Peter Mueller Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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Interesting topic.
I bought the 50mm f/1.8G instead of the f/1.4G because in tests it seemed sharper and it has less distortion. The additional 2/3 of a stop I sacrificed for those two.
With the 85mm lenses the problem is similar: the f/1.8G seems slightly sharper in tests and also shows less distortion than the bigger brother. In addition, the focus shift when stopping down appears to be much smaller for the f/1.8G than the f/1.4G. On the other hand the f/1.4G shows slightly better bokeh and less flare.
I am basing my conclusions on the Photozone reviews, which I have found to be fairly neutral and objective in the past:
http://www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/717-nikkorafs8518ff
http://www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/606-nikkorafs8514ff
There are not many photographers who have both lenses, so there is not much direct comparison between the 1.8G and 1.4G in real-life field shooting, but for only one-third of the money the 85mm f/1.8G seems to perform better in many respects and only slightly worse in some.
For me personally, luckily, the price difference is not hugely relevant, but I think the focus shift when stopping down might be an issue for me and I prefer sharper pictures over less sharp ones. The bokeh I see from the f/1.8G is still plenty nice in my eyes and I am as good as decided to go with the cheaper lens, but not because of the different price but because I think it may actually be the better lens, just as I think the 50mm f/1.8G is a better lens than the 50mm f/1.4G (in spite of the aspherical element the 50mm f.1.4G sports).
It would, of course, be interesting to hear what my fellow photographers have to say about my thoughts...
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