Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm F/1.8G

This Nikon prime offers a fixed 85mm focal length and a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture for full-frame F-mount bodies.

That pairing suits portrait photographers above all. It lets you work at a comfortable distance from a sitter and still fill the frame. Studio sittings, indoor sessions and outdoor head shots all suit this focal length, and stage-front coverage at recitals and school plays also fits.

Nikon introduced it in 1994 and has since discontinued it, so it is an older design. The fixed focal length is the main constraint: when framing changes, you move rather than zoom. It also offers no image stabilization or weather sealing.

The lens weighs 13.4 oz (380 g) and measures 2.81 in (71.5 mm) across and 2.3 in (58.5 mm) long. That makes it a light, compact prime for the full-frame format.

Screw-in filters attach directly to the 62mm front thread, so any 62mm filter fits without an adapter ring.

On a full-frame body, 85mm frames a head-and-shoulders portrait from a natural distance. Faces keep familiar proportions, and you keep room to direct a sitter. You can also cover a seated couple or a small group across a room without stepping far back.

The f/1.8 maximum aperture is the headline specification. It passes enough light for dim interiors and evening sessions to keep shutter speeds usable. Wide open, depth of field is shallow, so a subject stands out from a busy background. Stopped down to f/2.8 or f/4, it can bring both eyes of a turned face into focus.

Nine aperture blades help the opening stay close to round when you stop down, which helps out-of-focus highlights render evenly. The effect shows most in points of light, such as evening city backgrounds behind a sitter.

Closest focus is 2.8 ft (85 cm), which suits half-body and head-and-shoulders portraits. The maximum magnification is 0.11x, so the lens reproduces people and larger subjects rather than fine detail. Its optical specification scores 85/100.

Image stabilization is absent, so nothing in the lens corrects camera shake. At 85mm, low-light handheld work depends on steady technique, a higher ISO, or firm support. Static portraits are easiest, since you control the timing. Bracing your elbows against a wall or table gives similar help.

Weather sealing is absent too, so keep the lens dry during outdoor sessions. The front glass carries no fluorine coating, so remove dust and smudges gently rather than rubbing.

Its features specification scores 19/100. For a portrait prime working mostly indoors on willing sitters, those gaps may matter less than they would for travel or reportage use. A monopod bridges the gap between handheld and tripod work.

The optical construction is simple: six elements arranged in six groups, so each group holds a single element. The design includes no aspherical, bi-aspherical, or low-dispersion glass. A plain layout like this is common for a prime that covers a single focal length.