the AF is much slower than the 50mm and 35mm 1.8G, the quality it well worth it. See this are mainly used for portraits and stuff like that, it is awesome. I would not recommend for anything that moves super fast if you want to use wide open. I did a sample test because I could not find one anywhere online that compared the 50mm f/1.8G to the 85mm f1.8G and frankly, this is probably the most common upgrade, not the 1.4mm that internet seems to constantly compare. The bokeh on this lens is a tad bit better, mainly due to compression of the image at such a long length. I attached an image to show sharpness comparison. Using a tripod. Notes on image, I had to compress a little because bb only allows 5MB upload, hope you can see the difference.

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.

For the price, if you are fine with using a prime instead of a zoom, get this lens. This lens is insanely sharp and I'm able to crop in on pictures (when needed) to ridiculous amounts because of how much resolution is still left. I bought this as a portrait lens for a full frame (d750). I also have several zooms and also the Nikon 50mm 1.8. I was actually relatively disappointed in how soft the 50mm was for a prime, but have kept it because of the price and size/weight/versatility for a walk around. However, this lens is now a go to lens whenever I can justify its use. If I were to redo this, I would have waited, skipped the nifty fifty, and gone straight to the 85mm 1.8 and coupled it with either the 35mm 1.8 or something that covers the lower end of the focal length. I've also used the 105mm macro Nikon, and honestly, while that lens is versatile because of the macro ability, it hunts for focus during portraits, is far too heavy, and really isn't any sharper for portraits (and the bokeh isn't as creamy, despite the DOF supposedly giving it an advantage). Also, there are far better priced macro lenses available if you want macro shots that will save you the money to spend on other lenses. I don't see the need to pay extra for the 1.4 85mm since I rarely shoot that wide because of DOF issues with portraits and modern full frames have insane ISO when I really need it, or I can just strap on the flash. In the end, get the 85mm 1.8, it is insanely sharp, good resolution, quick focus, lite weight, and has great DOF and bokeh. It is twice the price of the 50mm, but worth every penny and more. These two lenses really shouldn't be compared to each other as this is a far superior product and one that a pro could actually keep in his/her arsenal for a shoot. Also, if you're a pro, skip the 1.4 and put the money towards another lens or piece of equipment. I've used both, it is not worth the money. The 1.4 gives you the fancy gold ring, more weight, and that's justifiably it. The Sigma Art is enticing, but also built and weighs like a tank, and unless you're a micro pixel peeper, I can't see the need of a lens that sharp. If anything, it will just create more problems in PP with portraits. Zero regrets with this lens.

I love this lens to death, and will miss it (as I'm switching over to a fast zoom, Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8). But while I had it, it has been phenomenal. Shots with it are always very sharp, and because of the nice wide maximum aperture, it's great for shooting in low light and getting that lustrous bokeh that everyone loves. As a prime lens, and especially on a crop body, this lens might be troublesome for casual photographers, as you've really got to have the right moment to use it. It's much too long for indoor photography (unless shooting pets), and not long enough to shoot really distant subjects. That being said, for anyone serious about photography as a profession or a hobby, a lens of this length is a must have, and there aren't too many better than this one.

The biggest competition for this lens is the one also made bt Nikkor for $1400 and most people are always wondering: “Whats the difference!?” And “Is it worth the extra $1000?!” Well, I can tell you from my experience and from what I have seen, shooting both side by side and comparing images. This lens is the better buy, and there’s not enough of a difference in any functionality or image quality to justify soending an extra $1000 for the other lens. People may choose to break it down technically and butcher the specs to justify the extra expense.. specs or not, this lens is worth every penny, and the more expensive one - just IS NOT. Pictures don’t lie.

I just did a recent portrait shoot and this was the only lens I pulled of my bag. This guy is a great, light weight option, especially on a DX (Crop) Sensor (because of the extended reach you get). I can't remember the exact number but this lens actually ends up being over 100mm on a crop sensor. Because of that, you get even more compression on shots which makes for great portraits. This paired with my d7200 has been nothing short of majestic (when the Green Ranger comes back as the White Ranger type of majestic).

If you enjoy shooting primes like I do then you will definitely be happy with this 85mm 1.8G medium telephoto lens. It provides sharp optics and less chromatic aberration than the 35mm 1.8 and its distortion free (mainly because of its focal length). I've been using this along with my D7100 and having the capability of shooting wide open with this lens and the great hi ISO performance of the D7100 provides outstanding low light capability without having to worry about motion blur. It is fairly lightweight plastic construction, but by no means does it feel cheap. I think it is well made and feels solid in the hands. As a bonus it does include a lens pouch and a lens hood.

My daughter is playing travel basketball and many of the gyms have poor lighting. The lens I had could not let in enough light to get any quality pictures. I purchased this lens and it looks like I’m a professional sports photographer. The photographs are crisp and clear and with the proper settings freezing the action is no problem. The only downside is that it’s a fix lens but that can be overcome by how you position yourself to take the shots. I would highly recommend this lens.