Nikon AF-S NIKKOR f/1.8G ED Lens - 85 mm

Product Information

Despite the bigger size and bulkier lens barrel, as I have already mentioned, the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G is actually 30 grams lighter than its predecessor and almost twice lighter than the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G! It balances really well with any DX camera and it feels just right in terms of size, weight and focal length on professional DSLRs like Nikon D3s as well. NIKON D800 + 85mm f/1.8 @ 85mm, ISO 200, 1/2500, f/4.0 The vignetting on this lens is predictably heavy at its widest apertures. When closed down a few stops it’s mostly eliminated. The focusing of the Nikon 85mm 1.8 G is pretty speedy and it’s actually quite a bit faster than the 1.4.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G is a high quality lens that offers excellent sharpness where neede The "M/A" position means autofocus. It's called "M/A" because you also can focus manually simply by grabbing the focus ring in this position.

The weight is about the same; this Z lens weighs 16.5 oz. (466g) while the F-mount AF-S 85mm f/1.8 on the FTZ Adapter weighs 17.1 oz./484g (12.4 oz./351g + 4.7 oz./133g). This is great for astronomy; just turn to the stop and you have fixed laboratory-perfect focus all night. Like the other lenses in the G series, the barrel of the 85mm 1.8 Nikon is made of a tough plastic material that feels durable.

Not as small or light as it could be; Nikon is optimizing this lens for optical superiority rather than small size.The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges. Averaging them out gives the red weighted column. There are no lateral color fringes on the D800, D3 or D7000 on which I tested it. These cameras correct these fringes automatically. Falloff of illumination towards the corners is quite pronounced at maximum aperture with the corners being over two stops darker than the image centre. Stopping down improves this and visually uniform illumination is achieved by f/4. The slightly faster focusing and significant lighter weight is very attractive for photographers who place a lot of importance on that. If you want a tougher, more precise-feeling 85mm f/1.8 for the same price or less, get the 85/1.8D.