Nikon 85mm f/1.4D Lens

[LuisV]

I was surprised to see I had not posted feedback on this lens here on Focus Faction. So here it is with some updates...

This is a lens has been in the gear bag for some time now. I have had the extreme pleasure of shooting this lens in a wide variety of situations. After many wonderful shots I can easily say this is perhaps the best portrait lens ever made.

That comment is, of course, like anything else a matter of opinion. That opinion usually comes down to whether you like sharp or soft rendition lenses for portraiture. By this I don't mean that a "soft rendition" is not sharp, just not as detailed. For me, sharpness rules. If I need to soften the image, I can always filter it. So onto the 85mm f/1.4.

Details:
Fixed Focal Length at 85mm
Fast Maximum Aperture at f/1.4
Configuration: 9 elements in 8 groups.
Weight: Approximately 20 oz. or 550g
Dimensions: 3.1 x 2.9 Inches or 80mm x 72mm
Filter: 77mm
Minimum Focus Distance: Approx 3 feet or .9 m

I give you the above as reference. It is truly a superb lens. The build is excellent and will be ready to go for years and years. This is, basically as good as it gets. It is heavy but well worth it. It is relatively compact. It is significantly shorter than the 28-70mm zoom.

Now to the images this can produce.
-The sharpness of this lens is staggering. It is really amazing. After I first shot the model I had her remove her contacts because I was easily able to see them in her eyes, and that was on the zoomed image on the camera LCD! Imagine on an 8x10 print!
-Color rendition is bold and vivid.
-Saturation is excellent.
-The out-of-focus rendition (bokeh) is wonderful. It is soft and fades off wonderfully. This is due mostly to the 9 blade aperture that produces a great result.
-Contrast is also excellent.
-AF is fast and accurate even as a standard AF (as opposed to AF-S) lens.
-When used with manual focus, it is extremely easy and accurate to work with.

I do have a few complaints.
-The price. While I more than justify the cost (as a portraiture photographer) I must admit it is a bit steep for it to be considered by the mainstream photographer. That is a shame.
-The included hood is a screw on hood. I HATE SCREW MOUNTED HOODS. This should simply be resolved.

The main points that make this one of the favorites are the extreme sharpness, the outstanding out-of-focus rendition and the ability to shoot wide open with little or no adverse effect. The sharpness is outstanding. I can't overstate that. It is really impressive. The out-of-focus rendition is very important to me in terms of creative focus. The transition between focus and out of focus areas are very smooth. The wide open performance makes it a great available light lens. More so than most primes, this lens is particualr good when shot wide open. All lenses perform best when stopped down a couple of stops from wide open, but this lens' difference between the wide and stopped is minimal.

I have included a shot here as reference. I have not retouched the image. It was shot in my studio. Color was set to the temperature of the strobes. These photos were shot on the D2X and converted to JPG from the RAW shots. The shot was taken handheld at 1/200s. The first is the whole shot, the second, a crop to show the eye detail. I did sharpen to overcome the anti-aliasing filter of the camera. Other than that, I'll let you be the judge....





Ultimately, if you can find a good used version or are OK with spending the money on a new lens, this is definately one to have. It is simply a dream to work with. As a natural light lens this is second to none. To restate it..... this is the best portraiture lens I have ever shot with.

[Adaptive]

great shot!!

[tremer]

I hear the same thoughts from canon folks about the 85 1.2

I will never be able to afford it so I guess I am stuck with the 50 1.8 for now!

Super sharp image!