Old school lens lust - Nikon 85mm 1.4 AI-S! Any opinions?

[Jonathan F/2]

I've been eyeballing the old Nikon 85mm 1.4 Ai-S lens. People seem to have forgotten about it either going for the AF-D version or the 1.8/1.4 G lenses. After doing more research this lens seems to be really awesome and was manufactured until 2005 so fairly new, clean lenses exist! I'm just wondering if anyone has one and can give their opinion on it?

I also have the 105mm 2.5 AI-S, but I noticed this 85mm has a very short focus throw with a max distance of 30 feet before infinity. I'm not fond of MF lenses that have these long turns in focusing!

Thanks for any replies!

 

[fishbio]

Bjorn Rorslett gives it 5 out of 5.

"A truly professional lens with an impressive front element and a rock-solid mechanical construction to match, this is a perfect choice for photogs loving MF lenses and available-light photography. It delivers outstandingly sharp images stopped down a few stops, to f/2.8-f/4, and keeps the excellent image quality all the way down to f/16. Some people criticise the out-of-focus rendition of the MF lens, and I for one think they have a small point here, witnessed by a possible encroaching harshness of the non-focused highlights. With its big front element, flare is a potential problem and the huge hood HN-20 should always be mounted. Ghosting does occur but rarely is critical for image quality. The 85 MF, although having a 72 mm filter size, works perfectly with the 6T close-up lens mounted in a 62-72 mm step-down ring."

 

[CAJames]

I had one and wasn't crazy about it. It seems they cost almost as much as the AF-D and I like the AF-D a lot better. I feel the same way about the 180 f/2.8 ED: like the AF much better than than MF.

 

[pictureted]

I couldn't afford the 85/1.4 and bought a used 85/2 AI-S years ago. Where the f1.4 if big, the f2 is a small beauty. I never thought the optics were a match for the 105/2.5, however, and almost never used it. It's lack of sharpness did make it a rather flattering lens for some portraiture with plain backgrounds. The new 85/1.8G is a better lens.

 

[Jonathan F/2]

Okay good to hear I'm probably just suffering from GAS! I currently have the 85mm f/2 AI-S and scored a really good copy of the lens. I had another copy that wasn't very good. My new copy is amazing, so I kind of got excited thinking about getting the 1.4 AI-S version. After thinking about it though, the 1.4 is much bigger, has a 72mm filter and would be the odd lens amongst all my other 52mm filter threaded Nikkor lenses.

 

[andreasb]

I'm amazed there is a lens left that you haven't tried ;-)