Nikon 85mm F1.4D IF AF

[ilookalot]

hi i am thinking of purchasing this lens for its low light capabilities ,i would mostly use it for portraits, indoor sports etc. With my present gear ( Nikon 20mm 1:2.8d ,Tamron af 28-300 1:3.5-6.3 ,Sigma 50-500 1:4-6.3apo dg ) i find the Nikon 20 to short ,the Tamron to slow ,the Sigma to big / slow .Would this lens help fill the gap .i have read some reviews which say it is a very good lens, does anybody use this lens ?what are your views ? thanks for any replies, Kym

[inkista]

Ok, first off, I want to double-check that you mean the lens you say in the thread title, 'cause that's $1200. The newer (just announced) AF-S 85mm f/1.4G is about $1600. And there's the $450 AF 85mm f/1.8D.

So, first off. What's your budget?

Secondly, what body are you shooting with? Indoor sports is a subject where having autofocus is a good thing. And if your body doesn't have a focus motor in it, an AF lens isn't going to cut it.

[ilookalot]

yes the one in the title is AUD $1400 + $130 for a filter ,i wasnt aware of the AF-S 85mm f/1.4G ,is it a better lens ? i am useing a Nikon d300 .i thought the f1.4 would be better/faster than the f1.8 .The lens in the title got high praise from the revewer thanks, Kym

[kirbinster]

How much faster do you think f/1.4 is versus f/1.8 in real life? Also do you really need the razor thin depth of field of the f/1.4? I think for what you are talking about you would get a lot more value out of the f/1.8. Probably better off pushing the ISO a little and invest some of the $1,000 you save on noise reduction software if you really need it.

[inkista]

I also think the f/1.8 version is probably worth looking at. Here's a good comparison of the AF 1.4 vs. the AF 1.8:

Review: Nikon AF 85mm f/1.4D vs Nikon AF 85mm f/1.8D - part 1 + part 2

The AF-S 1.4 isn't really a known quantity, as it was just announced a few weeks ago, and folks haven't gotten their hands on it yet. My guess would be that Nikon probably aimed to better the AF version's corner performance, and to bring it more up-to-date with AF-S.

Chances are good, though, that if it's at all like the Canon 85/1.8 vs. the 85/1.2L, if you go for the f/1.8 version, you'll be getting 80% of the lens for a third of the cost, and sharpness is going to be pretty damn comparable. If you really need the wider-than-f/1.8 aperture range, obviously, there's no choice. But given the premium you're paying for that difference, for the vast majority of shooters (particularly if you're not a pro) it won't be worth it to go for the larger, heavier, more expensive lens.

[ravncat]

The 1.4 and 1.8 85mm nikkor lenses have different purposes - the 1.8 is a bit better at landscapes, the 1.4 is better for portraits - but the differences are, very small. The 1.4 has cleaner - smoother bokeh - with slightly softer corners.

They`ve been debated back and forth. The New AFS 85 1.4 g - is almost the same as the current 85 1.4 d - but with better flare resistance, and of course, AFS

[ilookalot]

Thanks for the advice inkista & kirbinster .i couldnt see $1000 difference between the two lenses, so i will go for the 1.8 . AUD$533 .the cash i save will go to a speedlite hmm sb-900 or su-800 ? lol off to do some more research .thanks Kym

[inkista]

Don't think you need an SU-800, since the D300's pop-up flash has commander capability. And with all the cash you saved, I'd say go for the SB-900 over the SB-800 or SB-600, if you're planning on using the flash on-camera for run'n'gun event shooting (e.g., weddings).

If you wanted to play Strobist, though, then maybe monolights or manual-only speedlights, radio triggers, stands, and modifiers might be a funner way to spend the cash.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by inkista

Don't think you need an SU-800, since the D300's pop-up flash has commander capability. And with all the cash you saved, I'd say go for the SB-900 over the SB-800 or SB-600, if you're planning on using the flash on-camera for run'n'gun event shooting (e.g., weddings).

If you wanted to play Strobist, though, then maybe monolights or manual-only speedlights, radio triggers, stands, and modifiers might be a funner way to spend the cash.

on that note...

i've heard mixed answers on this:
do other peoples flashed trigger the off camera flash if the body is acting as a commander?


its not strictly an optical triger is it.. there IR communication involved

possibly a Hijack for another thread

[ilookalot]

Originally Posted by inkista

Don't think you need an SU-800, since the D300's pop-up flash has commander capability. And with all the cash you saved, I'd say go for the SB-900 over the SB-800 or SB-600, if you're planning on using the flash on-camera for run'n'gun event shooting (e.g., weddings).

If you wanted to play Strobist, though, then maybe monolights or manual-only speedlights, radio triggers, stands, and modifiers might be a funner way to spend the cash.

i will go for the sb 900 . from what i have read it is easier to use than the other models ,eg better buttons /switches ,longer range.