Nikon 85mm lens

Roughcollie

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I am looking for a Nikon 85mm lens for my Nikon FM3A camera,can anybody give me some advice to which to go for I have been looking at the F2 ais one,but all the review say it is not as good as the F1.4 ais model, is there a big difference between these two ( I know there is on the price ),also is the another lens at this focal length I should consider ie Voigtlander as I have the Voigtlander 40mm F2 SL and the lens is really sharp,any advice would be a great help.
 
Hi there,

Where in Somerset are you based? I'm in Frome! Nikon 85mm's are all excellent lenses with great reputations. The 85mm f2.0 AiS is no exception to this rule. The f1.4 is a spectacular lens in its own right but the downside is size and quite a lot of weight. If you use a MD12 with your FM3A then the f1.4's heft would be lessened by the extra handling of the drive. If you shoot without a drive I would go for the 85mm f2.0 and enjoy a great handling set up and a very well respected optic.

Regards

Simon
 
Hi!

I do have the Nikkor-H 1.8/85 and the Nikkor AF 1.8/85D, both of which are simply excellent lenses, some of the best ones I have, really.
 
Hi there,

Where in Somerset are you based? I'm in Frome! Nikon 85mm's are all excellent lenses with great reputations. The 85mm f2.0 AiS is no exception to this rule. The f1.4 is a spectacular lens in its own right but the downside is size and quite a lot of weight. If you use a MD12 with your FM3A then the f1.4's heft would be lessened by the extra handling of the drive. If you shoot without a drive I would go for the 85mm f2.0 and enjoy a great handling set up and a very well respected optic.

Regards

Simon

North Petherton nr Bridgwater
 
I have the 85/1.8 K factory converted ai. This 85 was a popular fashion lens in the 60s. My copy is very sharp and exhibits a nervous edgy sort of bokeh. Somewhat of a drawback is 6 aperture blades but I also have the 105/2.5 in my kit so I dont worry much about that. Many prefer the 85/2. In my opinion the high speed model isn't worth the extra cost or weight and is more of a studio rig because it is huge. Your FM3A is small so it is probably better to stick with lighter smaller.

 
I've owned a couple of the AIS 85mm f2. They're a good lens. Sonnar design I believe. Bokeh can get nervous. Sharp though. My current copy has quite a few scratches on the front element leading to flare on occasion. Here are a few examples.


F8 I believe
11863333_997093394803_2048909878959029310_n.jpg


F5.6
11863333_997093399793_1210697675292218951_n.jpg


F11

11873655_997093988613_5699478908641157724_n.jpg


F2.8
11873655_997093993603_283723710039717519_n.jpg


F2
11049619_997094487613_3561222442877520722_n.jpg


f5.6

11873655_997094003583_7800674335963685724_n.jpg


F2.8 (this is from my first version of the lens. had some inner coating marks from fungus removal. I just don't have good luck finding clean copies it seems)
p126191235-5.jpg


F2.8

p155458510-5.jpg
 
I forgot to add; the 85mm f2 is tiny. It's about the same size as my 35mm f2, just slightly larger than my 50mm f1.4. It makes for a nice compact kit. I tend to grab my 105 f2.5 ais more often though. Better bokeh and super super sharp. The 85 f2 makes a better portrait lens because of it's softer rendering though. I see too many pores with the 105 f2.5, haha
 
Hi!

I do have the Nikkor-H 1.8/85 and the Nikkor AF 1.8/85D, both of which are simply excellent lenses, some of the best ones I have, really.

I'll second the Nikkor AF 1.8/85D. One of the few lenses I sold that I came to regret. I preferred the 1.4/85D in the studio, but for everything else the 1.8 was a better lens for me.
 
I'd agree that Nikon never made a bad 85mm. I had the f2 for many years and shot many commercial assignments with it. The f2 is excellent. It's also the lens that famed Galen Rowell used I believe. I also owned the H f1.8 and used one for a long time with excellent results. I wouldn't mind having another. When I went to F4's in the 80's I purchased the 1.8D and really loved it.

In the digital age I went from Nikon D1x to Canon 1Ds and 1DsII's later then back t Nikon where I'll stay. I owned the 1.8G which was amazingly sharp. It actually is one of the sharpest lenses I've ever owned but I sold it and went to the 1.4D which I absolutely love and will keep.

When I owned Canon I had the 85 f1.2 and fell in love with it. It's about as close to making magic as I've seen in a lens. Everything about it from sharpness and smooth tonality to bokeh were amazing. When I went back to Nikon this was the lens I missed.

I'm not a sharpness freak. There are many qualities that go into making a fantastic lens. I decided to purchase a 1.4 and researched them. The G was hailed as the sharpness king and booked king of Nikon 85's but the more I read the more I wanted the D version. I purchased a mint copy from KEH and actually bought several and picked the best. I'll say this is as close to the Canon as I think you can get. I love it every bit as much. It's sharp but a little dreamy wide open and stopped down a stop to two it becomes deadly sharp everywhere. It's not that it's not sharp wide open, it has such shallow DOF it can give that illusion. The point of focus wide open is tack sharp! Bokeh is fantastic and tonality is creamy but quite sharp. Overall It has the right balance of everything.

Remember if you're looking for the 1.4, all versions are different. the AIS is a different formula than the D and the D is different than the G. All are fantastic. A good friend had the AIS and it's the equal of the D.

They are large and heavy but that's the price for speed.
 
I love my 85 f/1.4. Absolutely love it. I could probably shoot 75% of my paid work with it if I absolutely had to. It's pretty good for astrophotography as well. That said, the f/1.8 version is on-par with the f/1.4 and much smaller. The f/2 is smaller still and while it is not known for the performance of the other two, it is still an outstanding lens. Excellent for travel and the end of a refined design.
One thing you get with the f/1.4 that the other two lack is CRC.

Phil Forrest
 
If cost is an issue go for the f2. I am satisfied with the 85mm f2.0. But, I must add that I also own the 105mm f2.5. With portraits it is more capturing the personality of the person than the quality of the lens.
 
Hi Roughcollie

I'm down the road in Taunton!

When I had my FM3a, I had a 85mm f2 ais which I loved. Took some beautiful slides with it. Since then I have moved over to Olympus OM.

I seem to remember reading that there was quite a bit of sample variation with the Nikon.

Richard
 
I have the 85mm AF-D. As others have said, its extremely good. I'd offer to post shots taken with it but I didn't label my work as well back when I shooting with an SLR. I don't recall ever feeling like it let me down. That said, it wouldn't be my favorite from an ergonomic standpoint on a manual focus body. I'd rather have something with a more dampened focus.
 
When I owned Canon I had the 85 f1.2 and fell in love with it. It's about as close to making magic as I've seen in a lens. Everything about it from sharpness and smooth tonality to bokeh were amazing. When I went back to Nikon this was the lens I missed.

I'm not a sharpness freak. There are many qualities that go into making a fantastic lens. I decided to purchase a 1.4 and researched them. The G was hailed as the sharpness king and booked king of Nikon 85's but the more I read the more I wanted the D version. I purchased a mint copy from KEH and actually bought several and picked the best. I'll say this is as close to the Canon as I think you can get. I love it every bit as much. It's sharp but a little dreamy wide open and stopped down a stop to two it becomes deadly sharp everywhere. It's not that it's not sharp wide open, it has such shallow DOF it can give that illusion. The point of focus wide open is tack sharp! Bokeh is fantastic and tonality is creamy but quite sharp. Overall It has the right balance of everything.

Again I have to agree. One of my all time favorite lenses ever is the Canon 85mm f1.2L. For all the reasons described above. In the studio, the 1.4D comes as close to the Canon as any 85mm I've tried (and I've tried most). For outside the studio I still favored the 85mm 1.8D, but alas, that lens is gone (I had one of the original "Made in Japan" copies that I bought new in 1996. Later ones were made in China and I didn't get along as well with samples I tried).
 
Hi Roughcollie

I'm down the road in Taunton!

When I had my FM3a, I had a 85mm f2 ais which I loved. Took some beautiful slides with it. Since then I have moved over to Olympus OM.

I seem to remember reading that there was quite a bit of sample variation with the Nikon.

Richard

Not to far away from me,how come you moved over to Olympus?
 
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