Good evening Nasim. Im looking forward to buy this lens, little but … how it works against the sun. Shots from 85/1.8G are often darker with faded colours. That’s why I consider this glass for outdoors shooting. I have 35/1.4G and this glass is great even in backlight. Petr U.
Paula Ward
November 18, 2017 2:48 am
I have just bought this lens, and found your article fascinating, thank you. I have a Nikon and prefer Nikon lenses, primarily I want this lens to better capture the growth of my 4 beautiful grandchildren. I really enjoyed your review and although it’s a few years old, took a lot of information and help from it.
Hao
July 24, 2017 8:23 am
Thank you for your great review about the 85mm f/1.4G lens. I bought this lens a month ago to go with my D7100. Sometime I have problem with focusing: Not too sharp when I shoot portrait indoor. Is this a problem with my DX machine or some focus issue with my lens? (how do I know if my lens have problem with focusing?) does the D810 (consider buy soon) will solve the problem? Thanks Again Nasim
Muhannad Fakih
February 2, 2017 4:02 pm
First of all, thanks for your amazing review, and fabulous shoots,
I have D7200, I already own the 85mm f1.8g But I’m really surprised with the world class results of the 1.4g,
I got a deal to exchange with mine 1.8g + 700$USD,
But I’m still hesitant, if I will notice the difference in the resolution and sharpness between them in my Dx D7200,,,,
So please, tell me what do you think?? And give you advise!!
I’m waiting for your kindly and prompt reply!!!
Steve
January 22, 2017 7:54 am
“The depth of field at f/1.4 is so shallow, that any movement by you or your subject will certainly affect the focus area and cause the image to have a shifted focus.”
Always interests me when a reviewer or someone on a forum posts a statement like this…At the end of the day that is entirely dependant on subject distance. If the subject is a good few metres away you’ll have more dof and this won’t be a concern. Much more likely the AF system will miss than this will be a problem, I have found in years of shooting, the light drops, the AF systems get twitchy.
Jon P
January 6, 2017 6:14 am
Really looking forward to seeing what you have to say about the new 105 1.4… Hurry up Nasim!
Eric Duchene
January 3, 2017 2:35 am
Thank you so much Nasim I wanted to buy one Nikkor 85 mm f1,4 and now I will do ( as the Xmas Nikon offer will finish in one week ! ) I have a D 800 and since Xmas the D 750. I have the 3 zoom f2,8 ( 14/24, 24/70 & 70/200 VR 1), a new 50 mm f1,4 G and an old 105 mm f2 DC Definitively I want to isolate people and doing nice Bokkeh. I will also use it when we do picture of our packaging for our web site. Thanks again and good travel in New Zealand Eric Duchene ( www.principe-actif.eu )
Andrew Bearman
December 18, 2016 5:05 pm
Nasim – great review. You mentioned that you’ve held on to this 85mm f1.4 while letting go of other lenses through the recent years. Curious to know your, say your top 5 most used Nikon mount glass in your arsenal. ?
Joshua Boldt
December 15, 2016 10:11 am
Thank you Nasim. I love this lens on my D810, in fact it almost never comes off the D810. I shoot at f/2.8 a lot, but sometimes I go wider if I think I can get away with the shallowness. I love this lens at f/11 in the studio with my strobes too.
I had a 50mm f/1.4 that I used a lot, but I like the compression/distortion level of the 85mm much more now that I’ve been using it for a few years.
Keep up these reviews and comparisons. I really appreciate them.
kers
December 10, 2016 7:53 am
I used to have the 1.4G lens and in a lot of ways it is a very good lens… Consistent AF, even sharp corner to corner , very good coatings.. what i did not like was the haze ( aberrations ) that disappear at f2.8. I just bought the Sigma Art 85 and it is just better. Clear sharp image from f1.4 faster AF, very good coatings too etc… I like the bokeh of both lenses. I tried the Tamron 85 with VR but the VR did not work well on my body d810… ( like the 300PF lens) It has to do with the specific shutter vibration of this camera. My opinion is the Tamron is better from f2.8 and up than the nikkor 1.4G- but the Nikkor is better @f2… But all these lenses may be considered about the best you cvan buy.
Good evening Nasim. Im looking forward to buy this lens, little but … how it works against the sun. Shots from 85/1.8G are often darker with faded colours. That’s why I consider this glass for outdoors shooting. I have 35/1.4G and this glass is great even in backlight. Petr U.
I have just bought this lens, and found your article fascinating, thank you. I have a Nikon and prefer Nikon lenses, primarily I want this lens to better capture the growth of my 4 beautiful grandchildren. I really enjoyed your review and although it’s a few years old, took a lot of information and help from it.
Thank you for your great review about the 85mm f/1.4G lens. I bought this lens a month ago to go with my D7100. Sometime I have problem with focusing: Not too sharp when I shoot portrait indoor. Is this a problem with my DX machine or some focus issue with my lens? (how do I know if my lens have problem with focusing?) does the D810 (consider buy soon) will solve the problem?
Thanks Again Nasim
First of all, thanks for your amazing review, and fabulous shoots,
I have D7200, I already own the 85mm f1.8g
But I’m really surprised with the world class results of the 1.4g,
I got a deal to exchange with mine 1.8g + 700$USD,
But I’m still hesitant, if I will notice the difference in the resolution and sharpness between them in my Dx D7200,,,,
So please, tell me what do you think?? And give you advise!!
I’m waiting for your kindly and prompt reply!!!
“The depth of field at f/1.4 is so shallow, that any movement by you or your subject will certainly affect the focus area and cause the image to have a shifted focus.”
Always interests me when a reviewer or someone on a forum posts a statement like this…At the end of the day that is entirely dependant on subject distance. If the subject is a good few metres away you’ll have more dof and this won’t be a concern. Much more likely the AF system will miss than this will be a problem, I have found in years of shooting, the light drops, the AF systems get twitchy.
Really looking forward to seeing what you have to say about the new 105 1.4… Hurry up Nasim!
Thank you so much Nasim
I wanted to buy one Nikkor 85 mm f1,4 and now I will do ( as the Xmas Nikon offer will finish in one week ! )
I have a D 800 and since Xmas the D 750.
I have the 3 zoom f2,8 ( 14/24, 24/70 & 70/200 VR 1), a new 50 mm f1,4 G and an old 105 mm f2 DC
Definitively I want to isolate people and doing nice Bokkeh.
I will also use it when we do picture of our packaging for our web site.
Thanks again and good travel in New Zealand
Eric Duchene ( www.principe-actif.eu )
Nasim – great review. You mentioned that you’ve held on to this 85mm f1.4 while letting go of other lenses through the recent years. Curious to know your, say your top 5 most used Nikon mount glass in your arsenal. ?
Thank you Nasim. I love this lens on my D810, in fact it almost never comes off the D810. I shoot at f/2.8 a lot, but sometimes I go wider if I think I can get away with the shallowness. I love this lens at f/11 in the studio with my strobes too.
I had a 50mm f/1.4 that I used a lot, but I like the compression/distortion level of the 85mm much more now that I’ve been using it for a few years.
Keep up these reviews and comparisons. I really appreciate them.
I used to have the 1.4G lens and in a lot of ways it is a very good lens… Consistent AF, even sharp corner to corner , very good coatings..
what i did not like was the haze ( aberrations ) that disappear at f2.8.
I just bought the Sigma Art 85 and it is just better. Clear sharp image from f1.4 faster AF, very good coatings too etc…
I like the bokeh of both lenses.
I tried the Tamron 85 with VR but the VR did not work well on my body d810… ( like the 300PF lens)
It has to do with the specific shutter vibration of this camera.
My opinion is the Tamron is better from f2.8 and up than the nikkor 1.4G- but the Nikkor is better @f2…
But all these lenses may be considered about the best you cvan buy.
ps wanted to say what you may not like about the sigma is its enormous size and weight
1.1KG and 86mm filter