Nikon 85mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 3 out of 5
Yeah, but: It's absolutely perfect, circa 1990.

The Long Version: The f/1.8 85mm lenses of the world don't seem to get much love. Overshadowed by their faster cousins, both the Canon and Nikon 85mm f/1.8have fantastic optics for a not-unreasonable price. But they aren't glamourous enough to attract the high-budget amateurs, and they don't zoom to attract the every-length-covered crowd. With a focal length that's a narrow-normal on a 135 format, or middle telephoto on a cropped sensor, it's not a remarkable way of seeing the world. It's a lens that will appeal most to practical people who just want to take photos.

So how I ended up with one is a massive mystery.

One of the nicest things about the 85/1.8 Nikkor is going to sound odd: it's a satisfyingly lens-sized lens. It's not a monster like the other 85's: Nikon's 1.4 and 2.8, or Canon's 1.2; it isn't an absurd zoom or super-tele, and it's not even too petite like some of the wide-angle lenses. With its solid metal screw-in hood - included with the lens - it suits a camera from the DXX or DXXX series perfectly. It has some heft to it, but it's not too much to carry around all day. Naturally, size is a personal thing, but from the first time I used the 85/1.8 it has felt like a classic. That's an impression that's let down a bit by the plastic lens barrel; but about the only modern lenses that are still made the old-fashioned way are the Pentax Limiteds. I won't hold that shortcoming against the Nikkors.

Optically, there are no significant compromises with the 85 f/1.8. It's never really soft, and it sharpens up across the entire frame once it's stopped down just a little bit. (In daylight, even the weak mid-winter stuff we get in Toronto, a 1/8000 shutter speed isn't always fast enough to shoot wide open.) The vignetting is essentially gone by f/2.8, and its complete absence of geometric distortion is enough to move me to tears. I feel very strongly about straight lines.

While its big f/1.4 brother is supposed to be the bokeh king of the family, the 1.8's not too shabby. I'm not a huge connoisseur of this aspect of lens design - I hear a lot of people pronounce it bouquet, as if photographer rhymes with sommelier - so it's not my greatest concern or something that I'm gifted at evaluating. It does have a bit of an annulus (donut) shape to its OOF highlights, but take a look at the headlights on the subway train above. Shot at f/5.6, the nine-bladed aperture does a great job of keeping the highlights circular. For what it's worth, the next photo is also shot at f/5.6.

The autofocus is a traditional screw-drive, so its speed will depend on the camera for both the momentum and the math. For example, on a D700 with its fancy MultiCam 3500 system, it focuses quickly enough to track a cyclist who's hopping his way up a flight of stairs. On a DXXXX series camera, the autofocus is going to pretty much suck - but maybe I can't hold that against the lens. It's not the zippiest, but for general use it shouldn't be an issue. If focusing speed is critical, then as always, try it yourself with the camera that you'll use it on. That will answer far more questions than reading any number of reviews will.

This is the first photo that doesn't include the colour red, so it's an apt introduction to my counterpoint: not everything is rosy with the 85/1.8. Photo 13, above, is the full frame at f/2.0. There's moderate falloff, and the image isn't as sharp as it could be. But nitpicking aside, it's a dated design, boasting neither image stabilization nor a speedy Silent Wave focusing motor. Adding those things to an optical formula that's essentially flawless is asking for trouble, can only increase the cost, and will essentially turn the 85/1.8 into a completely new lens. If they're doing all that anyway, I'd also want a minimum focusing distance that's much shorter than the three feet that the AF-D 85/1.8 has. In my usage, that's turned out to be my biggest and most consistent complaint with this short telephoto lens, and it's one that can't be overcome by shooting technique or a better camera body.

So: my ideal short telephoto would be medium-small, and have AF-S, VR, a high reproduction ratio, and a fast aperture. Now that I think about it, that sounds a bit like a lens that Nikon has already made.