85mm f1.4-1.8 experience

[aleksanderpolo]

I am finally looking for a 85mm f1.4-1.8 lens, I am considering some and would like to hear some first hand comparison/experience. I will be using it to shoot people at head and shoulder distance to mid distance from wide open to around f2, with or without ND filter. Here are the lens I am considering and thinking about:

1. Samyang 85/1.4: How is its microcontrast/edge definition and flare resistance? The photozone test show it doesn't improve much stopped down?
2. C/Y Planar 85/1.4: Is it too contrasty wide open to f2? Does it not perform well at the distance I am working with?
3. Nikkor 85/1.8 Ai: Had it once, thought it was a little heavy for a f1.8 lens, didn't shoot much with it and sold it, maybe I need to revisit it?
4. Nikkor 85/1.4 AiS: Too heavy?
5. Canon FD 85/1.2 L: Way too heavy?
6. Pentax 85/1.8: Is it good? How about the 77/1.8 limited?
7. Pentax 85/1.4: Really rare and it has huge purple fringing/CA?
7. Canon FD 85/1.8: Very cheap, is it good?

Some of the lens that I like:
C-Sonnar, CV 35/1.2 II

Some of the lens that I don't like for this application:
C/Y 50/1.4 & ZM 50/2 (too contrasty), CV 50/1.5 (very high resolution, but doesn't have the pop in say the C-Sonnar to my eyes)

Any thoughts or comments? Thanks.

[ManualFocus-G]

I'd go for the nFD followed by the Planar.

[Attila]

Where is Pancolar from Carl Zeiss Jena and Biotar 75mm ? I rate both higher than most in this list , I have no experience with Canon. Rest of it I did try. Pancolar , Biotar beat them all.

[iangreenhalgh1]

I like the Jupiter-9 2/85 for portraits, wide open it has a slight softness and a slightly lower contrast (both improve a lot at 2. and also has some glow, it is the glow combined with the lower contrast and slight softness that gives it a very nice character that suits portraits perfectly, the glow makes skin look much nicer.

[aleksanderpolo]

@Omar, I saw your sample and they are mighty impressive. I am sort of hoping to get a similar look with clear edge definition without the weight of the 85/1.2, do you have experience with the Planar and Samyang and do they draw similarly to the 85/1.2?

@Graham, are you talking about the 85/1.2? Or is the 85/1.8 that good?

@Attila, I am sorta scared of all the talk about the build quality/variation of the Jena lens, and how are their flare resistance?

[Attila]

Pancolar 80 has superb coating, I didn't try it against sun , that is not a portrait situation to me ...
Biotar 75mm coating is less good due ages.

Quality is not an issue on them , they have quality built. not worst than western products.
If an eastern lens fetch higher price than most western products , sign of quality for sure.

I am very happy with Jupiter-9 too and still inexpensive.

Basically you can't go wrong with any 85mm lens all good, difference is not much between them.

[aleksanderpolo]

@iangreenhalgh1: Thanks, I did consider the Jupiter as I like the Sonnar look. But I have the C/Y Sonnar already and I think I prefer a more modern drawing style (i.e. like the C-Sonnar more than the Nikkor H-C)

@Attila: Thanks for the reply about the Pancolar, and wow, it IS more expensive than the Planar! When did that happen or was it always more expensive than Planar?!

[aleksanderpolo]

Lovely example, Omar. I keep hearing that the Planar is not very good at close distance, but I don't know how close "close distance" is. So at your working distance in those shots, do you see any problem compared to the 1.2?

[aleksanderpolo]

Thank you, and thanks for your lovely samples too.

[Attila]

[Orio]

I suggest you to start browsing the "best of lenses" gallery.
You will see some (hopefully) selected images there that although made in different conditions and by different photographers
still can give you an approximate idea of how the lenses render the images.

[Attila]

[aleksanderpolo]

I have been doing that too, that's how I narrowed it down to the list. But I found that the PP style of the person making the image can have more impact on the final image than the lens itself. So I thought asking people with first hand experience with multiple lens might help eliminate this factor. I know most of the lens are more than capable, but some of them just give you more pleasure when you open the raw. I tried to push the files of FL55/1.2 and can never get the look I can easily get with the C-Sonnar, for example.

[Attila]

Most important and very cheap solution is PP and auto contrast, color, sharpness set is quick and smart. Camera process images anyway,
to buy $$$ lenses and cameras and ignore PP is not too smart. With same lens images looks entirely different on different cameras, PP can help to get quality images on inexpensive cameras.

Have to decide what is important final image or tools, to me final image and I really not care how it was done.

[ManualFocus-G]

The Planar is fantastic at close range, not sure where you got that idea. I suspect that it's got better coating than the Biotar and Pancolar as well. It really is a cracking lens and my favourite 85mm by a mile. The Samyang is also excellent but has less contrast and character.

http://forum.mflenses.com/i-love-my-planar-85-1-4-t40255.html

[kyonthinh]

How about Rokkor MC 85mm 1.7 or MD 85 2.0? I think it is not so bad.

[aoleg]

[woodrim]

[ManualFocus-G]

I've tested the Planar and Samyang indoors and they are both very sharp, even from wide open. Outdoors though the Samyang loses contrast and the Planar is better. That said, the Samyang is incredible value for money and better than many older 85s, which probably command a higher fee in the used lens market.

[yinyangbt]

I can tell about the Canon FDn 85/1.8 : good. Very good if not excelent quality/price ratio . If you want some bigger files to juge for yourself , PM me .
No PP at all. Portrait style or standard style setting on NEX 3 f 2.8 or 4 ,if I remember well

[ramiller500]

Try this, too:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/fl/data/19-85/fl_85_18.html

This was its US patent:

http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT3066575

[aleksanderpolo]

Thank you for your helpful comments and the link.

1. Ya, that's what I fear...
2. Looks like I will need to try the Planar for 1.4
3-4. I don't know why I didn't bond with the Nikkor 1.8 the first time around, maybe I should try it again. I think I will skip the 1.4 and try the planar instead. Both the Nikkor 85/1.4 and L 85/1.2 look intimidating
6. I am itching towards the 77/1.8 too, but I've heard (and seen samples) of its more pronounced purple fringing from f1.8-f2, which is what makes me dislike lens like the CV 50/1.5. So, is it very bad compared to 85/1.8 K?

And o wow the Pancolor, if the price is not that high... (thanks Attila for the link, I think the Biotar is not my cup of tea though)

Thanks.

[mfkita]

There is no 85/1.8 AI Nikkor....

There are a few different versions of the 85/1.8, and some availability of those 1.8 lenses with the Nikon AI conversion aperture ring, like the 1.8 K on the left below....and some that were simply converted with a notch cut into the rear of the aperture ring.

There is the 85/2 AIS Nikkor....much more compact than the 1.8...I got the 85/2 for the Nikon F...I liked the lighter more compact lens...but when I went to Canon digitalSLR (30D) I came to like the heft of the earlier 1.8 version...




Now as for those 85/1.8 versions....
The models marked H and H.C are the original silver and black versions...the "C" meaning that that lens has multicoating...
There is also the 1.8 K model which is the modernized black clad version, with the rubber focusing barrel....

The K has a bit more contrast and brightness than the H (about 1/3 an F-stop)...I don't know how the H.C compares...

As for recommendations....I liked all the 85s I had...the 1.8 H, the 85/2 and the 1.8 K I now have....

Here's a 100% crop @ 5.6 with the 85/1.8 H version...

[Minolfan]

[aoleg]