Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D review

The Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D is considered a classic portrait lens, but it can be used for a wide variety of other photographic applications. Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D (we will call it Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D for short) was introduced in March 1994 and became a replacement for the older version - Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8 (no letter 'D', NON-D type).

In total, Nikon has 6 such lenses:

• Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8 AF NikkorDecember 1987
• Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8D AF NikkorMarch 1994, Japan or Thailand
• Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8G AF-S IF SWM NikkorJanuary 2012
• Nikon 85mm 1: 1.4D AF NikkorNovember 1995
• Nikon 85mm 1: 1.4GN AF-S Nikkor SWM IF Nano Crystal CoatAugust 2010
• Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8 S Nikkor Z, July 2019, for mirrorless cameras

All these lenses deserve due attention and have their own characteristic features.

Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D

The lens has a short but informative name: Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D, where 'AF' indicates that the lens is autofocus, but autofocus only works when available focus motor in the camera itself, '85mm ' indicate the focal length, 'F / 1.8 ′ to the maximum aperture... Bukovka 'D'indicates that the lens transmits the focusing distance to the camera, which is very important when working with flashes.

Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D

Main technical characteristics of Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D:

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D, with its light weight, is very compact in itself, you can always take it with you and get great photos.

Dimensions Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D

The first thing you pay attention to when you pick up the Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D is its excellent build. Also, I was impressed by the special beauty of the front lens.

Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D

Highlights to watch out for

1. This the lens can be used on full-frame Nikon FX cameras. It will work great on both Nikon film cameras and Nikon FX full-frame digital cameras.
2. Auto focus with Nikon 85mm f / 1.8D lens available only when using him on cameras with built-in motor focusing. An exact and complete list of Nikon CZKs that support auto focus with 'AF' lenses (such as this one) can be found in the 'Auto focus on Nikon cameras'.
3. Maximum relative aperture F / 1.8. This is very important aperture. The difference between F / 1.4 and F / 1.8 is 2/3 stops.
4. The focal length of the lens is 85mm, a classic focal length for portraits. On Nikon DX cameras EGF lens will be 127,5 mmwhich is also good for portraiture.
5. When focusing, the front lens is completely stationary- it does not spin and does not ride back and forth. When focusing, only the rear lens unit moves, this is called the Rear Focusing System. With this lens it will be possible to use various filters without problems.
6. The lens has manual aperture ring. To be able to control the value aperture from camera or for automatic installation aperture on modern central control valves, you need to turn the control ring to F / 16 and fix it with a special lever, which is located to the right of the marks aperture. If this is not done, then on a number of cameras, the display will display an error - 'fEE' (ring is not installed aperture) Some cameras having diaphragm rheostatallow you to control the aperture using the ring aperturebut only in metering modes exposure 'M' and 'A'. You can read more about this issue in the section on Non-G Lenses. Ring aperture rotates with clicks, the values ​​F / 1.8, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16 are plotted on it; set the intermediate value between pairs of numbers using the ring aperture impossible. Intermediate values ​​can only be set using the camera menu.
7. Complete with lens there is a metal hood, which really helps in the fight against flare and glare. The lens hood is screwed into the filter. I use protective filter, screwed onto the lens, and a hood is screwed into the filter, with such a bundle I do not install a protective cap.
8. Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D has a window with a focus distance scale in meters and feet, a depth of field scale for F / 16, F / 11 and a mark for working in the infrared spectrum.

Rear view of Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D

Bad sides:

1. The lens is very pronounced chromatic aberration on open diaphragms. HA in the field of sharpness disappear only from the aperture F / 4.0. Therefore, if you need a well-designed sharp image without any kind of ghosting on contrasting details in the field of sharpness, the lens will not be able to provide the desired result at values ​​from F / 1.8 to F / 4.0. Personally, I put up with aberrations in portraiture, especially when there are few contrasting details.
2. The lens does not have a focus motor, as mentioned above. But still you need to consider that it was designed back in 1994, and then no one thought that Nikon would release a couple of non-powered cropped cameras. You can read more about the focusing motor. here.
3. The biggest drawback of this lens I personally consider the factor that he has a very strong competitor in the face Nikon 85mm f / 1.4 AF-D и Nikon 85mm f / 1.8G AF-S Nikkor. In any case, F / 1.8 will lose in luminosity and in figure F / 1.4. At Nikon 85mm f / 1.4 AF-D HA disappear already at F / 2.0, while Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D HA disappear only on F / 4.0. And buying a Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f / 1.8D will always resent the fact that there is a much better portrait lens. On the Internet you can find millions of dedicated pages. battles Nikon 85mm f / 1.8D and Nikon 85mm f / 1.4 AF-D, and 1.8D wins only at its price. If your camera does not have a focus motor, then a cheap version of such a lens is present only in the face Nikon 85mm f / 1.8G AF-S Nikkor and very expensive Nikon 85mm F1.4G AF-S.

Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D lens aperture blades

Sample Photos

On the camera Nikon D80:

Sample photos on Nikon 85 1.8d

Example photo on Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D

On the camera Nikon D200:

On a film camera Nikon AF N8008s:

Photo at Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D

Sample photo on a Nikon AF Nikkor 85 1.8D lens

Lens focusing speed F / 1.4dCompared to the Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D, exactly the same. I conducted an experiment: put two cameras side by side, on the first F / 1.4d, on the second F / 1.8D, when you press the focus button, both lenses focus equally quickly from MDF to infinity and vice versa. Most likely, all three lenses are F / 1.8 AF, F / 1.8D, F / 1.4d have the same focusing speed, which may differ slightly from the camera on which the lens is used. Also, the Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D has a faster focusing speed compared to F / 1.8g и с F / 1.4GN

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8G IF SWM

Image quality

At the lens no distortion - this means that the lens ideal for photographing portraits, it does not distort the picture, but also the faces of people. On FX cameras, vignetting disappears only at F / 5.6. Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D sharp from 1.8. The best sharpness falls on apertures from F / 4.0 to F / 8.0, if you close the aperture above F / 8.0, you can only increase the depth of field, since diffraction takes effect.

The lens gives a slightly cool tint. The lens is not very friendly with back and side light. And, for a portrait lens, bokeh is very important, Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D bokeh is normal, sometimes rough. I would like better bokeh quality from a portrait lens. The lens has 9 aperture blades (the number of petals is above average), which allows him to give fairly rounded circles in the blur zone.

Enlightenment Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D

My experience

I really love this lens - it is compact, well built, fast focusing and sharp. Of course, due to the lack of modern technologies in it, the Nikon 85mm F / 1.8D is morally outdated, and its updated model Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8G IF SWM almost everything is better. I recommend the Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D to anyone looking for a real portrait lens for little money. The Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D is the most budget-friendly model of the 'real native tailor'. With this lens, the resulting frames will be much more interesting than with standard fifty dollars.

Nikkor AF 85mm f / 1.8 D

Differences between Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D (1.8D) and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8G IF SWM (1.8G)

A detailed description of the differences between these two lenses can be viewed here.

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8G IF SWM

This is what the entire line of Nikon Nikkor 85 / 1.8 lenses with auto focus support looks like:

Three generations of Nikkor 85 / 1.8 class lenses: Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8 и Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D (from this review) and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8G IF SWM

All autofocus 85s

Choosing a good 85mm portrait lens is very important for a large number of photographers. I pay a lot of attention to this issue, therefore I have prepared this list of all such autofocus lenses for full frame cameras with F <= 2 and a focal length of about 85 mm.

Nikon (F, Z mounts)

1. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8 AF Nikkor [December 1987]
2. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8D AF Nikkor [March 1994, Thailand/Japan]
3. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.4D AF Nikkor [November 1995]
4. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.4GN AF-S Nikkor SWM IF Nano Crystal Coat [August 2010]
5. Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8G AF-S IF SWM Nikkor [January 2012]
6. Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm 1: 1.8 S [July 2019]
7. Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm 1: 1.2 S [January 2023]

Canon (EF, RF mounts)

1. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.2 L USM [September 1989
2. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1: 1.8 USM [July 1992]
3. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.2 L II USM [March 2006]
4. Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.4 L IS USM [November 2017]
5. Canon lens RF 85mm F1.2L USM [May 2019]
6. Canon lens RF 85mm F1.2L USM DS (DEFOCUS SMOOTHING) [October 2019]

Yongnuo/YnLens (different mounts)

1. Yongnuo YN85mm F1.8 (YN85mm F1.8) [9/6, Canon EF, February 2017]
2. Yongnuo YN85mm F1.8 (YN85mm F1.8N) [9/6, Nikon F, May 2019]
3. Ynlens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (YN85mm F1.8S) [9/8, Sony E, August 2020]
4. Ynlens YN85mm F1.8R DF DSM (YN85mm F1.8R) [9/8, Canon RF, May 2021]
5. Ynlens YN85mm 1:1.8Z DF DSM (YN85mm F1.8Z) [9/8, Nikon Z, March 2022]
6. Yongnuo 85F1.8S DF DSM [9/8, Sony E, August 2022]

Sony / Sony Zeiss ZA / Minolta (E / FE, A mount)

1. Sony FE 1.4/85 GM (SEL85F18GM) [February 2016]
2. Sony FE 1.8/85 (SEL85F18) [February 2017]
3. Sony SAL85F14Z / Carl Zeiss Planar 1,4 / 85 ZA T* [June 2006]
4. Minolta AF 85mm 1:1.4 (22) (AF lens 85) / Minolta Maxxum / Dynax / G / G+D / G+RS / G+D+LE and other versions of the same lens, A mount [1987]

Sigma (different mounts)

1. Sigma EX 85mm 1: 1.4 DG HSM (two sub-versions with different body finishes, for Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony A, February 2010)
2. Sigma 85mm 1: 1.4 DG | A [Art] (for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sigma SA, Sony E, Leica L, September 2016)
3. Sigma 85mm 1: 1.4 DG DN | A [Art] (for Sony E, Leica L, August 2020)

Viltrox (different mounts)

1. Viltrox PFU RBMH 85mm F1.8 STM (Sony E/FE + Fujifilm X, 2018)
2. Viltrox AF 85/1.8 STM ED IF (Nikon Z, Canon RF, December 2020)
3. Viltrox AF 85/1.8 II STM ED IF (Sony E/FE + Fujifilm X, July 2020, light version XNUMX)

Pentax (K mount)

1. SMC Pentax-FA* 1:1.4 85mm IF AUTO FOCUS PENTAX 85 [1992]
2. HD PENTAX-D FA * 85mm 1: 1.4 ED SDM AW [May 2020]

Samyang / Rokinon (different mounts)

1. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 EF (for Canon EF, scheme 9/7, June 2018)
2. Samyang AF 85/1.4F (for Nikon F, scheme 9/7, April 2019)
3. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 FE (for Sony E, scheme 11/8, March 2019)
4. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 RF  (for Canon RF, scheme 11/8, May 2020)
5. Samyang AF 85 / 1.4 FE II (for Sony E, scheme 11/8, July 2022)

Meike (Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Nikon Z, FujiFilm X)

1. MEIKE 85mm AF 1: 1.8 [review] (Canon EF / Canon EF-S, April 2018)
2. MEIKE 85mm AF 1: 1.8 [review] (Nikon F, Aug 2020)
3. MEIKE 85mm 1:1.8 Auto Focus Lens FF STM [review] (for Sony FE/E + Nikon Z, Canon RF, FujiFilm X, June 2022 + March 2023)
4. MEIKE 85mm 1:1.4 Auto Focus Lens FF STM (for Sony FE/E + Nikon Z, September 2023)

Zeiss (various mounts)

1. Zeiss Sonnar 1.8 / 85 T * (Batis 1.8 / 85) [April 2015, built-in stabilizer, Sony E/FE mount, 11/8]
2. Carl Zeiss Planar 1,4/85 ZA T* (Sony SAL85F14Z) ​​[June 2006, Sony A/Minolta A mount, 8/7]
3. Carl Zeiss Planar 1,4 / 85 T * [November 2002, Contax N mount, 10/9]

Tamron (different mounts)

1. Tamron SP 85mm F/1.8 Di VC USD Model F016 (for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A [without VC function], March 2016)

Tokina (Sony E / FE mount)

1. Tokina atx-m 85mm F1.8 FE (for Sony E, most likely a complete analog Viltrox PFU RBMH 85mm F1.8 STM, January 2020)

AstrHori (Sony E/FE mount)

1. AstrHori AF 85mm 1:1.8 [December 2022]

Panasonic (L mount)

1. Panasonic LUMIX S 1: 1.8 / 85mm [November 2020]

Separately, you can still highlight non-classic 85s:

1. macro lens Canon Lens RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM [2020, RF]
2. longer LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-SL 1: 2/90 ASPH. (2018, Leica l)
3. less aperture Sony 85 / 2.8 SAM (SAL85f28) [2010, A]
4. shorter SMC PENTAX FA 1:1.8 77mm Limited (1997, K)
5. shorter HD Pentax-FA 1: 1.8 77mm Limited (2021, K)
6. shorter Samyang AF 75 / 1.8 FE (2020, E) + Samyang AF 75/1.8X (2023, X)
7. cropped Samsung Lens 1:1.4 85mm ED SSA i-Function [2011, NX]
8. cropped and longer FUJIFILM FUJINON LENS SUPER EBC XF 90mm 1: 2 R LM WR [2015, X]
9. cropped and shorter Viltrox AF 75/1.2 XF STM ED IF [2022, X, E, Z]
10. cropped, less aperture, macro lens Nikon DX AF-S Micro Nikkor 85mm 1: 3.5G ED VR SWM IF Micro 1: 1 [2009, F]
11. many 90/2.8 class macro lenses

On the topic, I advise you to visit portrait lens selection page Among the Nikon Nikkor’s native autofocus lenses

Prices for the Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm F1.8D lens in popular stores can look at this link, or in the price block below:

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Results

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm F1.8D is an old but good portrait lens. A new version Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8G IF SWM, which became a replacement for the Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm 1: 1.8D, is generally better than this old man.

Update: there was a review of an inexpensive alternative to this lens in the face YONGNUO 100 / 2.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram