Product ReviewsNikon NIKKOR f/1.8D Auto Focus Fixed Lens for SLR Cameras

Amazingly sharp at f/4 to f/10, great at f/1.8

For years I had been making do with a nifty-fifty and a 105mm prime, and using one of my zooms to cover anything in between. I finally decided to plug the gap with the Nikon 85 mm f/1.8 D AF.
<br>I am impressed. I test new lenses at various distances and apertures with resolution cards and by photographing the landscape around my house. I am shooting with a D7200 and I like to use ISO 200. I shot in A mode. Then I load the NEF 14 bit images in Capture NX-D and go pixel peeping at 250 to 400%.

The 85mm prime thing easily edges out the Nikkor 18-300mm zoom at F/4 to f/11, and does well even at f/2.8. At f/1.8 the 85mm starts to look similar to the zoom, but the zoom is at it's maximum aperture of 6.0 ... so the 85mm has a 3+ stop advantage on light gathering.

This is definitely one heck of a good lens.

The ebay seller was also good with the description, wrapped it very well, and sent it promptly. Overall, I'm very pleased.
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Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: parkwaycamera

Great lens as expected.

In near mint condition on the outside but 2 large dust particles on glass that will require cleaning some time.
Otherwise as good as new. Dust like this in a non-breathing zoom is of concern. Was the lens opened at some point ? I will have to get it checked out which will cost extra off course.
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Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: irohas

A terrific, short-tele, low light, portrait and scenic lens that will last.

I recently bought a Nikon D610 and needed FX lenses. I was using my 30 year old AIs lenses (28 mm, 50 mm, and a 35-105 mm), all of which were capable of good shots but not stellar. and not easy to focus, manually. I also recently go a 17-35 mm f2.8 which is a fantastic lens - but limited as it is to very wide angle shots. I have also a 70-200 mm f2.8, which is a great lens for distance, but very heavy. This lens, I was hoping, would fill in the middle range, with low light capability.
It has exceeded my expectations. The 9 element iris provides lovely bokeh. The autofocus is fast and spot-on. It is small and light compared to the other zooms, and yet made of metal and glass. It is sharp and provides great color and contrast. I have used it for portrait and outdoor scenery. For the money, it is a steal. I got it for a little over $330 with free shipping.Read full review...

Nikon 85mm F/1.8 D AF Lens

I have a Nikon D80 camera that I am finally starting to really love. When I purchased the camera, I also bought a 18-200mm lens and that has been my only lens up until now. I wanted a lens that was a little faster and suitable for portrait photos. This 85mm lens is great. It enables me to shoot portrait type shots in more natural light without having to use a flash. The images are very sharp and clear and I truly love the lens. It was odd getting used to shooting with a fixed focal length lens again, but it forces me to put more thought into my framing and composition. I would highly recommend this lens.Read full review...

Real value for money

I bought this from eBay near about one month before and used this at my last shoot.
I must say the result is far far better than 85mm f/1.4D. It produce unimaginable sharp image. It is light weight and of course good value for money. Now I am planning to sale my 85mm f/1.4D...LOL
I am a portrait photographer and I never detached this lens from my camera and it became my must lens in my bag.

If you are a portrait photographer, you should have this lens in your bag.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: k4j98

Perfect lens for filming interviews

I make documentaries. Through the years, I've been searching long and hard for the "perfect" lens to use for the sit down interview shot. This is what I came up with. The lens is fast, with a beautiful creamy background behind the interview subject. It's really the ideal length from the camera to the interview subject to the background. That's my only purpose here for my use with this lens...but it is the best tool for the job for video due to it's manual features. Quality all the way. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: roman1960

The "Ideal" film focal length?

At some point in any photographer's evoloution we all need to make a decision - am I a zoom or fixed focal length shooter?
For the type of photography I enjoy, and for the purposes I use my photos for, are the tight tolerances and distortion controls designed into most professional level fixed focal length lenses necessary? Do I need the faster apertures - really? Do I mind carrying around several lenses, each weighing half to one and a half pounds, to cover the focal lengths I most frequently use when shooting and do I mind having to reach into my bag to change lenses again and again during a shooting session?
Or do I prefer carrying one, or at most two, overlapping zooms covering the same range?
If the answer to this question is the latter, then you should read no further and consider purchasing one of the many zoom lenses available that include the 85mm focal length. You should especially do so if you are a digital shooter. For you, the fast aperture of f/1.8 is meaningless, since most of your SLR's start with a sensitivity of ISO 320, and corner sharpness is useless since your sensor is only "seeing" the central portion of the circle projected by this lens.
Having said all that, Nikon's 85mm f/1.8 AF lens is one of the finest optics it has been my pleasure to own. Designing short telephoto's is, admittedly, easier to do well than say superwides but this lens is, nevertheless, a jewel among short telephotos. Distortion is virtually nil and the lens is sharp at all apertures, especially at f/1.8. Build quality is excellent, being mostly metal and the lens has metal filter threads (which you will learn to appreciate the first time you cross thread a filter on a lens with plastic threads). The internal focusing mechanism and short movement required to focus to infinity makes autofocus on the lens as fast on my F100 and D100 as my lenses with the AFS motors.
Slides taken with this lens are contrasty and sharp at all apertures with no vignetting - even with the lenshood on over a thick filter mount. The lenshood itself is a welcome departure from some of the plastic horrors Nikon has come out with in recent years, being an all metal screw in type.
So if moody portraiture with soft out of focus backgrounds on ISO 50 films are your thing - this is your optic and it's a bargain even at full price. If you are a contemplative one lens shooter, who spends the time setting up a tripod and then moving it about until your angle and framing are perfect, then you could not do much better than this little gem (But why are you working in 35mm and not large format?). Even a working pro, who occasionally needs a little more reach and speed would be happy with this lens and can be confident that the results will not let him down.
It just that the rest of us, with limited budgets, who take pictures for our own pleasure and not for resale, would probably be better served spending the same money for something a bit more versatile.Read full review...

Great, inexpensive portrait lens with a beautiful bokeh

This is a great, inexpensive option if you're looking for an excellent portrait lens. It's 85mm so you'll need a little room between you and your subjects. Adjust your F-stop to the lowest setting and you'll get that fantastic bokeh in your photos (that's when your subject is in-focus and the background blurred.) This is a very fast, autofocus lens. You'll need a Nikon camera with a built-in lens motor drive. there is no manual focus. I purchased this because the price was right. I do wish it had manual focus, I believe the more expensive Nikon 85mm F1.8 G AF lens has manual focus.Read full review...

Classic Manual Portrait lens

The construction on my sample is excellent, though the focus ring is on the loose side. I have an 85mm f2 on which the focusing is more damped. I use this lens on a Fujifilm X-Pro 1 with an adapter. It looks fantastic, and the pictures are lovely. On the down side, the lens is wider towards the front, and so it tips the camera forwards.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: hifi

Very sharp lens

I bought this lens hearing good reviews about it, and I can say they were right. The lens is very well made and focuses pretty quickly. I use this on a D750 and even in low light the pictures look bright and crisp without the flash. When the built in flash is used indoors it tends to get a little over exposed in my experience. I would recommend this lens to people who want to do portrait or even product photography( as long as the item you are photographing isn't too big, then you have to step away a little further than I like for product photos). Overall a very good lens and a very good price.Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

Great portrait lens

I chose this specific 85mm lens because I wanted a dedicated portrait lens that would be compatible with both my film and digital cameras. I have yet to use it on my film camera, but I am pleased with how it performs on my DSLR. The image with this lens is sharp, and it performs well in low lighting. The focus ring is a little looser than I am used to my my other lenses, but it does not detract from the overall feel of the lens.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: pg101380