AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G

**arthurking83** · 30-08-2010, 11:13pm

Originally Posted by TOM

.... the only reason they don't include the ring, is to cut costs. ....

I would have thought weather sealing and a more reliable mechanism and manufacturing process would have been foremost in their minds, rather than saving a few dollars on a multi thousand dollar lens.

Where there is direct access from an external moving part of an item, to operate the inner workings of that item, would require a complicated sealing mechanism to inhibit the ingress of external 'elements'(dust/moisture/etc) into the inner casing. If the part is a moving, then there is also the chance for that part to wear out(highly unlikely, but not impossible). Aperture rings have been known to go stiff on various models of lenses, so problems with mechanical components such as these have been known to cause problems, as such.
AFAIK, I cannot remember any of the non G lenses to be fully weather sealed, as the G lenses can be(I'm sure someone will correct me on that one tho.. I just don't know of any)

I have both types as well, and find it annoying, like Andrew, that I can't access 1/3 stop aperture increments on my Ais lenses.

There are advantages in having an aperture ring tho ... these reasons are too few and a bit too technical to worry about(IMO).
For every G type lens that doesn't work on older film bodies, there are a zillion more Nikon or other types of lenses with aperture rings to mount onto legacy camera bodies such as F4's and suchlike, so I can't really see it as a problem personally.

FWIW, for the case where the lens won't work on a F4, it'd probably be prudent to seek out an F100 for the purpose of using these G lenses more effectively on an old film body(or F90/x, or F5.. or whatever).

**TOM** · 30-08-2010, 11:23pm

Some good points there re. weather sealing AK. I guess that could be an advantage to some.

**arthurking83** · 30-08-2010, 11:50pm

OK.. but in having said that, there are the advantages of having the aperture ring too.

Lens reversal. without an aperture ring, you need to jimmy the aperture prong open(not a dangerous proposition, but this can;t be an 'ideal' solution either.

Using a non coupled bellows(do aperture coupled bellowses even exist??)
Mount a new uber sharp g lens onto a bellows for that real magnfication factor and once again, you get the situation of a black vf, or a jimmied aperture prong(again) with no dof in the image.

my fave, and one reason I sometimes like to use particular lenses.
Real time DOF when using live view...... at least on the D300.
From my understanding, I think the D3 series has DOFP when using liveview, whereas the D300(that I know of, at least) doesn't. Mount any CPU coupled lens, and use liveview and you can't operate the DOFP feature. It just doesn't do anything. Sometimes I use lv mode and want to see the actual DOF or to increase contrast in the image with stopping down, and I need to use a non cpu and non G lens.
I dare say that this issue is due to the CPU rather than the G type lens design, but the two go hand in hand. You can tape up the CPU contacts, but then you lose the ability to communicate with the lens(via the sub command wheel), so aperture will not adjust.

Why is this important? Sometimes when i shoot a subject that's very bright against a very dark surrounding environ, using liveview(best method to get perfect focus every time!!), you need to stop the lens down. Doing this then gives you more detail in the bright subject against a dark background.
Specifically the moon!. Because of the dark surrounding sky when shooting the moon at certain focal lengths, the sensor compensates for the darkness by increasing sensitivity in the review screen. This makes the moon a whited out blob, with the lens wide open(as all lenses are when mounted to the camera) Normally you'd want to use DOFP to stop the lens down, but of course it doesn't work in lv mode. What I do with my Tammy 300/2.8 with or without any of the TC's mounted is to stoip down to as far as f/29 or smaller, and this gives me back the detail in the moons surface. Where the moon is a bright ball of fire with zero detail, I can now see the surface much more clearly and can make out detail easily.
Is this really important!?

Yes! I have two kids that love to look through telescopes.
With the 2 tc's mounted, the 300/2.8 becomes a 800+ mm lens, using lv my kids see the moon through the telescope on the review screen, instead of having to squint through the harder to see vf

saves me on having to get a telescope for my kids, as my pop bought us kids when we were younger.. keeps them amused for the right price!... free

**Lance B** · 01-09-2010, 4:37pm

Originally Posted by TOM

canon glass is arguably better (more variety and faster glass) than nikon, but the thing that nikon fans have always held their hat on is their backwards compatibility with their mount.

I hope you are implying that Canon glass is better because they have more variety than Nikon glass? I know you added it into brackets, but it is still not 100% clear of your intent. I agree they have more variety, but this does not mean that their indivivdual lenses are better IQwise etc.

as we know, canon changed their mount in the 80's, meaning that older lenses were no longer compatible. but try mounting a g mount lens on an f4. okay, so you may not want to shoot with an f4, but maybe you want to use some your g lens with some of the new mirrorless cameras....no can't do that. if nikon were going to make the backwards compatibility of their lenses obsolete, then they should have just changed the mount like canon did.....then they would have a more versatile mount. the only reason they don't include the ring, is to cut costs. hey i've bought a couple of g lenses, the 24-70, and the 70-200, and they work fine on new cameras, but i prefer the more tactile feel of a ring, I find it quicker to use, and i wouldn't have thought that it would cost nikon alot to implement. give me a physical dial on camera over a command wheel any day.

The command dial works for me, but everyone is different.

**ving** · 01-09-2010, 4:49pm

if anyone is getting the new one and they no longer want the old version, feel free to give it to me

**N*A*M** · 01-09-2010, 5:02pm

you can have my old one for a bargain price of $1999 :P

i will pass on the AF-S 85 for now, but a new 35/1.4 might pique my interest

**campo** · 01-09-2010, 6:22pm

Originally Posted by N*A*M

you can have my old one for a bargain price of $1999 :P

i will pass on the AF-S 85 for now, but a new 35/1.4 might pique my interest

same here, not willing to part with the old just yet...a new 35/1.4 is at the top of my wishlist

**zollo** · 01-09-2010, 6:54pm

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by TOM

yeah sure, but I have used my 17-35 on my d3 alot, and have the choice between the ring, and the finger dials. choice is good, and there's no harm in having it there if you are one who wants to use the finger dials. i still have stepless exposures with some older lenses put into Ap priority.
QUOTE]

you have to lock the aperture ring on d-type lenses to control aperture in camera, so its not really a "choice" if anything, a PITA remembering to lock it

**Sar NOP** · 01-09-2010, 9:04pm

I went to pick up mine yesterday and today I spent 3 hours shooting with this new baby : 900 photos, all @f/1.4 !!!

#1

Crop 100%

#2

Crop 100%

**Lance B** · 02-09-2010, 4:15pm

Wow, that swamp hen shot is amazing!

**TEITZY** · 04-09-2010, 10:35am

Some more sample images. The bokeh on these looks much better than some of the early samples.

http://www.wretch.cc/blog/wingmanzero/10131272

Cheers
Leigh

**N*A*M** · 05-09-2010, 2:01am

those shots are great sar

also, the new samples teitzy posted... if you're a guy and you're just looking at bokeh in pics like that, you must really love photography! hubba hubba

**I @ M** · 05-09-2010, 8:04am

Originally Posted by N*A*M

the new samples teitzy posted... if you're a guy and you're just looking at bokeh in pics like that, you must really love photography! hubba hubba

Yeah, I know what you mean, I'm a fan of bright green motorcycles too.

**kaiser** · 05-09-2010, 12:42pm

A wedding with the 85/1.4G ( not mine )

http://brianblog.net/2010/09/kathy-m...chester-hotel/

**TEITZY** · 08-09-2010, 1:01am

Here's another review. It has some serious vignetting on full frame wide open. CA is not too flash either. Looks like these guys think the Samyang is better all round value than the new Nikkor

http://www.lenstip.com/index.php?tes...wu&test_ob=264

Cheers
Leigh

**Sar NOP** · 08-09-2010, 10:01pm

Originally Posted by TEITZY

Here's another review. It has some serious vignetting on full frame wide open. CA is not too flash either. Looks like these guys think the Samyang is better all round value than the new Nikkor

http://www.lenstip.com/index.php?tes...wu&test_ob=264

Cheers
Leigh

Looks like they love joking on cheapy stuffs...especially when they say at the end that the new Nikon is the best 85mm they have ever tested, better than the Zeiss and the Canon 85/1.2L !

**arthurking83** · 08-09-2010, 10:25pm

well that settles it then.... I'm getting the Samyang!

according to Dxo as well the level of CA is insane!

even taking into account the ability of many pp software to counter this problem, you'd think that one of Nikon's main priorities would have been to minimise ugly CA's?(and not rely on PP to do so).

LoCA's are the ugliest problem with wide open photography.

**NatB** · 09-09-2010, 2:07am

so i'm guessing it's not worth selling the old 85/1.4 to get the new one then?

**Sar NOP** · 09-09-2010, 8:06am

Originally Posted by newb

so i'm guessing it's not worth selling the old 85/1.4 to get the new one then?

Optically, the 85/1.4 AF-D is already a very good lens and if you want to improve it further you need considerable financial outlays. That's why the new 85/1.4 AF-S is much more expensive.

It's the same story between the 50/1.4 AF-D and the AF-S 50/1.4 G : you pay a lot more for sharpness on the edges of the frame at f/1.4 !!!

**swifty** · 13-09-2010, 7:20pm

Originally Posted by newb

so i'm guessing it's not worth selling the old 85/1.4 to get the new one then?

But if u do, sell it to me :P

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