85mm f/1.8D Nikkor

[candleman]

i'm very very seriously considering buying a new 85mm f/1.8D Nikkor..... (no used ones in good condition currently being sold)

after a group shoot i went to, allot of folks were using 70-200 f/2.8 outdoors...
i was using my 24-70 f/2.8 on the day ...which i bought as an indoor/general purpose lens.
...i guess i kindof felt it wasnt producing as much bokeh as i'd like in an outdoor seting, and liked the look of what they were getting at longer focal lengths... but i do want low light ability so either f/2.8 or less is a must for me.

from my musings an 85mm f/1.8 is about the most economical compromise as a substitute.


i WANT a 70-200 f/2.8 VR but thats at least triple the price on a good day
i have the cash for the 85mm.. dont have the cash for the 70-200

been loking at lots of sample images on flickr, and i love the DOF/Bokeh the 85mm produces..

i guess i'm asking for opinions on my options... (i mainly shoot portraits)
80-200 f/2.8's are hard to come by around here.. only ever seen one for sale. and still out of my current price range.

i've also briefly considered a used 105mm f/2.8 macro..
i know that would fill two roles.. and probably produce more bokeh.. i've heard lots of good things RE: using macro lenses for portraits.


what would you suggest..?
i'm feeling kindof lost.. in the bermuda triangle budget zone.. enough but not enough.

or i should bag the whole idea, and buy a 24" monitor and a Spyder calibrator.

[LoveDSLR]

The good place about Nikon lenses is at:

NikonCafe.com - Powered by vBulletin
Lens Lust
Sticky: Updated Lens Sample Photo archive

Check it out first...highly recommended.

[inkista]

If autofocus is not vital to you, I'd actually say consider the Rokinon/Vivitar/Samyang/Phoenix/whatever rebadge label it's had this week 85mm f/1.4. It looks awesome, and Amazon has the Rokinon version for $260.

Folks have been posting samples on fredmiranda, and it's just a wee-bit jaw-dropping. Holds up even on full-frames.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by LoveDSLR

The good place about Nikon lenses is at:

NikonCafe.com - Powered by vBulletin
Lens Lust
Sticky: Updated Lens Sample Photo archive

Check it out first...highly recommended.

I looked for the sticky you sugested.. i couldnt find one of that name..
is it possible i need to log in? never used that forum before.

Originally Posted by inkista

If autofocus is not vital to you, I'd actually say consider the Rokinon/Vivitar/Samyang/Phoenix/whatever rebadge label it's had this week 85mm f/1.4. It looks awesome, and Amazon has the Rokinon version for $260.

Folks have been posting samples on fredmiranda, and it's just a wee-bit jaw-dropping. Holds up even on full-frames.

thats really pretty sharp... those 100% crops ar not bad at all.

hmmm.... AF would be preferable... but thats a really good price though!!!!

[LoveDSLR]

Originally Posted by candleman

I looked for the sticky you sugested.. i couldnt find one of that name..
is it possible i need to log in? never used that forum before.

Yes, you need to register first. A good source of information, just don't spend your next days/weeks browsing it especially the 200 f/2 thread.

[OsmosisStudios]

I wouldnt bother with the 105 macro for portraits: it does poorly with focusing at distances longer than a few feet and loses sharpness in the process. The bokeh is also wicked harsh.

The 85 f/1.8 was on my wishlist, but the dream portrait lens is the 105 f/2 DC. Theyre going for $1200 or so here (CAD), though, so that's a far-off dream

[toddybear]

I have the 85 1.8 and I love it, it is really good for portraits. It is true that the real dream portrait lens is the DC but it is expensive and most people cannot use it fully(myself included).
My advice is to go for it.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by LoveDSLR

Yes, you need to register first. A good source of information, just don't spend your next days/weeks browsing it especially the 200 f/2 thread.

thanks i've registerd and have been reading. (same username FYI)
looks like one HECK of a good resource.. certainly an impressive forum in terms of its lens comments/discussions

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

I wouldnt bother with the 105 macro for portraits: it does poorly with focusing at distances longer than a few feet and loses sharpness in the process. The bokeh is also wicked harsh.

The 85 f/1.8 was on my wishlist, but the dream portrait lens is the 105 f/2 DC. Theyre going for $1200 or so here (CAD), though, so that's a far-off dream

hmm..waaaaay out of my price range..
thanks for the good info on the 105 Macro.. glad i can rule it out quickly then without wasting time on researching more..
i do want it sharp and really good IQ..

AF is a must really...
the Rokinon f/1.4 looks awesome... but at f/1.4 i think it would slow me down alot getting the focus right by eyeball.

Originally Posted by toddybear

I have the 85 1.8 and I love it, it is really good for portraits. It is true that the real dream portrait lens is the DC but it is expensive and most people cannot use it fully(myself included).
My advice is to go for it.

thank you.. saw the latest shot in your photostream
looks good

[vandergus]

If you're interested in a macro/portrait combo the Tamron 60mm f2 is nice. But if the macro is just an after thought, the 85 f1.8 would probably be the way to go, mainly for the better AF performance. Tamron runs about $550 US.

[candleman]

hmm.. 60mm is a bit short
i already have a 50mm f/1.8 so there wouldnt be a huge difference IMHO
thanks for the suggestion though.

i already have macro funtionality on my 24-70 and 28-85
not a huge fan of macro.. i only considered the 105 for portraits because its a really GOOD macro lens..and the longer foal length i'm after.
Osmosis has helped me rule that out.
so you're right in saying the macro is an after thought

i've found a used 85mm f/1.8 from a fellow forum member (other forum)
so might be able to save some $$ on getting it used.
just in the process of questioning him and askig for pics of the lens etc...