Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G review

The Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G brings portraiture to the masses

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G
(Image: © Nikon)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Small, fast and sharp, this lens costs less than a third of the price of Nikon’s AF-S 85mm f/1.4G lens. If you can live without the extra two-thirds of an f/stop of the faster lens, the f/1.8 is much better value and is still capable of delivering attractive bokeh, along with excellent sharpness. All in all, it’s the Nikon portrait and still life lens for the masses.

Pros

  • +

    Compact and lightweight

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    Solid build quality

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    Impressive performance

Cons

  • -

    Slower than an f/1.4 prime

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    No optical stabilization

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    Not extensively weather-sealed

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There’s a lot to be said for compact lenses that don’t take up too much room in your kit bag. This Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G fits the bill perfectly, weighing in at just 350g. That’s little more than half the weight of Nikon’s faster AF-S 85mm f/1.4G lens, which itself is very compact and lightweight for an 85mm prime with such a fast aperture. Unlike the f/1.4 lens, however, the f/1.8 is refreshingly inexpensive for an own-brand Nikon lens, at less than a third of the price of its sibling.

Read more:
The best Nikon portrait lenses
The best camera for portraits

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.