REVIEW: Nikon 85mm f/1.4D

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When my brother and I started our photography company a few years back, one of the first decisions we made was regarding our lenses; zoom or prime? Suffice it to say, we had many conversations about it; weighing the pros and cons, researching a whole myriad of factors. Zoom lenses provide versatility, but with the relative drawback of lack of speed (in most cases). Prime lenses provide that speed, but can be a bit hampering when shooting on location due to the sheer number of lenses needed to vary our shots. 

We came to the conclusion that our photographic style was just too important to preserve; we love shooting with wide apertures and love the aesthetic that a shallow depth of field provides. So for us, it had to be prime lenses. 

This review covers arguably my most prized prime lens in my bag, an absolutely gorgeous piece of glass and a classic portrait lens: the Nikon 85mm f/1.4D.

Yes, Nikon stopped making this lens over a decade ago, ushering in the estimable (and much pricier) 85 mm f/1.4G—but you’d be hard pressed to find a lens better built, better performing in the medium telephoto range than the 1.4D. 

Nikon 85mm f/1.4D

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BUILD

Which brings me to the lens’ build. Oh my goodness, this lens is solid. Built like a tank. It could very well be used as an impromptu weapon should the need arise. No exaggeration. The main housing is solid metal, with a very satisfying brushed finish that provides just the right amount of slip resistance when taking it out of my bag. Focus modes are changed via the plastic ring that surrounds the lens halfway down the barrel, and is engaged by pressing the small metal button to switch between manual and auto. By contrast, the newer 1.4G (and all other post-2010 Nikon lenses) utilizes a small switch on the side of the barrel for changing focus modes—a design change that introduced an automatic override of the manual focus setting. I tend to prefer the focus ring on the 1.4D; for me the motion of turning the ring mirrors the motion used for adjusting focus in manual mode so it makes sense to me. The automatic override is a small price to pay.

This is a reach, but the aperture ring leaves a bit to be desired. The notches for each f-stop setting could be a bit deeper to prevent it from moving as easily as it does. If not for the small aperture ring lock to hold it in place I’d likely find myself in a constant battle with the dreaded “Fee” error code blinking in my viewfinder due to the aperture ring having been moved accidentally. 

Nikon 85mm f/1.4D

The front element is beautiful, with glass that appears to be peering into your soul. I’ve gone back and forth on whether to use a lens filter (77mm), and for the time being it currently does not have one (I can see my brother Breighton cringing right now). I imagine I will get one soon—the last thing I want is for this thing to get scratched. 

Nikon 85mm f/1.4D

Nikon 85mm f/1.4D

PERFORMANCE

I'm not going to bore you with test charts, metrics and the like; there’s plenty of information out there with which to “geek out”, as it were. Sharpness, transmission, distortion, vignetting, etc. are all very important factors when considering a new lens, and I am by no means discounting this. But to allay any concerns: this lens is SHARP. I find very little corner softness when stopped down, and a negligible amount of barrel distortion (which can be easily fixed in PP). But it’s clear that this lens is made to be used wide open and that’s exactly where I keep it. 

But I do want to focus on the way this lens renders the out of focus areas, which in my estimation is it's main selling point. Being a moderate telephoto lens it's right in the sweet spot for spectacular portraiture, and it does not disappoint. 

Buy this lens for it’s sharpness at f/2.8 and you’re cheating yourself. Virtually all professional lenses are great at 2.8, but that’s not why you buy this lens. You buy this lens for the beautifully rendered, creamy background that makes your subject pop. And at a fraction of the cost of the newer 1.4G iteration (around $640 on Amazon vs. $1,500+) the 85mm 1.4D does it about as good as any lens I’ve ever used. 

Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - White Box(Bulk Packaging) (New)

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