Nikon Ai AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D

Compared to the "golden" F1.4 lenses, the F1.8 lenses are "oxidized silver" lenses generating excellent image quality and each manufacturer make great ones. And, the one from Nikon is no exception and it has been highly rated since it was released. This model is the "D" type with a distance ring and it's not in the least inferior to the latest "G" type. While the 85mm is famous as a "portrait" lens, it's a great lens for landscape as well and it delivers interesting outputs within the focus distance between 10 and 20m. Of course, this lens is great for "bust-up" portraits, but it also makes you want to shoot portraits from some distance.

( Photography & Text : K )

The front bokeh is soft and the focal plane is very sharp. And, because of the realistic rendition, I want to shoot more with this lens.

The girls were about 10 meters away, which is an interesting distance for this lens. The color reproduction is dense and heavy. And, by taking advantage of it, you can shoot under for snapshots and over for portraits.

The bokeh taste of the background is perfect for capturing what I call "accumulation of time." With a 135mm, the compression level increases and the background melts more. I don't have to repeat that focal length determines what to be shot. But, I'm wondering how these standard focal lengths were decided and who did it...

The front bokeh appears to be softer than the back bokeh, even though the back bokeh isn't hard at all. And, I think it's a nice taste of this lens.