85 S has smooth, but a little bit timed bokeh, probably due to the smaller front lens. 105 E has lively, bold bokeh, but a little bit of chromatic aberration. The larger front lens and the wider maximal aperture help with the bokeh characteristics, also at f/1.8 (or f/2.8, for that matter). Nobody will complain about photos taken with the 85 S, but your chances of getting people excited about a photo are much larger with the 105 E. The 105 E is more challenging to build, so it's more expensive. I have the 85 S and skipped the 105 E, because I've got three fast 135mm lenses. But every once in a while, I'm thinking about swapping two of those for the 105 E.
Nov 09, 2019 at 07:21 AM
Previous versions of AcuteShadows's message #15040002 « Nikon 85 1.8S vs 105 1.4E Results »
