Nikon AF-S 85mm f / 1.8G Nikkor lens test

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f / 1.8G lens test

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NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 200, F5.6, 1/800 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F10, 1/160 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

Color reproduction and drawing when shooting a female portrait are very pleasant, bokeh looks no less impressive. By the way, there are rumors about the side of this lens that sometimes in the background there are characteristic “nuts” - characteristic polygonal flares, repeating the shape of the diaphragm. I didn’t notice anything like that in different shootings: always and everywhere, both the background and the foreground were blurred neatly and evenly.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 200, F2.8, 1/250 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

Only in extreme cases, when glare in the blur zone is relatively small, flakes appear in the bokeh, which many consider to be a drawback of the optical design. I like them, because they draw attention to the frame, although they make the picture somewhat colorful.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F1.8, 1/1250 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

But with chromatic aberrations, especially on open apertures, you can fight only with the help of a graphic editor. Pay attention to the foliage above the model’s hand: if you bring the frame closer, it becomes obvious that purple halos appear steadily around small twigs. However, this optical effect is characteristic of any aperture optics. It is believed that attempts to compensate for chromatic aberrations in the optical system lead to a deterioration of the pattern, and, as you know, the main task of the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f / 1.8G is to create a plastic picture with soft bokeh. Fast fixes are captivating by the presence of “soul” and personality in their drawing, which in the current version the lens certainly has.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F8, 1/60 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f / 1.8G is well protected from backlight, but like with most fast fixes, backlight still periodically appears. However, this happens smoothly - the effect can and should be used for artistic purposes. Unpleasant glare in the frame is not formed.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F2, 1/4000 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

As for sharpness, even at a fully open aperture, the center of the frame is sharp, from f / 2.5 the picture becomes detailed across the entire field of the frame, and at f / 4 onwards it is razor sharp. There is almost no sense in closing the aperture to f / 16 with such a lens, but even with the aperture fully closed, the picture remains high-quality.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F1.8, 1/5000 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F2.2, 1/3200 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F2.8, 1/2000 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F4.5, 1/800 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F9, 1/200 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F11, 1/125 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

Finishing talking about sharpness, I want to add that the lens does not draw too much during the shooting of a female portrait. The skin and hair are worked out carefully and adequately plastic. Desire to smooth the portrait after shooting does not arise. It's simply nice to look at portraits even without processing. This is the main feature of this class of optics.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 100, F7.1, 1/200 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

NIKON D800 Installations: ISO 400, F2.2, 1/125 s, 85.0 mm equiv.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f / 1.8G is a “must-buy lens with your very first DSLR”. If you are a portrait painter or periodically have to show very beautiful photos, for example, from wedding shooting, then you must have this lens in your arsenal. For situations where a moderate tele-range focal length is required, for example, for corporate events or club shooting, this lens, alas, will not be the best choice - at times autofocus is too much thought. Also in complex lighting, chromatic aberration may occur. But once again I repeat: we are talking about a classic portrait portrait, whose duties include shooting people, creating an artistic picture in the frame. And the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f / 1.8G does just that! Pros: