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Archive 2014 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems

  
 
ash4390
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


I've had my 85mm 1.8g for a little over a year now, but never really been fond of using it... I never found it sharp enough. Now I'm beginning to wonder if there is something wrong with my copy?

I'm getting *a lot* of purple and green fringing, and photos generally seem a little cloudy or hazy. I've AF fine tuned, and that helps a little but the fringing is crazy on this copy. Maybe I'm just spoiled by my Sigma 35 Art haha

I'll post up some samples when I get home tonight, I'm just wondering if anyone has had issues like this with the 1.8G version before?

Cheers,

Ash



Aug 14, 2014 at 10:38 AM
BenV
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


Hard to say what the problem is without samples, are you shooting metallic items in the sun? The 85 1.8G is great as long as you don't pixel peep.


Aug 14, 2014 at 10:51 AM
wellsjt
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


ash4390 wrote:
I'm getting *a lot* of purple and green fringing, and photos generally seem a little cloudy or hazy. ...
I'm just wondering if anyone has had issues like this with the 1.8G version before?


Yes, I have the same issues with mine. The purple and green fringing is crazy. It's the only lens I have that requires me to almost always fiddle with the sliders in LR to try to remove the CA. When I first got the lens, I asked around and it seems to be "just the way it is" with this lens when you use large apertures.

As far as the cloudy/hazy thing, I know what you mean (loss of contrast at large apertures) but this hasn't hit me as a huge issue.

It's also not a speed freak in the focus department, but of course we knew that going in.

That said, I haven't given up on mine. I still can get good shots with it, but I would love to be able to use it at f/1.8 or f/2 a little less worry-free than I currently am.



Aug 14, 2014 at 11:24 AM
ash4390
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


BenV wrote:
Hard to say what the problem is without samples, are you shooting metallic items in the sun? The 85 1.8G is great as long as you don't pixel peep.


I'll post up some samples this evening when I get home! The fringing is definitely worse on metallic objects, but thinks are just very low contrast and hazy.

---------------------------------------------

wellsjt wrote:
Yes, I have the same issues with mine. The purple and green fringing is crazy. It's the only lens I have that requires me to almost always fiddle with the sliders in LR to try to remove the CA. When I first got the lens, I asked around and it seems to be "just the way it is" with this lens when you use large apertures.

As far as the cloudy/hazy thing, I know what you mean (loss of contrast at large apertures) but this hasn't hit me as a huge issue.

It's also not a speed freak in the focus department,
...Show more

So I'm not the only one. I should add, things get much, much better at F/4+ -- but why would I want to shoot there then, I have my 70-200 for that!




Aug 14, 2014 at 11:34 AM
Jason_Brook
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


The 85/1.8G is a good lens, but not the great amazing "same as 1.4G" that a lot of people spew. The LoCA and haze at big apertures are because it's relatively soft at big apertures. Stop down and it vanishes.

I've had a few copies of this lens, they're all the same.



Aug 14, 2014 at 12:34 PM
sanjayg
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


I am on my 3rd copy of the lens - I know, I have NAS and I keep buying/selling stuff. This is my experience with the lens - I see others have had different results.

All 3 copies including the one I have now, is stupid sharp at f1.8. I have my lens fine-tuned using Lens Align gadget. The problem with this lens is two fold,

1. CA wide open or close to (can be mostly corrected fairly easily) and it goes away upon stopping down
2. No real 'character' like 85 f1.4D - just 'clinical' in its rendering.

Having owned 3 copies - sharpness/resolution is absolutely top-notch and I am using it with D800.



Aug 14, 2014 at 01:25 PM
macrobild
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


From average to top notch
Together with my D800 I consider 85/1,8 as a good lens but together with d810 it shines from F 1,8, needs no micro adjustment and CA easy to correct.

what does other think about the lens

http://www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/717-nikkorafs8518ff?start=1

http://www.lenstip.com/333.4-Lens_review-Nikon_Nikkor_AF-S_85_mm_f_1.8G__Image_resolution.html

http://slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1480/cat/12

http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Ratings

NOT BAD for a lens at that price



Edited on Aug 14, 2014 at 02:09 PM · View previous versions



Aug 14, 2014 at 01:58 PM
pmac1985
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


My 1.4G is terrible for fringing, shoot anything with light behind and its terrible, even LR can't shift it all without affecting the colours to much.


Aug 14, 2014 at 02:07 PM
ash4390
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


As promised, here are some comparison shots - 100% crops, SOOC. Even at f/4 it doesn't seem that sharp. I was focused on the PIER7 logo, with my center AF.

F/1.8, ISO100, 1/2000s



F/2.8, ISO100, 1/1000s



F/4, ISO100, 1/500s




Aug 14, 2014 at 11:13 PM
fetopher
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


Your samples look a lot like mine with two copies of the 85mm 1.8G. I returned both and bought the 35 1.4 Art instead.

Here's a thread I posted with lots of details, tests, etc. on the subject:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1264996/0



Aug 14, 2014 at 11:16 PM
ash4390
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


Looks exactly like the problems I've been having. I swear this was tack-sharp on my D3s when I still had it...

I'm not even sure if it's worth it to take into Nikon Canada to see if they'll fix it. Decisions decisions..



Aug 14, 2014 at 11:49 PM
ash4390
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


Here is one more I just took after doing a factory reset, and then re-fine tuning. These were ideal settings, AF-S, a very lazy cat. The focus was right on his pupil -- but things still look a little fuzzy. Maybe my Siggy has spoiled me..

I was about 4ft away, so I'm wondering if this is a distance issue with the autofocus on my copy.

F/1.8, 1/60s, ISO100 + SB800 flash




Aug 15, 2014 at 12:25 AM
macrobild
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


it comes to getting a well-centered lens and a camera which AF puts the focal plane 100% right , then is 85 / 1.8 a very good lens for the money and vey good even at F 1,8 , the CA is easy to correct/adjust away in CR etc

I see in many pictures blur due micro shake and mirror slaps which is more visible with d800 resolution than with D3s as some one mention, one reason I got sharper results wit D810 than d800 is the reduced mirror slaps vibrations

If you think you can handhold a 85mm with 1/200 sec, look trough LV and in 10 times magnifications how your own tremor looks like



Aug 15, 2014 at 10:24 AM
ash4390
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


macrobild wrote:
it comes to getting a well-centered lens and a camera which AF puts the focal plane 100% right , then is 85 / 1.8 a very good lens for the money and vey good even at F 1,8 , the CA is easy to correct/adjust away in CR etc

I see in many pictures blur due micro shake and mirror slaps which is more visible with d800 resolution than with D3s as some one mention, one reason I got sharper results wit D810 than d800 is the reduced mirror slaps vibrations

If you think you can handhold a 85mm with 1/200 sec,
...Show more

I fully agree, but I have shots at 1/500s and faster, that should not show any visible blurring due to tremors at 85mm.



Aug 15, 2014 at 11:58 AM
knower
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


I just want to update this old post in case that can help somebody.

I just got the 85 1.8G and at first I was very disappointed because it didn't seem as sharp as said in the reviews and also there was lots of CA everywhere.

The problem, though, was fine tuning it.
On my D800 a +5 makes a HUGE difference and now the lens is super super sharp and with almost no CA, the remaining can be corrected easily in LR.

Make sure you have the lens 100% tuned and it won't disappoint.

Also the speed, I thought I could shoot this at 1/125 but that's not always the case with the D800. 1/200 is definitely safe, though, you shouldn't need to go to 1/500 to get sharp results.

Cheers,
G.



Apr 17, 2015 at 01:42 PM
NYCPhotog
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


I had to fine tune mine as well on my D300s.


Apr 17, 2015 at 02:00 PM
infosecgeek
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


I have funky fringing issues with mine too. Had to Fine tune it a bit as well. It's an OK lens, but not even close to the Sigma ART lenses I have.


Apr 17, 2015 at 02:17 PM
williamkazak
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


Mine is the best lens in my kit. I really find it sharp and I have not experienced the fringing problems. It can take me a year to "really know" a lens. So far, great.


Apr 18, 2015 at 03:03 PM
mshi
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


In the lens only rebate i bought one from BH and it has excessive amount of CA that only goes away if stop down to 7.1 or smaller. The second copy has zero amount of CA wide open in high contrast scene and amazingly sharp at the min focus distance. However, it can't obtain accurate AF focus at wide open if focus distance is longer than the min. The problem is it has excessive amount of green fringe. Hope to stop down to f/4 for accurate AF.


Apr 18, 2015 at 03:36 PM
lsutigerfan
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Nikon 85 1.8G Problems


My 85/1.8d focused much faster. Bokeh at 1.8-2.8 not as good, and the 85/1.8g is sharper wide open of course. Both have fringe colors. Get the 85/1.4g and be done!! just kidding


May 08, 2015 at 03:39 PM





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